"Couldn't be the water boy": Oilers' Stuart Skinner mocked by fans for aiming to make Team Canada's Olympics roster

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner has been the subject of ridicule from fans after expressing his desire to represent Canada at the upcoming 2026 Olympics in Milan.

Speaking with reporters following an informal skate on Thursday, Skinner said:

"I want to set the bar high. I want to go to the Olympics. I want to be a goalie for Team Canada."

B/R Open Ice ran a poll on X asking if Skinner could play his way into Canada’s top three goaltenders, sparking plenty of fan reactions.

One wrote:

“He couldn’t be the effin water boy.”

Sportsnutz

@Sportsnutz99

@BR_OpenIce He couldn’t be the effin water boy

Another posted:

"He should be Canada‘s 1st goalie, dude went to back to back finals. How can Canada not have him?"

Paul E

@FunkEPaulE

@BR_OpenIce He should be Canada‘s 1st goalie, dude went to back to back finals. How can Canada not have him?

Here are some more fan reactions:

"I want a lot of things that I can't have because reality steps in my path. I'd put you at a solid 10th in the Canadian depth chart," one wrote.

"Nope. Jordan Binnington should be Canada’s top 3 goalie for the 2026 Winter Olympics," another posted.

"He's capable, but needs to be consistent, he's either Vezina caliber or Matt Murray," a user commented.

"Of course he could. Only hyper partisan idiots would say he couldn’t. Any NHL goalie is extremely talented and capable of 4 great games in a row, which is what is needed," another wrote.

Skinner last played at the World Men’s Under-18 Championship in 2015-16. At the recent 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada went with Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault between the pipes.

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Stuart Skinner on what lies ahead next season

Looking ahead, Stuart Skinner made it clear that the Oilers’ goal is to return to the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year and finish the job this time.

He also pointed to last season grind of 82 regular-season games and four playoff rounds as valuable lessons the team can build on.

“So, same with me as an individual and us as a team. And just being able to use that moving forward here, and having a good start to the season, those are the goals,” Skinner said.

“I think everyone’s goal in the NHL, if you ask them, it’ll be to win the Stanley Cup. ... We’re definitely wanting to finish the job here.”

Last postseason, Stuart Skinner started 15 games, finishing with a 7-7 record, a 2.99 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage.