ARLINGTON, VA — After a career year in Washington in 2024-25, Tom Wilson could achieve a lifelong dream this season at the 2026 Olympics. Wilson has been in the mix as Hockey Canada scouts its team for the Games, recently attending Canada’s National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary alongside 41 other NHL players, and he isn’t shying away from how much he wants the chance to play in Milan.
Just the invitation to the orientation camp was a privilege to Wilson, but he knows his job is far from done, calling the Canadian Olympic squad “the hardest team in the world to make.” Instead, Wilson’s time in Calgary only made him more determined to be in the lineup when Canada goes for gold.
“It really makes you want to put your head down and just work as hard as you can to put yourself in the conversation for making the Olympic team,” Wilson said Thursday. “It’s a goal for sure. I think (if) you ask most guys in that room at orientation, they want it more than anything in the world. They want to play for Team Canada at the Olympics and try and win a gold medal. When you’re a kid, it’s the Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal, that’s everything — that’s your biggest and wildest dreams.
“To have an opportunity to be in the conversation at the very least is pretty special. That being said, you look around that room, and every guy beside you wants it just as much as you do, and it’s the best players in the league. So you’ve got to step up, and you’ve got to play your best hockey. I think I’ll just focus on the Caps, focus on what we’re doing here. And if we play well and I play well and help the team, the rest will hopefully take care of itself.”
Wilson was one of the Capitals’ best players last season, taking another step 12 seasons into his NHL career. He ranked second on the team in goals, behind only Alex Ovechkin, and set personal highs in goals (33), assists (32), and points (65).
“He’s the heart of the team,” Brandon Duhaime said of Wilson last season. “He drives the bus every night for us. He’s physical. He dominates pucks and he scores big goals, makes big plays for us.”
Despite that performance, Wilson didn’t make the cut for Team Canada’s roster at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, though he generated plenty of buzz in the lead-up to the event. Wilson admitted watching the tournament from home stung, especially seeing the rivalry between Canada and the United States.
“I was sitting on my couch before the game, and it kind of hit me,” he said afterwards. “I was like, ‘God, I want to be playing in that game.’ That rivalry, there’s nothing better…It’s always fun to see those two teams going at it.”
Seven months later, the prospect of going to Milan gives Wilson even more motivation to hit the ground running this season. Though no date has been set for teams to announce their roster, countries won’t have long to narrow down their lists before the puck drops at the Games in February.
Wilson won’t be the only player attempting to prove himself this fall, with potential Olympians across the league all effectively auditioning for the spots. That impetus could see plenty of players come out strong in the early days of the season.
“I think for all those Olympic hopefuls, you don’t have a lot of opportunity to gracefully dip your toes in the water to start the year,” he said. “It’s a small runway before they start announcing rosters and stuff like that. I think you better believe every guy that was in the conversation this summer was working really hard, and it was pushing them every day through those hard reps — to start well and to have a good season.
“So I’m just excited. I’m excited for hockey at the Olympics to be back, the best-on-best hockey, and have other countries — 4 Nations was amazing, but to see all the other countries involved will be very cool. It’s something you want to be a part of. But just for the game of hockey, it’s going to be awesome to follow this year.”
Men’s hockey at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics will kick off on February 11, with Canada’s first game set for February 12 against Team Czechia.
