Bo Horvat’s push to make Team Canada’s roster started when he went to World Championships in May and ended Wednesday morning when he got a call from assistant general manager Don Sweeney, telling him congratulations.
“So many emotions going through my mind of pride and joy,” Horvat said on a Zoom call Wednesday after Hockey Canada announced its 25-man Olympic roster with his name on it. “Just honestly disbelief, too, at some point. Still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m just so honored and privileged to be in this situation.”
All the way back on last season’s breakup day, Horvat said if he got the chance to go to Worlds, he’d take it, in part to burnish his Olympics case. After being well on the outside of Team Canada’s 4 Nations picture, he needed to do everything he could to make it to Milan.
And over the next eight months, Horvat fulfilled that mandate. He had eight points in six games at the World Championships. He started the regular season on a scoring tear. He took a leading role on a resurgent Islanders penalty kill.
He said again and again that making this team in what is likely his only chance to play at the Olympics — Horvat will be 34 when the 2030 Games get underway in Nice [France] — would mean everything to him.
“I wanted it bad. I wanted to represent our country. I wanted to wear the maple leaf,” Horvat said. “I was just trying to do whatever I could to, one, help our team win, the Islanders win. Also just to make it hard on [Hockey Canada] and make their decision tough. Kind of make my stamp of what I could bring to Hockey Canada. Thankfully it didn’t go unnoticed.”
Canada’s brass scouted the Islanders extensively to watch Horvat and Matthew Schaefer. Horvat ultimately showed them enough to make it as one of four forwards on the roster who weren’t on the 4 Nations squad, with Sam Bennett, Travis Konecny and Seth Jarvis being dropped.
The decision to drop Bennett, whose goal for Canada forced overtime in the 4 Nations final, might have been the most controversial the management group led by GM Doug Armstrong made.
Tom Wilson’s inclusion on the roster, though, blunted some of the need for Bennett’s skill set as a heavy agitator and cleared the way for both Horvat and Montreal’s Nick Suzuki to be included.
While Horvat said Sweeney’s conversation with him Wednesday didn’t touch on role, it’s likely he’ll play in the bottom six and perhaps get penalty-kill minutes.
Armstrong said Horvat’s ability to play multiple positions and exceptional faceoff numbers were key factors in his selection.
“No matter what they tell me to do, I’ll do it,” Horvat said. “If it’s cleaning water bottles, I’ll do anything to be there.”
