Vancouver Canucks Duo Unexpectedly Named to Team USA's Olympic Roster

For the first time in more than a decade, NHL stars will return to the Olympic ice, as the 12 nations bound for Milano-Cortina, Italy, in 2026, announced the opening six names on their preliminary rosters earlier this summer.

The U.S. Olympic team, along with other countries, also held a preliminary camp in August, where Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser of the Canucks were not present, but things have changed, as both players have now been added to the country's roster.

Montreal Canadiens' Lane Hutson has also just been added to the roster, along with the two Canucks players.

In terms of North of the border, Hockey Canada wasted no time showcasing its firepower.

Canada unveiled a star-studded list headlined by Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers).

This group already gave fans a taste of what is to come during February's Four Nations Face-Off earlier this year, where Canada skated to victory against the USA in a best-on-best showdown against the NHL's best.

Their performance there only heightened anticipation, with many calling the six a «dream team» basis for the Olympic squad.

Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, recorded two assists on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

This moved him into sole possession of ninth place on the NHL's all-time assists list with 1,065, yet another reminder of how elite Canadians are when it comes to the game of hockey.