Team Canada announces Brad Marchand and Josh Morrissey's absence from lineup ahead of clash against Switzerland

Team Canada will play without two key players as they are all set to lock horns against Team Switzerland in their upcoming men's ice hockey action at the 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Friday. The news has been confirmed recently by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) ahead of their clash against the opponent team.

The decision came as Josh Morrissey sustained an undisclosed injury recently during Canada’s opening match against Czechia. While Brad Marchand’s reason for exclusion is unknown at this time. The 37-year-old had one assist in 9:29 of play in Canada’s bottom-six in his first Olympic appearance, according to reports.

Earlier, Canada kicked off its Olympic campaign in Group A with a 5-0 win over Czechia, where 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini opened the score for the team on 12 February, as reported by Olympics.com. Meanwhile, Czechia also gave a tough fight to the mighty Canadians.

Seth Jarvis to make Olympic debut as Brad Marchand and Josh Morrissey to remain absent

Team Canada will play on February 13, 2026, without two key players due to injury and other unfortunate circumstances. These key players are Brad Marchand and Josh Morrissey, who are considered the marquee players of the team. Their absence from today’s lineup was confirmed by IIHF. However, Team Canada will replace these players with two other significant players.

According to Daily Faceoff, Josh Morrissey will miss the match, as he was last seen leaving Canada’s tournament opener on Thursday against Czechia after sustaining an injury. At present, the status of Morrissey’s injury is unclear, but if he is unable to return, his roster spot will be difficult to replace after Canada officially registered 25 players on February 10.


Announcing the same on X/Twitter, Steven Ellis stated, “Both Brad Marchand and Josh Morrissey are listed as scratches for Canada today against Switzerland. Jordan Binnington also went dress. #Olympics.” Meanwhile, according to Kyle Bukauskas, "Brad Marchand is taking a rest, too." It is expected that Marchand will be back, but for now, he can recharge and get ready for the upcoming important matches.

As per reports, in place of these players, Carolina’s Seth Jarvis will make his Olympic debut. He will play alongside Bo Horvat and Sam Reinhart on Canada’s third line. The other three forward lines will remain untouched, with Sam Bennett serving as the 13th forward. In addition, this defenseman, Travis Sanheim, will take Morrissey’s place as the seventh defenseman for the match.

It will be interesting to see what Team Canada will display with their strong and talented team against Switzerland at the Milano Santagiulia Arena, with both teams looking to secure positioning in the Olympic preliminary round.


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