Who Are the Best Canadian Hockey Players Right Now?

Following a thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off victory over the United States last year, Canada will once again look to claim hockey supremacy as NHLers make their long-awaited return to the Olympics.

While Canada doesn’t quite dominate the NHL’s makeup by sheer volume as it once did, with roughly 40% of all NHL players from north of the 49th parallel, the league’s premier stars continue to represent the red and white maple leaf.

Here is my list of the top 10 Canadian hockey players right now.

Best Canadian NHL Players Right Now 

1. Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers

Despite the best efforts of various players over the years, Connor McDavid remains not only the best Canadian player, but the best player in all of hockey.

The Edmonton Oilers’ superstar has willed his club to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, and while he’s come up short twice, there’s little doubt he’ll eventually get over the hump.

McDavid has also already played hero while wearing his national colours, scoring perhaps the greatest Canadian goal since Sidney Crosby in 2010 to help Canada fend off the USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off title.

The Edmonton Oilers captain has won everything except Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup, and his team is among the betting favourites in the NHL odds at the BetMGM sportsbook to accomplish the latter this season.

2. Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche

For a brief period, it looked as though Nathan MacKinnon had taken the mantle from Connor McDavid as the NHL’s top player, and for good reason.

No player in hockey is as adept at scoring as MacKinnon, as the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, native has the Colorado Avalanche poised to run roughshod through the Western Conference this spring.

With blazing speed that only McDavid can match, MacKinnon is as powerful a player as there is in the modern NHL, and has the individual and club hardware to back it up.

3. Cale Makar – Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar stands alone among Canadian defencemen, arguably the best the nation has produced since the days of Ray Bourque.

For perspective, among players with at least 400 career games played, only Bobby Orr has produced at a higher points-per-game pace than Makar.

With a pair of Norris Trophies to his name already at age 27, Makar can become just the fifth Canadian since 1967 to earn a trio of Norris wins, and would also become the third youngest to do so.

4. Macklin Celebrini – San Jose Sharks

Perhaps the next face of Canadian hockey, Macklin Celebrini, has accomplished what even Sidney Crosby couldn’t — earn a spot on Team Canada as a teenager.

Celebrini has burst onto the scene since being selected with the first pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and is poised to become a perennial Hart Trophy contender for years to come as he helps the San Jose Sharks return to relevance.

5. Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins

While “Sid the Kid” isn’t such a kid these days, the 38-year-old is still the face of Canadian hockey and the NHL.

With three Stanley Cups, multiple gold medals, and a plaque all but printed for the Hockey Hall of Fame, Crosby will go down as one of the greatest NHLers of all-time, nevermind great Canadians.

Even in the late stages of his career, however, Crosby has continued to fend off Father Time better than most, helping keep a Pittsburgh Penguins team most had earmarked for the lottery in playoff contention.

Crosby is once again poised to eclipse 90 points, and is showing no signs of slowing down as he chases an elusive fourth Stanley Cup ring.

6. Mitch Marner – Vegas Golden Knights

The move westward for Mitch Marner hasn’t been all smooth sailing, leaving his boyhood Toronto Maple Leafs after repeated playoff failures for the luxuries of Sin City.

Most notably, the two-way winger has seen his points per game dip to its lowest rate since his sophomore season, while injuries for the Vegas Golden Knights have left Marner to play out of position as a centreman for the first time in his career.

Despite those challenges, Marner remains one of the game’s elite playmakers, as only five others have matched or eclipsed him in assists since he entered the league in 2016.

7. Nick Suzuki – Montreal Canadiens

After years of rebuilding, the Montreal Canadiens are once again among the Eastern Conference’s top teams, with their top-line centre a big reason as to why that’s the case.

Suzuki has evolved as a player, emerging as a popular choice to win his first career Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward, a far cry from just two years ago when his contract was considered one of the NHL’s worst.

8. Mark Stone – Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone may be among the elder statesmen among his contemporaries on this list, but his age or injury history shouldn’t obscure that he’s one of the best Canadian forwards of his generation.

In addition to his offensive chops, his play away from the puck and on the defensive end are among the reasons his position on Team Canada has rarely, if ever, wavered.

That’s perhaps best exemplified by his Selke Trophy nominations in 2019 and 2021. Despite failing to capture either award, Stone is the only non-centre to earn multiple nominations for the award since the 2005 NHL lockout.

9. Mark Scheifele – Winnipeg Jets

Perhaps the biggest snub from both the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off roster and 2026 Canadian Olympic roster, all Mark Scheifele has done is produce for the Winnipeg Jets.

Scheifele boasts the fifth-highest points-per-game average of any Canadian with a minimum of 200 games played over the past three seasons, and is the only one not to represent Canada.

Should any injuries occur before the puck drops in Milan on Feb. 11, Scheifele should be among the first in line to take a vacant spot.

10. Connor Bedard – Chicago Blackhawks

While Macklin Celebrini has earned much of the praise as the next Canadian phenom, Connor Bedard’s early career production has been plenty impressive in its own right.

A shoulder injury has put a damper on a breakout 2025-26 campaign, but Bedard has taken a major step into the upper echelon of Canadian NHLers today.

In particular, a shot considered lethal while laying waste to the WHL with the Regina Pats has largely lain dormant since graduating to the NHL, but appears once again to be emerging as one of the league’s most deadly.

Bedard has scored on a per-game basis at a rate only surpassed by Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

Which Canadian Hockey Player Has the Most Followers?

Connor McDavid also occupies the top spot among Canadian hockey players in social media followers.

The Oilers star has over 1.4 million followers on Instagram, falling behind only Alex Ovechkin (1.7 million) among all NHL players. The next closest Canadian is Connor Bedard (838K).