Brayden Point Out for Team Canada at 2026 Olympics, Seth Jarvis Named Replacement
Team Canada’s Olympic roster just took another hit.
Hockey Canada announced Thursday that Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point will not be heading to Milano Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Point has been sidelined since January 12 with a lower-body injury after a collision with Flyers defenseman Cam York.
The play unfolded in front of the net, and York’s fall landed awkwardly on Point’s right leg. The Lightning forward was labeled “week-to-week” at the time and hasn’t returned to action since.
This marks the second major blow to Canada’s forward group in less than a week. Anthony Cirelli, also of the Lightning, was ruled out after suffering an injury in the Stadium Series matchup against the Bruins. Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett - a two-time Stanley Cup winner and a recent participant in the 4 Nations Face-Off - was tapped to replace Cirelli earlier this week.
Now, with Point officially out, Canada is turning to 24-year-old Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes to fill the void. Like Bennett, Jarvis was part of the 4 Nations Face-Off roster last February, giving Team Canada some continuity and familiarity heading into Olympic play.
Jarvis is in the middle of a strong season with Carolina, tallying 25 goals and 18 assists through 48 games. While he may not bring the same elite offensive ceiling as Point, Jarvis offers a well-rounded game and a responsible two-way presence - something that clearly resonated with Canada’s management team.
There had been plenty of buzz around who might get the call if Point couldn’t go, and one name that kept coming up was Connor Bedard. The 18-year-old phenom returned from a shoulder injury on January 9 and has been steadily ramping back up to speed.
In his last five games before the Olympic break, Bedard put up three goals and two assists, pushing his season totals to 23 goals and 30 assists in 44 games. That’s good for 53 points - and he currently ranks 13th in the NHL in points per game.
Bedard’s omission from Canada’s original Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve raised plenty of eyebrows, especially considering his electric start to the season before the injury. But according to GM Doug Armstrong, the injury wasn’t a deciding factor in that decision. Canada simply went in a different direction.
Despite his youth, Bedard looked like a natural fit alongside Canada’s elite forward group, which includes Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and fellow rising star Macklin Celebrini. His offensive instincts, vision, and ability to play both center and wing made him an intriguing candidate to slot into a top-six role - particularly with Point out of the mix.
But instead, Canada opted for Jarvis - a player they know well, who brings playoff experience (55 postseason games with Carolina) and a more complete defensive game. While Bedard has made strides in his own end, Jarvis is the more polished player right now in that department.
It’s hard not to feel for Bedard, who will now watch the tournament from afar. But this likely won’t be his last Olympic cycle. If NHL players continue to participate, you can bet Bedard will be a fixture on Team Canada for years to come - potentially as early as 2030.
In the meantime, the break could serve him well. After missing a chunk of the season with injury, a couple of weeks off might be just what he needs to recharge and gear up for the stretch run with Chicago. And if we’ve learned anything about players with his level of talent and drive, being passed over like this tends to leave a mark - the kind that shows up on the scoresheet.
For now, Canada heads to Italy with a slightly different look than originally planned. Losing Point stings - he was projected to play a key role in the top six - but Jarvis brings a steady hand and proven versatility. And with the firepower already on this roster, Canada’s gold medal hopes are still very much intact.