"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."
""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."
Bo Horvat brings versatile two-way play, gritty physicality, and scoring ability to Team Canada's 2026 Olympic roster. He will skate on an elite fourth line with Sam Reinhart and Brandon Hagel, a trio NHL teams would happily deploy as a top unit. Canada’s roster depth and coach Jon Cooper’s strategy require four strong lines to match the tournament’s pace. Cooper cites experience from the 4 Nations Face-Off showing NHL minutes equate to higher exertion internationally. The lineup construction aims to roll all four lines consistently so top stars can be rested while maintaining high tempo. Horvat is expected to deliver consistent scoring and dependable minutes.
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