Tom Wilson being in contention for Team Canada at this year’s Winter Olympics has been rumored for some time now. We now know from the man himself that those rumors were true.

Wilson told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he is undergoing IOC testing due to being on Canada’s long list of 55 players in contention for a roster spot at the 2022 Games.

Through 24 games this season with the Capitals, Wilson has recorded 23 points while maintaining his important roles on both the team’s power play and penalty kill. Those 23 points are tied for the eighth-most in the league by a Canadian skater.

“It’s been cool to be mentioned with those guys and be part of it,” Wilson told Gulitti. “But obviously it’s an extremely tough team to make. So I’m just focused here right now and Hockey Canada will make their decisions.”

The 55-player “long list” that includes 50 skaters and five goalies was required by the IOC to be submitted in mid-October so that anti-doping testing could begin on the athletes.

Canada’s first three confirmed players — Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Pietrangelo — were named in October while the long-list goalies’ names were reported by Pierre Lebrun: Carey Price, Marc-Andre Fleury, Darcy Kuemper, Jordan Binnington, Carter Hart, and MacKenzie Blackwood.

“There’s two dreams as a kid in Canada: To play for Team Canada and to win the Stanley Cup,” Wilson continued. “And if you have the opportunity to do either, you’re going to be extremely excited about it.”

Countries’ 25-man Olympic rosters will be announced in January.

Headline photo: KP8 Design/RMNB