Horvat to lead elite unit for Team Canada

New York Islanders heart and soul guy Bo Horvat was one of the best choices Team Canada could have made for the 2026 Olympics. Horvat is the sort of player who can do it all, while providing gritty play and high-end scoring ability.

On Team Canada, he’ll be part of one of the deepest lineups ever. That situation has the Islanders’ star leading an elite fourth line.

But before Isles fans jump out of their seats at the thought of Horvat being a fourth liner, it’s worth looking into the context. Team Canada revealed the first iteration of its forward lines on Sunday. Skating with Horvat were Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers and Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Any NHL team would take that line at their top unit any day of the week. But on the stacked Team Canada roster, it’s the fourth line for a simple reason. As Team Canada coach Jon Cooper noted, the Olympics won’t be a two-line game with the bottom-six chewing up minutes while the top guys get a break.

These Olympics will require four solid lines to get through games. In other words, Cooper wants to roll out four top lines consistently throughout games. That was Cooper’s experience at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. And it’s the reason why Canada will throw four reliable lines.

“The pace and speed of the game at 4 Nations — I’m telling you, if a player plays 23 minutes in the NHL game, that’s akin to playing 16 at 4 Nations.”

In other words, fans won’t expect Canada to keep Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, or Nathan MacKinnon on the ice for the whole night. The gameplay just won’t permit it. The entire team will have to pitch in.

“If I think the pace is going to be anything like what it was at 4 Nations, and I’m pretty darn sure it’s going to be that and then some, then you need everybody going,” Cooper added.

Indeed, Horvat will be counted upon to get going and deliver scoring and solid play throughout the tourney.

Horvat part of an elite fourth line

There’s a reason why Hagel and Horvat are on that elite fourth line. Horvat is one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. There’s no doubt he can score, but it’s his defensive play that will make him a matchup center at times.

As for Hagel, he’s a defensive whiz who can kill penalties with the best in the game. That makes the Horvat-Hagel combo a logical fit. Sam Reinhart, one of the best pure goal-scorers in the NHL, will provide the offensive punch the line needs to give opposing coaches nightmares.

Cooper bluntly delivered his assessment of all four of his lines, calling them elite.

“So for me, the balance, all these players are the best of the best. So to me, we’ve got four elite lines.”

Considering Team Canada’s depth down the middle starts with Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon, it makes sense that Horvat would play more of a two-way role. The plan will be to deploy offensive, defense, offense, defense. Crosby and Horvat are defensive aces. That’s why Canada has four elite lines.

Islanders fans should keep an eye on Horvat. His role is primed to become an X factor at the Olympics. If the 4 Nations was any indication, he could be the piece that Canada missed during that tournament.