BOSTON — Brad Marchand will be 37 when the puck drops at the 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament in 2026 in Milan, Italy.
That’s old for a hockey player, but he’s motivated to make sure it’s not too old to chase one big goal. The chance to play for Canada at an Olympics is and will be a big motivator for the Bruins’ captain between now and then.
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Disagreements between the NHL, the players and the International Olympic Committee prevented NHL players from going in 2018 and officially, COVID concerns caused the NHL to pull the plug late on participating in 2022.
Marchand, who played for Team Canada in 2016 in the World Cup of Hockey and was projected to be on the Olympic roster in 2022, felt cheated of an opportunity.
“It was really disappointing that the guys got robbed of the last couple Olympics. I think it’s a great opportunity for the players. I think they’ve also earned the right. They’ve put themselves in position to be the best in the world of what they do and to have the best on best tournament at that level in that setting is very memorable for everyone gets to experience that,” he said. “I think it’s a great thing for the NHL, for the players, for the game. I think everyone will be excited to have the players back in the Olympics again.”
He said he’d give himself every chance to earn a spot on the roster in 2026.
“I was very disappointed missing the last two. It felt like we got robbed of being there. So that’s definitely a huge goal,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can to be there and make sure I’m in the best possible shape to be there, best possible position to be on that team. It’s a long time away. But it’s definitely a nice goal to set and try to chase.”
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