The last time Bo Horvat spoke to amNewYork about potentially making the legendary Team Canada roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, he said he was willing to do “anything” to be part of the festivities in Milan-Cortina.
“I don’t care. I’ll fill water bottles,” he said in our exclusive conversation back in December. “I’ll accept any role.”
The New York Islanders’ star forward won’t be working with water bottles or gear. Instead, he is slated to center Canada’s fourth line for their Olympic opener on Thursday against Czechia — a lifelong dream on the cusp of being realized.
“As a kid, you always wanted to represent your country and wear that Canadian flag,” Horvat said just before joining his temporary, star-studded squad in Italy. “Any time at the World Juniors or the World Championships, to represent your country is always special. But to do it on this stage, it’s more than I could ever dream of.”
The 30-year-old’s all-around game made him a must-have on Jon Cooper’s Canadian roster. Not only does he have 24 goals in 44 games, but he has won 56.3% of his face-offs, plays a sound defensive game, and can play on both the penalty kill and power play. And he still got the nod despite missing nine games last month due to injury.
“I wanted this bad. I wanted to represent my country,” Horvat said. “I wanted to wear the maple leaf. I was trying to do whatever I could to help the Islanders win, but also make it hard on [Team Canada] and make their decision tough, and make my stamp on what I could bring to Hockey Canada. Thankfully, it didn’t go unnoticed.”
During Canada’s initial practices in Milan, Horvat was flanked by Tampa Bay Lightning star Brandon Hagel, who is on pace for 40 goals this season, and Florida Panthers two-time Stanley Cup winner Sam Reinhart, who has posted 82-game averages of 46.3 goals over the last three years.
That is a testament to how loaded this roster is, which features the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar. The Canadians are significant favorites to win gold with this being the first Olympics to feature NHL stars since 2014.
“There are so many great hockey players in Canada, and I feel really honored and privileged to be a part of that roster,” Horvat said. “When you see that roster, and you see your name on it, it’s kind of surreal. Now we have to go out there and prove [how good we are].”
