How will Canada and the USA stack up in 2030? Reinforcements on the way

The 2026 Winter Olympics have come to a close, and Canadian fans are already looking ahead to 2030 in the French Alps. With a wave of elite young talent emerging, many believe Canada will have the roster to avenge its gold medal heartbreak, but the USA’s rising core suggests this rivalry is far from cooling off.

Canada 2030

Every Canadian hopes captain Sidney Crosby will be back with the national team in 2030, but at the age of 42, he and many other aging members of the current roster are unlikely to make the team.

Canada left a lot of talented players off the roster due to their age, but with four more years of experience under their belt, many of this year's snubs should be poised to make the roster as they enter their prime. Here's a look at how we project the lines (combos subject to change):

Celebrini(23)-McDavid(33)-Guenther(26)

Bedard(24)-MacKinnon(34)-Marner (32)

Johnston(26)-Suzuki (30)-Point(33)

Hagel (31)-Thomas (30)-Jarvis (28)

McKenna(22)/Sennecke(24)

Schaefer(22)-Makar(31)

Harley(28)-Bouchard (30)

Chychrun(31)-Dobson(30)

Morrissey(34)/Clarke(27)

Thompson(32)

Greaves (28)

Cossa (27)

Additional F options: Fantilli(24), McTavish(27), Bennett(33), Byfield(27), Hage(23), Iginla(23), Misa(22)

Additional D options: Verhoeff (21), Dupont(20), Guhle(28), Dickinson(23), Power(27), Parekh(24)

Additional G options: Blackwood(33), Hofer(29), Levi(28)

At first glance, it's apparent that the goaltending situation for Canada is fairly weak in comparison to other nations. Canada will need to hope that a superstar goaltender other than Logan Thompson emerges before the 2030 games. As of right now, the pipeline doesn't look nearly as strong as the Americans'.

Another notable difference is the projected 2026 first overall pick, Gavin McKenna, on the reserve list. The reason for this is that his two-way game may not be up to the standards of the selection committee, based on the construction of this year's roster.

A big knock on Canada's roster this year was that they took too many "Grinders" and two-way players. The roster above offers a more balanced approach, while also having McKenna on the reserves to insert his offensive reinforcements when needed.

Similar conversations were had about the defence, as many believed Canada didn't bring enough puck movers at the back end. This group brings a balance of solid two-way play to every pairing.

USA 2030

While not having the projected future superstars that Canada has, the Americans also have their fair share of youth coming up the ranks. The reigning champions won't want too much change from their 2026 roster that went 7-0 and had a 100% success rate on the penalty kill, but aging will also force them to make a few changes.

The USA had many snubs that didn't make this year's roster as well, and many thought that would cost them. However, they ended up winning the tournament anyway, and may look to bring those snubs onto the 2030 roster now that they're more experienced.

Here's a look at how we project the lines:

Boldy(28)-Hughes(28)-Caufield(28)

Thompson(32)-Matthews(32)-Robertson(30)

Tkachuk(32)-Eichel(33)-Tkachuk(30)

Knies(27)-Beniers(27)-Gauthier(26)

Larkin(33)-Leonard(25)

Hughes(30)-Faber(27)

Hutson(26)-McAvoy(32)

Werenski(32)-Sanderson(27)

Fox(32)-Lacombe(29)

Wolf(28)

Oettinger(31)

Knight(28)

Additional F options: Smith(24), Cooley(25), Pinto(29), Nazar(26), Snuggerud(25), Doan(27)

Additional D options: Buium(24), Hutson (23), Slavin (35)

Additional G options: Fowler(25), Hellebuyck (36)

As we can see, Team USA doesn't change all that much, with the only real major change being the youthful additions on the fourth line. Another main change is the lack of this year's MVP, Connor Hellebuyck, who will be 36 years old at the time this tournament is held, and will likely see a major decline at this age.

The continuity of the D corps will be a huge advantage chemistry-wise, as the only large difference is the addition of dynamic defenceman Lane Hutson. This, paired with the added scoring help of Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield, should make the Americans a big-time threat once again.

Best Rivalry in sports

There is a case to be made that these two teams and nations are currently the most entertaining rivalry in sports. When these two teams face off, the world stops to watch, as the intensity and hatred for one another are unmatched anywhere in the sports landscape.

Hopefully, the 2028 World Cup of hockey is approved, and we don't have to wait another four years for these two nations to square off. However, the longer the wait, the greater the intensity and hatred grows. The battle for gold should be an instant classic once again, and if Russia is added back into the fold, it should get even more interesting.