Florida Panthers teammates Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett will find themselves on opposite sides at the 2026 Milan Olympics. Tkachuk has already vouched for his Panthers teammate making Team Canada Olympic roster and in doing so, may have fired a pointed shot across the bow at a familiar Atlantic Division rival.
Sam Bennett was named to Team Canada’s roster as a replacement for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli, who suffered a lower-body injury during the Stadium Series game against Boston on Feb. 1 after taking a hit from Mark Kastelic. Hockey Canada announced Bennett as Cirelli’s replacement on Feb. 3.
When Tkachuk was asked on Monday about Bennett joining Canada’s Olympic roster, he labeled his teammate an ‘upgrade’ over Cirelli.
“Really good player, definitely an upgrade for their team,” Matthew Tkachuk said.
Team Canada has weathered a stretch of injuries heading into the Olympics losing not one but two Tampa Bay Lightning forwards in the span of weeks. On Jan. 12, Brayden Point suffered a right knee injury during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Point went down after Flyers defenseman Cam York fell on his leg forcing him to be helped off the ice.
On Feb. 5, Hockey Canada officially ruled Point out of the Olympics and announced that Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis would take his roster spot.
Brandon Hagel All In for Intensity After Panthers-Lightning Melee
The Panthers and Lightning’s final game before the Olympic break had turned quite ugly. The matchup saw 13 penalties in a chippy affair with Matthew Tkachuk at the center of the chaos.
Brandon Hagel, who plays for Tampa Bay and Team Canada, was also involved in the fracas. After the game, Hagel didn’t seem bothered by the intensity.
“This is so good for the game,” Hagel said. “If you look back in the day, the rivalries were insane. It needs to get back into the game. It’s good for the players, shows a lot about the character of guys on your team. They’re fun. They’re playoff games.”
Hagel and Tkachuk notably have history as they fought at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
Team Canada and Team USA both open their Olympic campaigns on Feb. 12. Canada faces Czechia at 10:30 a.m. ET, while the U.S. takes on Latvia at 3:10 p.m. ET.
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