Team Canada Projected Lineup vs Czechia Raises Questions About Bennett, Morrissey
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 18, 2026 (9:30)
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Sam Bennett and Josh Morrissey sit, Team Canada faces Czechia, and the Olympic quarterfinal suddenly feels tight.
This is the kind of pregame update that messes with a coaching board.
Ryan Rishaug’s note basically screams “maintenance day,” but the timing matters.
Canada can survive scratches, but not chaos.
Connor McDavid has been driving results all tournament.
So has Sidney Crosby, because of course.
The bigger worry is what it does to matchups and special teams.
If Josh Morrissey can’t go, that blue line leans even harder on Devon Toews and Cale Makar.
Connor McDavid pushes Team Canada forward vs Czechia
You can feel the fanbase mood right now, confident in the talent, but annoyed that nothing can ever be simple in a one game quarterfinal.
Macklin Celebrini next to McDavid and Tom Wilson is pure speed and pressure.
It also dares Czechia’s defence to handle pucks under heat.
Nick Suzuki showing up in projected combos is the sneaky part for me.
That’s the kind of coach’s chess piece you use when the game gets tight late.
Here are the two posts that got everything going.
Team Canada's projected lines:
Celebrini – McDavid – Wilson
Hagel – MacKinnon – Suzuki
Marner – Crosby – Stone
Marchand – Horvat – Reinhart
Jarvis
Toews – Makar
Theodore – Parayko
Harley – Doughty
Sanheim
Binnington
Celebrini – McDavid – Wilson
Hagel – MacKinnon – Suzuki
Marner – Crosby – Stone
Marchand – Horvat – Reinhart
Jarvis
Toews – Makar
Theodore – Parayko
Harley – Doughty
Sanheim
Binnington
Now Canada has to turn clean structure into a semifinal ticket.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
In Connor Hellebuyck they trust, but Kyle Connor’s Olympic seat is suddenly cold
In Connor Hellebuyck they trust, but Kyle Connor’s Olympic seat is suddenly cold
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 18|238 ANSWERS Team Canada Projected Lineup vs Czechia Raises Questions About Bennett, Morrissey Will Canada win with Sam Bennett and Josh Morrissey sitting vs Czechia? | ||
| Yes | 211 | 88.7 % |
| No | 27 | 11.3 % |
| List of polls | ||