SUNRISE, FLA. – Right now, Sam Reinhart and Connor McDavid are both going for the Stanley Cup, and only one of them will be victorious.
But no matter what happens between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in the coming days, Reinhart and McDavid are now officially scheduled to become teammates next season on Team Canada.
Both players were among the first six players named to the national squad for the 2026 Olympics on Monday, and it's hard to find any fault in the pair. McDavid is widely considered to be the best player in the world, while Reinhart has already won a Cup with Florida and is coming off a regular season in which he was a finalist for the Selke Trophy. And even in the thick of the Cup chase, both players were happy to hear their names called by Team Canada.
"It's incredible," Reinhart said. "When you're growing up and watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and Team Canada. Those are the two things you dream about playing for, so to have that opportunity is pretty exciting."
Reinhart and McDavid were also both members of Canada's team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where Reinhart tallied four assists in four games. McDavid, of course, had the golden goal against Team USA – in overtime – to give him the final of his five points in the tournament.
"I'm incredibly honored to represent my country at the biggest sporting event in the world," McDavid said. "You think of the Canadian players selected, it means a lot."
The other four were Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Sidney Crosby and Brayden Point – so yeah, it's going to be a hot roster. But as per usual, even the stars of the game will be focused on McDavid, just as they were at the 4 Nations.
"We always joked that even stepping on the ice for practice, he's going faster than anyone," Reinhart said. "Two seconds on the ice, he's going faster than I ever have in my life. It's cool to see. You appreciate the level of work he puts in to be able to do that, and the competitive level he has is great to see as well."
In the short term, however, Reinhart still needs to stop McDavid if he's going to help his Panthers knock off the Oilers again. He also knows he can't do it alone.
"We've known for a while, it's a team effort containing someone like that – or trying to, the best you can," Reinhart said. "When you talk about the best player in the world, he's going to produce at some point and you have to be ready for it. You have to make it as tough as possible on him."
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