Hockey

2026 Olympics: according to Pierre LeBrun, Nick Suzuki has a good chance, but…
Félix Forget
2026 Olympics: according to Pierre LeBrun, Nick Suzuki has a good chance, but…
Credit: Getty Images

The 2026 Olympics are only a few months away. And in the world of hockey, it's all particularly interesting this year… because NHL players will be back for the first time since 2014. Obviously, then, the guys want to prove they deserve their place. And in Montreal, one of the players we're keeping a close eye on in this regard is Nick Suzuki. With an 89-point season under his belt, it's logical to think the captain has a good chance. And this afternoon, on TSN 690, Pierre LeBrun confirmed that this is indeed the case. Except that,listening to LeBrun speak, it's clear that there are a number of things working against Suzuki's candidacy.

LeBrun notes that Suzuki had his reasons and that we can't judge him for all that… which is true. That said, Suzuki isn't in a situation where he has a job to lose: he has to go out and earn it, and there's competition.Robert Thomas (whose GM in St. Louis is the GM of Team Canada) and Macklin Celebrini (who showed some great things at Worlds) are two guys with the same goal as Suzuki… and they're not alone.In reality, if Suzuki starts the year strong and builds on last year's late-season momentum, it'll be hard for Team Canada not to select him. But in a world where guys like Thomas and Celebrini are doing as well as he is, it's logical to think that these guys will be easier to pick.Performance on the international scene is a factor that weighs heavily in Team Canada's decisions. And Suzuki, at this level, doesn't have the longest track record.Suzuki, in the end, has his fate in his own hands. If he gets off to a rock-bottom start this season, officials will have no choice but to ignore his absences from the Worlds to make room for him on the team… and in that respect, LeBrun is right to say that the Habs captain has a good chance of making it.But he'll still have to outperform the guys who have a more complete application.

'Overtime'

– Very cool!

– Indeed.

– Interesting.

– Good question.

– Sad news.

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