When Team Canada released its Olympic men's hockey roster, Sam Bennett was a name most people expected to see.
But the Florida Panthers forward didn't make the team. He wasn't on the list.
It was obviously a big bummer for Bennett, and one that had people questioning the process just a bit.
Bennett finally got one bit of slightly positive news on Tuesday. He told reporters that he was informed he's a potential injury replacement for the Canadian team.
Sam Bennett says this morning he did receive a text saying he is a potential injury replacement for Team Canada
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 6, 2026
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It's obviously not what you really want, but it at least leaves the door a little open for Bennett to get to go to the Olympics.
Bennett is a winner. He has been a part of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Panthers. He was also on Canada's victorious 4 Nations Faceoff team.
In the end, Bennett didn't make the Canada roster in part because he got squeezed out by two new guys.
The choice came down to Bo Horvat or Nick Suzuki, except then instead of keeping one, Canada decided to have both on the roster.
That left Bennett off.
Now, he has to settle for being a potential injury replacement.
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