Cirelli out for Olympics, replaced by Bennett on Team Canada
Anthony Cirelli will not play for Team Canada in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 because of a lower-body injury.
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward will be replaced by Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett.
Cirelli left with 1:44 remaining in the first period of a 6-5 shootout win against the Boston Bruins in the Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday. He was injured on a hit by Bruins forward Mark Kastelic and did not return.
Cirelli, who has 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games this season, won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021. The 28-year-old was one of 10 Lightning players chosen for the Olympics, along with forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand (Denmark), Zemgus Girgensons (Latvia), Jake Guentzel (United States), Brandon Hagel (Canada), Pontus Holmberg (Sweden) and Brayden Point (Canada), and defensemen Erik Cernak (Slovakia), Victor Hedman (Sweden) and J.J. Moser (Switzerland).
Bennett will join Panthers teammates Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart on Team Canada’s roster. The 29-year-old forward has 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 55 games this season and won the Stanley Cup with Florida in 2024 and 2025.
The NHL Olympic break begins Friday. Canada’s first game is against Czechia on Feb. 12 (10:30 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, CBC).
