Panthers’ Sam Bennett confirms he is a potential injury replacement for Canadian Olympic team

While he might not have been named to the initial roster, Sam Bennett is clearly still on Hockey Canada’s radar.

When speaking to the media on Tuesday, the Florida Panthers forward confirmed that he received a text noting that he’s a potential injury replacement for Team Canada.

Bennett was one of the notable names left off the men’s national team roster heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics. This, despite the 29-year-old being a member of the Canadian team that won the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, and had a dominant performance during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bennett had a career year with the Panthers in 2024-25, scoring 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 76 games. In the postseason, along with his 22 points, he led all skaters with 15 goals and was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Florida captured a second straight championship.

After a sluggish start to this season, Bennett has picked up steam as of late. With 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points, the Holland Landing, Ont. native is on pace to eclipse his production from a year ago. Yet, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong and his staff elected to go a different direction, instead picking Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

However, many wondered if Bennett would get the call to play for Canada after Wilson suffered an apparent lower-body injury this past weekend against the Chicago Blackhawks. Yet, it has been revealed that Wilson’s injury is only minor, as he’s simply listed as day-to-day.

There’s obviously still a lot of time heading into the Olympics, and other players could get dinged up. So, maybe Bennett will get a chance to represent his country on sports’ biggest stage.