Celebrini Vs. Bedard: Team Canada Reportedly 'Only Has Room' for One of The League's Two Youngest Stars

The NHL has no shortage of rising stars, with the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Lane Hutson, Logan Cooley and so many others making their names early in their career, but standing out among them all is the duo of Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, the 2023 and 2024 No. 1 overall picks.

Both have had fantastic starts to their career, and with red-hot starts early in the 2025/26 season, the conversation about the two may be one that continues on for years to come.

That conversation has seemingly already begun for Team Canada ahead of the 2026 Olympic Games, with TSN's Darren Dreger recently reporting that there's room for only one of them on Team Canada's roster, with Dreger himself believing that Celebrini is the favourite for that spot.

This season, Bedard has 6 goals and 16 points across 13 games for the Blackhawks, while Celebrini has 7 goals and 18 points in 13 games for San Jose, and at this point, both are likely to play key roles for Canada in the years to come.

If Dreger is right however, just one will represent their country in Italy when the NHL returns to the Olympic Games, and with both producing very well, it will make for some exciting viewing in the months leading up to the big tournament.