TORONTO – If no player from Quebec is present at the NHL All-Star Game this Saturday in Toronto, there is reason to wonder if the Canadian men’s hockey team will bet on an athlete from La Belle Province in the next Winter Olympics in 2026.
The presence of NHL players at the 2026 and 2030 Games was confirmed on Friday by Commissioner Gary Bettman and the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif.
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Since then, hockey fans have already had fun imagining the composition of the Canadian team. Observation: there may be few Quebecers, if at all.
During the NHL’s most recent presence at the Olympic Games, in Sochi in 2014, four Quebecers were selected, namely forwards Martin St-Louis and Patrice Bergeron, defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic, as well as goalie Roberto Luongo. They also helped Canada win the gold medal.
Patrice Bergeron and Marc-Édouard Vlasic, gold medalists at the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014.
Photo John MacDougall / AFP
Of the lot, Vlasic remains the only active player, but at now 36 years old, it would be surprising to see the veteran San Jose Sharks defenseman at the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Speaking of St-Louis, the Canadiens head coach now has a future behind the bench.
Chabot and Montembeault among the candidates
Currently 27 years old, Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators is perhaps the best potential candidate for the Quebec blue line for the 2026 Games.
In front of the net, Samuel Montembeault, of the Canadiens, and young Devon Levi, of the Buffalo Sabres, could fight with Stuart Skinner (Edmonton Oilers), Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights) and Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh Penguins). The debate remains open!
Samuel Montembeault, in the Montreal Canadiens uniform.
Photo Martin Chevalier
On offense, positions are filling up quickly with, among others, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor Bedard, Mitch Marner, Brayden Point and undoubtedly Sidney Crosby. Jonathan Huberdeau, Jonathan Marchessault, Alexis Lafrenière and Pierre-Luc Dubois will have a lot to do to earn a place on the third or fourth lines of the Canadian team.
Remember that there will be no Quebec player at the NHL All-Star Game for a second consecutive year, which is not without raising some concerns. The absence of Quebecers with the Canadian team at the 2026 Games would certainly add insult to injury.