Morinville’s Brandon Hagel heads to the Olympics with Team Canada

By Shelley Winger
Morinville has reason to cheer as one of its own, Brandon Hagel, is set to make his Olympic
debut with Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Hagel’s rise from local rinks to the world stage is nothing short of remarkable. Born in
Saskatoon but raised in Morinville, he made his international debut in 2021 at the IIHF
World Championship—and won gold in his very first tournament with Canada. He returned
in 2024, scoring his first international goal in a preliminary-round win over Great Britain,
and helped Canada capture the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, adding an assist to the team’s
championship effort.
A sixth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, Hagel eventually signed
with the Chicago Blackhawks, making his NHL debut in March 2020. Two years later, he was
traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he helped the team reach the Stanley Cup final. In
the 2024-25 season, Hagel set career highs with 90 points—35 goals and 55 assists—and
earned a Second Team NHL All-Star selection.
Before turning pro, Hagel played junior hockey with the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL, where
he set the team record for career assists. He served as assistant captain for two seasons and
was a WHL Second Team All-Star in 2019. At one point, Hagel even considered stepping
away from hockey to pursue college and a teaching career, but signing with Chicago in 2018
kept him on the ice and on track to the NHL.
Off the ice, Hagel is a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness, actively participating
in the NHL’s Hockey Talks initiative after losing three family members to suicide.
Hagel’s roots in Morinville run deep. He grew up idolizing NHL superstar Alexander
Ovechkin, decorating his bedroom with an Ovechkin theme. His father worked in roofing
sales, his mother in insurance, and he has a brother, Tyler, and a sister, Chelsea.
The 2026 Winter Olympics open on February 6 and run through February 22. Milan will
host the Games for the first time, while Cortina d’Ampezzo returns after hosting the 1956
Winter Games. Milan-Cortina won the Olympic bid in 2019, defeating a Swedish bid with 47
votes to 34.

For Morinville, Hagel’s selection is more than a personal achievement—it’s a hometown
victory. From local ice rinks to the Olympic stage, Brandon Hagel’s journey shows that
dedication, talent, and small-town roots can lead to the world’s biggest arenas.