Dylan Strome, a Canadian by birth, says he would root for Team USA if Tom Wilson doesn’t make Canada’s Olympic roster for the 2026 Winter Games.
Canada risks losing another high-profile fan if Wilson isn’t selected for the 25-man squad ahead of the December 31 deadline. Strome, a Mississauga native, echoed recent remarks from TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette.
During a Capitals practice, RMNB’s Katie Adler pressed Strome on Wilson’s Olympic prospects and what he’s seeing. Strome replied by referencing Bissonnette’s recent comments, bluntly saying he shares that sentiment.
Bissonnette appeared on Monumental Sports Network’s Hockey Lifers podcast about a week earlier, telling Bruce Boudreau and Jeff Marek that if Wilson doesn’t skate for Team Canada, he’ll be rooting for the United States.
Strome’s stance comes as Hockey Canada executives gathered in Florida to finalize their 25-person roster for submission by year’s end, with many decisions still to be made. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Canada hoped to emerge from those talks with a strong majority decided, leaving seven or eight spots to debate. Wilson is among the players on the radar as a potential bubble candidate, according to that reporting. He had already been invited to Canada’s National Teams Orientation Camp earlier in the summer.
Wilson, 31, has done much to catch the eyes of Canada’s decision-makers, including general managers Doug Armstrong, Julien BriseBois, Jim Nill, Don Sweeney, and Kyle Dubas. As of now, he leads the Capitals in goals (17) and points (32), pacing toward personal bests with projections around 45 goals and 85 points.
He contributes in all situations, even shorthanded, averaging about 2 minutes per game on the penalty kill, and frequently serves as a trusted option off the bench for late-game situations.
In October, Wilson delivered a three-point night in front of Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper. He has spoken about the dream of winning Olympic gold, describing it as a childhood aspiration tied to the thrill of the Stanley Cup hunt.
Canada will rely on its wealth of offensive talent—names like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon—while needing a subset of forwards who can fill defensive shutdown roles, a niche Wilson could fulfill.
Additionally, the 2026 Games in Italy will feature two venues with rink dimensions smaller than the standard NHL size, a factor that could favor a physical, fast, and challenging-to-play-against forward like Wilson.
The men’s tournament is set to begin February 11, with the gold-medal game slated for February 22. Canada last won Olympic gold in 2014 in Sochi when NHL players participated, a period many fans hope to rekindle in 2026.
