Olympic news: Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby ignite Team Canada's Olympic dream with explosive first six reveal
Team Canada set the tone early for the 2026 Winter Olympics by unveiling the first six players on its men's hockey roster. The announcement included superstars Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby.
This signals Canada's intent to reclaim Olympic gold with a blend of generational talent and veteran poise, and the lineup also features Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart, each coming off strong NHL seasons.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar bring two-way dominance
While McDavid and Crosby will drive headlines, the Colorado Avalanche duo of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar brings critical balance. MacKinnon, 29, is coming off a Hart Trophy-nominated season with 116 points.
His blend of speed and strength dominated the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he led all scorers.
Cale Makar, 26, was named the NHL's best defenseman again this year, recording a career-high 92 points and his first 30-goal season. His offensive instincts and defensive awareness give Canada a foundational blueline piece. Makar's consistent Norris Trophy-caliber play makes him one of the most feared defenders in international hockey.
Did Canada get 'first six' Olympic roster picks right?
Sam Reinhart and Brayden Point offer playoff poise and firepower
Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart round out the first six selections, offering playoff-tested poise and clutch scoring. Point hit the 40-goal mark for the third straight season with Tampa Bay. Known for his quick-strike ability and composure. He adds versatility and grit to Canada's forward group.
Both players complement the star power of McDavid and Crosby with a balanced, two-way gam. And that translates well in Olympic competition; their selection also reflects Canada's focus on recent performance.
Along with team chemistry, and adaptability on the international stage.
Canada sets the tone early for Olympic gold push
The early reveal of McDavid, Crosby, MacKinnon, Makar, Point, and Reinhart gives Canada a compelling mix of explosive skill and composed leadership. With the full roster to be finalized later this year, this first six announcement sends a clear message to the hockey world: Canada is not waiting to assert its dominance.
Read more:
Olympic news shocker as Gabriel Landeskog and William Nylander lead Team Sweden's NHL-loaded 2026 roster reveal
The men's hockey tournament begins February 11, with the gold medal game scheduled for February 22 in Italy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
Punjab to build 13,000 rural sports grounds to nurture Olympic talent
Chandigarh, Aug 21 (UNI) To empower budding athletes in Punjab and help them compete at the Olympic and international levels, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish 13,000 modern rural sports grounds across the state. Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, shared that construction work on 3,073 sports grounds in rural villages has already begun as part of the first phase of the project. Sond pointed out that no significant steps had been taken in the past to develop sports infrastructure or ensure the holistic growth of youth. He said that developing sports grounds in rural areas will foster a strong sporting culture, steer youngsters away from drugs, and channel their energy in a positive direction. Highlighting the government's ongoing anti-drug campaign 'Yudh Nashiyan Virudh,' the Minister said Punjab is already witnessing a positive transformation. Once these sports facilities are fully operational, he expressed confidence that the youth will permanently shun drugs. Reiterating the state government's commitment, Sond said efforts are being made to provide both employment opportunities and world-class sports facilities to the youth. Promising international exposure, he announced that renowned sportspersons who have represented India globally will be appointed as coaches to train emerging talent. Notably, Punjab is the first state in the country to offer financial assistance to athletes even before they participate in international competitions, a move that has already yielded promising results. With the development of rural sports grounds, Punjab is now poised to achieve new milestones on the national and international sports map. UNI XC AAB
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
World Boxing to mandate sex testing for fighters before September worlds
The governing body for Olympic-style boxing will require sex testing for all fighters wishing to compete in the women's division at its world championships next month. World Boxing already had announced its plan to require competitors to undergo a polymerase chain reaction test or an equivalent genetic screening test to determine their sex at birth. The rules will be implemented ahead of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, in early September, the organisation announced on Wednesday. The tests identify the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material as the indicator of biological sex. "World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible," World Boxing president Boris Van Der Vorst said. "Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy." Paris Olympic champion Imane Khelif of Algeria declined to enter a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, shortly after the governing body initially announced its plans to introduce sex testing. Van Der Vorst later apologised for specifically naming Khelif, who initially planned to fight in the tournament, while outlining World Boxing's future testing plans. Khelif and fellow gold medalist Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan excelled in Paris under a harsh spotlight of widespread scrutiny and misconception about their sex. The 26-year-old Khelif repeatedly has said she was born a woman, and she has competed at all levels of women's amateur boxing for nearly a decade. Chromosome testing was common in Olympic sports during the 20th century but was largely abandoned in the 1990s because of numerous ambiguities that couldn't be easily resolved by the tests, collectively known as differences in sex development. Many sports switched to hormone testing to determine sex eligibility, but those tests require governing bodies to make difficult decisions on the eligibility of women with naturally high testosterone levels. World Boxing said athletes with DSD in which male androgenization occurs will be eligible to compete only in the men's category. But the governing body also said it would offer extensive additional analysis and evaluation for athletes with Y chromosome genetic material who wish to compete in the women's categories, including genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination and further evaluation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists. An appeals process also is available. National federations are responsible for conducting the tests and submitting the results, World Boxing said. Earlier this year, World Athletics the governing body for track and field became the first Olympic sport to reintroduce chromosome testing, requiring athletes who compete in the women's events to submit to the test once in their careers. World Athletics has set a deadline of Sept. 1 for athletes to submit to the gene tests ahead of the world championships. The last two Olympic boxing tournaments were run by a task force from the International Olympic Committee under previous rules of sex eligibility. World Boxing, which was founded two years ago after a split from the scandal-plagued International Boxing Association, has been provisionally recognised by the IOC and will organize the next cycle of Olympic qualification heading to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
FIBA: Basketball at 2028 Olympics in LA will start two days in advance
Basketball at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will start two days before the opening ceremony for those Games, organisers have confirmed. FIBA, the sport's global governing body, said on Wednesday that it has reviewed a revised basketball schedule for Los Angeles and that games will begin on July 12, 2028 ahead of the July 14 opening ceremony. It is unclear if the men's tournament, the women's tournament or both will start before the official opening. A preliminary schedule released last month calls for three basketball games on July 12 and three more on July 13. "This adjustment allows the quarterfinals to be played over two days and will also ensure that no game will start earlier than (noon), enhancing the overall experience for players, teams, fans and broadcasters," FIBA said in a news release. Bronze-medal games will be played on July 28 and 29, and gold-medal games will occur on July 29 and 30. July 30 is the final day of the Games. Several other sports also are scheduled to start before the opening ceremony, including field hockey, rugby sevens, water polo, handball, cricket and soccer. The canoe slalom competition in Oklahoma City is expected to start in the morning of July 14, hours before the opening ceremony later that day about 1,200 miles (1,931 km) away. The US is the defending men's and women's Olympic basketball champion. The women have won eight consecutive golds, while the men have won five straight. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
