NHL world stunned by Panthers F Sam Bennett’s Team Canada Olympic snub

The Florida Panthers have bounced back from a sluggish start to join the Eastern Conference playoff race. Despite a recent surge, one of their key players has been left off Team Canada for the upcoming Olympics. Panthers’ Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett won’t be heading to Milan, which left many insiders stunned.

“Biggest surprise for me is Sam Bennett out. I did not see that coming,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote after the roster announcement.

Team Canada brought a similar team to their 4 Nations Face-Off squad, with Bennett as the notable exception. New York Islanders center Bo Horvat and Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki were the new additions up front. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun explains how both of their great seasons put Canada in a tough spot.

“It was a really hard decision for Team Canada not to take Sam Bennett. For a while, the debate was taking Horvat or Suzuki. When Team Canada decided to take both, that meant leaving off another 4 Nations forward. That fell on Bennett. It was an agonizing decision for Team Canada,” LeBrun wrote.

His colleague, Chris Johnston, wrote about the decision in The Athletic. “[Bennett] was a depth forward on the 4 Nations team and still managed to play a meaningful role after being scratched for the tournament’s opening game. Not only did he fight Brady Tkachuk as part of the memorable nine-second opening to the first meeting with the U.S., but he scored the goal in the championship to help Canada force overtime. However, with [Brad] Marchand and [Tom] Wilson already bringing a grittier element to the lineup, management opted for depth forwards in Suzuki and Horvat, who can more easily be moved into the top six if performance or injuries necessitate it.”

Team Canada will be defending their 4 Nations title at the Olympics in February. They will do it without the defending playoff MVP, Sam Bennett.

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