Tom Wilson fits how Team Canada wants to build roster for 2026 Winter Olympics: ‘Arrive with ill will. That’s the type of player that we want to have.’

Tom Wilson’s candidacy for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics seemingly got a big boost this week.

Doug Armstrong, Canada’s general manager, recently described what he and his staff want when putting together their roster for the Games in Italy. While the team will still be full of some of the most skilled players in the world, the management group also wants to prioritize attributes that Wilson would provide in spades.

“We want strong, hard [defense] that can play in front of our net and we want to be able to play and get inside,” Armstrong told Sportsnet. “We want big, strong players that can play in hard areas. As Brian Burke said, ‘arrive with ill will.’ That’s the type of player that we want to have.

“Everyone has great skill; we just want to play with great determination.”

Wilson was among the 42 invitees to Hockey Canada’s Orientation Camp later this month, and it’d be tough to argue that any other player is a better fit for Armstrong’s stated criteria. If he makes the Olympic team, he’d be involved in the first national team action since he was left off Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.

During that midseason tournament, Canada was challenged physically by their arch nemesis, Team USA, wilting somewhat in the first matchup between the two teams. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk sparked three fights within the first nine seconds of the game, which eventually ended in a 3-1 victory for the United States.

While Canada did get their revenge in the championship rematch, the physicality from the initial loss seems to have stuck in their management’s minds. Wilson has since stated how badly he wished to have been playing in a game and environment that clearly suits his play style.

“I mean, I loved it,” Wilson said last February of the fight-filled first game between Canada and USA. “I think it was one of the best hockey games to watch in a long time. It was two countries that don’t like each other. It was hockey. It was great. It was a little bit of everything.

“I was sitting on my couch before the game, and it kind of hit me. I was like, ‘God, I want to be playing in that game.’ That rivalry, there’s nothing better. So I hope Canada can pull it out, but it’s gonna be a battle, and it’s always fun to see those two teams going at it.”

Wilson had a career-best season during the 2024-25 campaign, ranking second on the Capitals in goals (33) and trailing only Alex Ovechkin (44). The 31-year-old winger’s 65 points (33g, 32a) in 81 games were also a career high. He played huge roles for the Caps at all three strengths.

Outside of giving an idea of what he’ll be looking for from a skaters perspective, Armstrong also mentioned that the competition in Canada’s crease is still wide open. Jordan Binnington, Samuel Montembeault, and Adin Hill are the only three goaltenders heading to the orientation camp, but their spots are anything but cemented.

“That’s the most wide-open competition on our team right now,” Armstrong said. “There’s probably eight or nine goalies that are fighting for three spots, but it just didn’t make sense to bring that many. I talked to those other goalies that aren’t there, and they understand that, and they understand being on the long list is like being at camp. If they’re the best goalies come January 1, they’re going to be on the team.”

One of the primary goalies who could force his name back into the conversation is the Capitals’ number-one netminder, Logan Thompson. Other potential candidates include Darcy Kuemper, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Stuart Skinner.

Thompson’s prior absence from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster was rumored to be due to his frosty relationship with his former Vegas Golden Knight head coaches Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer, who Jon Cooper picked as two of his assistants. The two coaches will keep those same positions in Italy.