Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Sam Reinhart have won silver with Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics, but their individual performances were subpar, raising the question about how much do they benefit from playing in Paul Maurice’s system.
In the long-awaited rematch between Team Canada and Team USA at the Olympics, it was the Americans who prevailed, finally overcoming their North American foes.
Although Canada held the majority of the play and pushed the pace, the Americans stood strong defensively, in large part because Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head. They pushed the game to overtime, and New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes netted the winner.
While Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and the Americans leave Italy with gold, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Team Canada leave with silver.
As for the Panthers’ Canadian representatives, their Olympic debut ended in a loss, but they may also not be pleased with their individual performances.
Bennett was a late addition to the roster, but he dressed in all but one game, finishing with just one assist and six penalty minutes in five games. Bennett also took unnecessary, poorly timed penalties that nearly cost the Canadians.
Reinhart featured in every game for Canada and skated on the top power play unit, but at 5-on-5, Reinhart was often the 13th forward. He finished the tournament with one goal and two points in six games.
Marchand entered the Olympics dealing with injuries, and it was apparent that the issues he was facing were still prevalent. He skated in just four games and recorded just one assist.
With age and his injury status, Marchand is more likely to receive some slack for his subpar play, but the game did look too fast for the 37-year-old at times. As for Bennett and Reinhart, the Canadians needed more from them, and with their track record of stepping up for the Panthers in the playoffs, the hope was that they would do it for Canada. Ultimately, they did not.
With what was seen at the Olympics, a question that is expected to arise is just how much do players like Bennett and Reinhart benefit from playing in Paul Maurice’s system with the Panthers.
Sam Reinhart (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)Both Bennett and Reinhart were players the Panthers acquired before their breakouts. While Reinhart had shown he could be a solid point producer with the Buffalo Sabres, it wasn’t until he joined the Panthers that we saw him record his career highs in goals and points.
Bennett’s case is far more drastic. Selected fourth overall in 2014 by the Calgary Flames, Bennett was trending towards being considered a draft bust as he was unable to match his career high of goals and points he set in his rookie season until his first year with the Panthers. Now he’s a two-time Stanley Cup winner with a Conn Smythe Trophy.
With all the success they have had with the Panthers, it’s odd to see them perform so poorly at tournaments with Canada, but a deeper look may reveal why it isn’t.
In Florida, Bennett and Reinhart are part of a structured unit that uses physicality and defensive prowess to create offensive chances. With the Panthers, Bennett and Reinhart aren’t asked to be creative offensive players, looking to take the puck end to end or make marvellous moves around defenders.
Sam Bennett (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)When playing internationally, due to limited time, it’s harder to implement offensive zone structures and overall systems. Creative offensive players are needed to break down defenses. Against top teams like Finland and the USA, which feature high-end defenders throughout their lineup, they need players who can take on those defenders in one-on-one situations and win. That style doesn’t suit Bennett or Reinhart.
Because the need for creative offensive players is high, it’s why so many Canadians were upset with the choices to leave Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard and New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer at home.
But Canada didn’t lose the gold medal game because they didn’t create chances; it’s because they couldn’t finish them.
Bennett and Reinhart struggled because they are players who thrived in structured systems, not the openness of international play.
The next best-on-best event is the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, and if Bennett and Reinhart want to be on that team, they have a lot to prove to the Canadian brass, as Canada appears to be developing plenty of high-end talent in the next few years.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.