Overview
- Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee confirmed Bennett will replace Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli, who cannot compete after being injured in the Stadium Series.
- Cirelli left the Feb. 1 outdoor game against Boston following a hard hit from Mark Kastelic, and coach Jon Cooper said the decision to keep him out of the Olympics was unavoidable.
- Bennett, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2025 Conn Smythe winner, also featured for Canada at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
- The Florida centre briefly exited Monday’s game with an upper-body issue but team assessments indicated it was not serious and he is available for Olympic duty.
- Lightning centre Brayden Point remains a question mark with cautious optimism about his availability as NHL players depart for Milan this weekend and the men’s tournament begins Feb. 11.