DENVER — Scott Wedgewood is tied with four other goaltenders for the NHL lead in wins and owns both the league’s lowest goals against average and highest save percentage this season; yet even with those credentials, he remains at risk of being overlooked for the 2026 Winter Olympics roster.
Hockey Canada recently announced that the Olympic roster would be unveiled on New Year’s Eve, and according to a recent report, Scott Wedgewood is not in the running to be one of the three Canadian goalies named to the team. However, his teammate Mackenzie Blackwood remains in the running.
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On a recent TSN Insider segment, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Team Canada has narrowed its goalie pool to four candidates, including Mackenzie Blackwood, Logan Thompson, and former Avalanche netminder Darcy Kuemper.
But any list that doesn’t include Wedgewood in some capacity just seems wrong for a variety of reasons.
When it was revealed during the offseason that Blackwood was dealing with a lower-body injury, Colorado Avalanche fans responded with a familiar, collective unease—the kind that carries an unspoken here we go again, signaling fears of yet another arduous season.
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Wedgewood arrived in Colorado last year via a trade with the Nashville Predators and proceeded to deliver the finest campaign of his eight-year professional career. He finished 13-4-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a career-high .917 save percentage, numbers that far exceeded expectations for a presumed backup.
Many assumed the performance was an outlier and that Wedgewood would regress toward his career norms—perhaps dipping well below a .900 save percentage—settling back into the role of a capable but unspectacular No. 2. Instead, the 33-year-old has forced a reevaluation.
While Blackwood recovered from what was later disclosed as lower-body surgery, Wedgewood shouldered the burden, stabilizing the crease and, at times, carrying the team. From the outset of training camp, there was a perceptible shift in the atmosphere surrounding the Avalanche. Goaltending remained the lingering concern, but Wedgewood’s play has largely erased it, offering reassurance that Colorado’s most pressing question may, in fact, already be answered.
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Now 22 games into the season, Wedgewood has compiled a 15–1–4 record, pairing a 2.10 goals against average with a career-high .920 save percentage. Equally noteworthy is the manner in which Jared Bednar and the Avalanche have managed his workload. Wedgewood has made nine fewer starts than New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, yet despite the substantial disparity in usage, the two netminders are level in wins.
Viewed in proper perspective, if Wedgewood were just a typical backup, he would be exactly that—an unremarkable goaltender with average numbers, far from any serious conversation about league-leading wins or elite performance. But the reality is very different: Wedgewood ranks at or near the top in nearly every meaningful category, and yet he still risks being left off the Olympic roster. If that happens, we already know the expected excuse: “There are so many elite goaltenders, but only a few spots.” While technically true, being tied for the league lead in wins—and excelling across other key statistics—should be more than enough to earn a place on Team Canada.
The other excuse might be what we brought up earlier, the anomaly factor. That claim, however, collapses under even modest scrutiny. Wedgewood appeared in 19 games for the Avalanche last season and has already made 22 starts this year, many of them against red-hot opponents and the NHL’s elite. Despite the increased workload and heightened competition, his save percentage has actually improved.
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As Michael Traikos, Managing Editor of The Hockey News, recently stated, the Avalanche—the NHL’s top team—boast not only exceptional depth but also arguably the two best goaltenders in the league. Beyond Wedgewood, Mackenzie Blackwood has fully recovered from his injury and notably recorded back-to-back shutouts earlier this season, posting a save percentage identical to Wedgewood’s. Accordingly, it would seem logical for Team Canada to consider selecting both Wedgewood and Blackwood.
The final roster spot might be a contest between Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper, though the probability of that scenario remains slim. Furthermore, the options Canada had at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season haven’t exactly been stellar between the pipes this season.
Jordan Binnington, Colorado’s favorite sweetheart, is 7-8-6 with a .873 save percentage. Then there’s Adin Hill, who has missed most of the season due to injury and has only recently returned to the lineup. In five starts, Hill has a record of 1-0-2 with a .888 save percentage—not much better.
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Scott Wedgewood clearly deserves a spot on the Olympic roster. It’s obvious why—unless you’re completely blind. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and as much as Wedgewood shouldn’t be snubbed, the reality is that he probably will be.
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