Bo Horvat, center for the New York Islanders, has been invited to Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in Calgary. The camp begins Tuesday and features 42 NHL players vying for a spot on the Canadian roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan.
“It’s an honor to get invited to this camp,” Horvat said. “For me to be a part of that list already is pretty special. I’m going to make the most of it, have fun with it and it’ll be great to meet the guys. I’m not sure what to expect out of the camp but it’ll be good to get a feel of what it would be like if I made the Olympic team.”
Horvat, originally from London, Ontario, recalled watching Sidney Crosby score the winning goal for Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver when he was 14 years old. At that time, playing in the NHL seemed like a distant dream; making an Olympic team felt even further away.
“When I was a kid, I thought that making the NHL would be the coolest thing ever,” Horvat said. “I never even imagined being on the Olympic team, there’s so many talented hockey players, especially in Canada. To even be named for this, it’s pretty special.”
Over the past three seasons, Horvat has recorded 195 points (99 goals and 96 assists) in 241 games—ranking him among Canadian forwards—and his faceoff win percentage stands at 56.3%, placing him fifth among Canadians with over 2,000 face-offs taken during that period.
The selection process is competitive as Hockey Canada will reduce its roster from 42 players to just 25 ahead of the Olympics. In preparation, Horvat continues summer training while also focusing on contributing strongly at the start of next season with New York.
“I’m just trying to get better every day,” Horvat said. “Whether it’s working on my passing or my shot, I’m trying to get faster and be more explosive. I’m just always working on my game and trying to gain that edge and carry it into the beginning of the season.”
Horvat recently played for Team Canada at this year’s IIHF World Championships where he scored eight points (four goals and four assists) in six games before an ankle injury ended his tournament early. He reports full recovery: “I feel great,” Horvat said. “I feel back to normal and ready to go for the season. I’ve been skating all summer, nothing has changed there.” Despite missing later rounds due to injury—and Canada being eliminated before quarterfinals—he appreciated his time playing mainly as a winger alongside Nathan MacKinnon.
“The whole experience was great,” Horvat said. “The guys were phenomenal, and we had a really good group of guys and a lot of good hockey players on that team. That was pretty fun to play with a guy like [Nathan MacKinnon]. It was a great experience.”
Horvat will reunite with childhood friend Jonathan Drouin during Islanders training camp; both previously played together for Team Canada at World Juniors in 2014 before competing against each other professionally.
“We’ve played against each other a lot growing up,” Horvat said. “To share that World Junior experience was pretty cool too. He’s a really nice guy, really talented hockey player and we’re lucky to have him.”
Drouin joined New York after two seasons with Colorado Avalanche where he collected notable power-play statistics; last season Horvat led New York scoring with 57 points (28 goals and 29 assists).
Looking ahead at training camp—which head coach Patrick Roy expects will be demanding—Horvat is optimistic about new additions including top draft pick Matthew Schaefer: “It’s going to be a tough camp,” he said.“It’s a condensed schedule…I think with the guys we added and our lineup right now I’m excited for it…Obviously drafting first overall and getting [Matthew] Schaefer…I’m excited and can’t wait for the season to start.”
On a personal note, Bo Horvat shared that he and his wife Holly are expecting their third child—a baby girl—in coming days.
