BLOG: Four Oilers invited to Team Canada Orientation Camp for 2026 Olympics
Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins & defenceman Evan Bouchard have been invited by Hockey Canada to attend its National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary from Aug. 26-28
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EDMONTON, AB – Oilers forwards Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and defenceman Evan Bouchard have been invited by Hockey Canada to attend their National Teams Orientation Camp from Aug. 26-28 in Calgary ahead of the 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
The four Oilers were among the list of 42 NHL players – three goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 26 forwards – selected by Team Canada’s management staff led by general manager Doug Armstrong to compete for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics this February for the first time since 2014.
Including McDavid, all 24 players who were a part of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship-winning team are on the list, with Hyman and Bouchard aiming to join the Oilers captain this time around by breaking into that final number over the coming months and earning a spot on the Olympic roster.
Hockey Canada announced invitations to its National Teams Orientation Camp for a total of 92 players who’ll make up its men’s, women’s and para hockey teams that’ll compete in Italy next year.
On the women’s side, PWHL Seattle forward and EOCF ambassador Danielle Serdachny was invited by Hockey Canada, while Edmonton product and 2024 World Para Hockey Championship gold medalist Micah Kovacevich was named on the para side.
RELEASE: Oilers add McFarland, Aubry & Allen to coaching staff
Edmonton hires a new assistant coach, goaltending coach & skills coach while signing assistant coach Mark Stuart & video coach Noah Segall to extensions
EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers announced Monday they have added Paul McFarland, Peter Aubry and Conor Allen to their coaching staff.
Additionally, the team announced Paul Coffey will return to his role as a special advisor to ownership and hockey operations, while a contract extension was not offered to goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz.
McFarland (39) joins the Oilers as an assistant coach after leading the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen as head coach last season. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native makes his return to the NHL after working as an assistant for the Seattle Kraken for three seasons (2021-24).
He began his NHL coaching career as an assistant with the Florida Panthers (2017-19) before moving to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2019-20 campaign. McFarland returned to his OHL coaching roots for one season as the GM and head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs in 2020-21 prior to joining the Kraken for their inaugural year.
Aubry (48) enters his first season as the Oilers goaltending coach after two years as an associate coach with Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA). Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, he also makes his return to the NHL after spending eight seasons (2015-24) as the Chicago Blackhawks developmental goaltending coach as well as the goaltending coach for the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford.
Allen (35) begins his first NHL season with the Oilers as the team’s skills coach. The Chicago native and UMass graduate spent last season with USA Hockey’s national under-17 team and has also recently worked in a skill development role with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) along with Prodigy Prospects.
Following his retirement from professional hockey in 2021, the former defenceman and veteran of 284 AHL games transitioned to his new role incorporating on-ice sessions and video analysis with a specific focus on skill acquisition and hockey IQ.
The Oilers also announced they have signed contract extensions for assistant coach Mark Stuart and video coach Noah Segall.
