Team Canada’s men’s hockey team has cruised through the preliminary round at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Nathan MacKinnon has been right in the thick of it. Alongside Connor McDavid, the Colorado Avalanche star helped lead Canada to a perfect 3-0 record, capping the round with a dominant win that left little doubt about their medal-round intentions.
But while the wins have come easy, the big storyline coming out of the group stage isn’t just about the scoreboard - it’s about the lineup card. Head coach Jon Cooper has experimented with a top line that’s turning heads across the hockey world: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and 19-year-old phenom Macklin Celebrini all skating together.
And let’s be clear - when they’ve been on the ice, it hasn’t just worked. It’s looked unstoppable.
McDavid and MacKinnon, two of the fastest, most dynamic players on the planet, have shown instant chemistry. MacKinnon has slid over to the wing, and the transition has been seamless.
McDavid’s vision and pace blend perfectly with MacKinnon’s explosiveness and shot. Add in Celebrini, who plays like a seasoned veteran despite his age, and you've got a line that can tilt the ice every time it hops over the boards.
Celebrini’s been especially impressive. He’s not just keeping up - he’s thriving.
He hounds the puck, makes smart reads, and creates space for his superstar linemates. It’s the kind of hockey IQ you don’t usually see in a teenager, and it’s making an already lethal line even more dangerous.
Now comes the strategic question: does Cooper keep this trio together as a permanent top line, or does he save it as his Olympic version of a “break in case of emergency” button?
There’s a real argument for both approaches. On one hand, unleashing McDavid and MacKinnon together from puck drop could overwhelm just about any opponent.
It’s not often you get to throw out a line that’s drawing comparisons to Gretzky and Lemieux - and yes, that’s the level we’re talking about. On the other hand, splitting them up forces opposing coaches into a matchup nightmare.
Most teams have one shutdown line. Very few have two.
If Cooper starts McDavid and MacKinnon on different lines, it stretches the depth chart of even the best defensive squads. And that’s where things get really interesting - because if there’s one team that might be able to handle it, it’s Team USA.
Picture this: Jack Eichel centering a line with the Tkachuk brothers trying to contain McDavid. Then Dylan Larkin’s line gets the MacKinnon assignment.
That’s the kind of one-two punch few teams can throw back at Canada. But even then, it’s a big ask.
And if the Americans - or anyone else - start gaining traction, Cooper still has that nuclear option in his back pocket: reunite McDavid and MacKinnon and let them go to work.
It’s a luxury most coaches can only dream about.
The whole thing brings to mind the 1987 Canada Cup, when Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were paired together in one of the most iconic duos in hockey history. That combination produced one of the most memorable goals ever scored in international play - Gretzky feeding Lemieux for the winner against the Soviet Union. Now, nearly four decades later, McDavid and MacKinnon are giving fans a taste of that same magic.
Could they have their own defining Olympic moment? Absolutely. McDavid, the cerebral playmaker with unmatched edgework, and MacKinnon, the straight-line power skater with a lethal release, have all the tools to create a highlight that lives on for generations.
And if there’s one thing we know about MacKinnon, it’s that he shows up when it matters most. Whether Cooper keeps them together or splits them up, don’t be surprised if No. 29 is on the ice when Canada needs a game-breaker.
Because when the lights are brightest, MacKinnon tends to shine.