Cooper expects 'excruciatingly tough' decisions with Canada's Olympic roster

Jon Cooper's plate is already full with his day job.

The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach has had to navigate a minefield peppered with injuries to key players through the first two months of the NHL schedule. That would normally occupy all of the two-time Stanley Cup winner's professional bandwidth.

This season, however, is different.

The league and its players are poised to make a much-anticipated Olympic return at 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games following a 12-year absence.

And Cooper, who led Canada from behind the bench to a 4 Nations Face-Off victory and will assume the same role in Italy when the calendar flips to February, expects there will be tough calls when it comes down to formalizing the country's roster.

Could Bedard, Celebrini or Schaefer make Canada's Olympic roster?

"Well, it's getting more as it gets closer," he said Monday at Scotiabank Arena of the Olympics being on his mind before Tampa's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Being the Canadian coach, you really, really get the best effort of the Canadians every time you're in a game. I'm one of many that are watching these players, and I can't stress enough the work that's going into picking this team.

"Decisions are going to be tough, like excruciatingly tough, which is a good thing. That means the kids are playing well. Coming down the next couple of weeks here, this is crunch time."

Those "kids" that Cooper was referencing are San Jose Sharks centre Macklin Celebrini and Chicago Blackhawks counterpart Connor Bedard.

Expected to be on the outside looking in back in October thanks to a logjam of forward talent, the young stars from North Vancouver, B.C., have forced their way into the conversation.

GM Doug Armstrong on building the Canadian men's