Twelve nations revealed their first six Olympic hockey selections Monday, setting the stage for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The announcements mark a significant step toward NHL players returning to Olympic competition for the first time since 2014. Each country submitted their preliminary roster featuring a mix of forwards, defensemen and goaltenders.
Canada leads with three superstar centers in Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby.
Canada
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | F | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Nathan MacKinnon | F | Colorado Avalanche |
| Connor McDavid | F | Edmonton Oilers |
| Brayden Point | F | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Sam Reinhart | F | Florida Panthers |
| Cale Makar | D | Colorado Avalanche |
United States
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Eichel | F | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Auston Matthews | F | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Brady Tkachuk | F | Ottawa Senators |
| Matthew Tkachuk | F | Florida Panthers |
| Quinn Hughes | D | Vancouver Canucks |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | Boston Bruins |
Team USA’s selection includes the Tkachuk brothers, both power forwards known for their physical style.
Sweden
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Kempe | F | Los Angeles Kings |
| Gabriel Landeskog | F | Colorado Avalanche |
| William Nylander | F | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Lucas Raymond | F | Detroit Red Wings |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | Buffalo Sabres |
| Victor Hedman | D | Tampa Bay Lightning |
Landeskog’s inclusion raises questions about his health status after missing significant time with injury.
Finland
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Aho | F | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Aleksander Barkov | F | Florida Panthers |
| Mikko Rantanen | F | Dallas Stars |
| Miro Heiskanen | D | Dallas Stars |
| Esa Lindell | D | Dallas Stars |
| Juuse Saros | G | Nashville Predators |
Finland’s roster features three Dallas Stars players and goaltender Juuse Saros.
Czechia
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Necas | F | Colorado Avalanche |
| Ondrej Palat | F | New Jersey Devils |
| David Pastrnak | F | Boston Bruins |
| Pavel Zacha | F | Boston Bruins |
| Radko Gudas | D | Anaheim Ducks |
| Lukas Dostal | G | Anaheim Ducks |
Denmark
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | F | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | F | Winnipeg Jets |
| Lars Eller | F | Washington Capitals |
| Jonas Rondbjerg | F | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Jesper Jensen Aabo | D | EC-KAC (ICEHL) |
| Frederik Andersen | G | Carolina Hurricanes |
France
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | F | HC Ajoie (NL) |
| Jordann Perret | F | Mountfield HK (Czech Extraliga) |
| Alexandre Texier | F | St. Louis Blues |
| Yohann Auvitu | D | HC Vitkovice (Czech Extraliga) |
| Jules Boscq | D | HPK (Liiga) |
| Hugo Gallet | D | Tappara (Liiga) |
France’s roster includes players from multiple European leagues, with Alexandre Texier as their lone NHL representative.
Germany
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Leon Draisaitl | F | Edmonton Oilers |
| Lukas Reichel | F | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Nico Sturm | F | Florida Panthers |
| Tim Stutzle | F | Ottawa Senators |
| Moritz Seider | D | Detroit Red Wings |
| Philipp Grubauer | G | Seattle Kraken |
Germany’s selection centers around Leon Draisaitl and emerging star Tim Stutzle.
Italy
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Diego Kostner | F | HC Ambri-Piotta (NL) |
| Daniel Mantenuto | F | HC Bolzano (ICEHL) |
| Tommy Purdeller | F | HC Pustertal (ICEHL) |
| Thomas Larkin | D | Schwenninger (DEL) |
| Luca Zanatta | D | HC Pustertal (ICEHL) |
| Damian Clara | G | San Diego Gulls (AHL) |
Latvia
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Rodrigo Abols | F | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Teddy Blueger | F | Vancouver Canucks |
| Zemgus Girgensons | F | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Uvis Balinskis | D | Florida Panthers |
| Elvis Merzlikins | G | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Arturs Silovs | G | Vancouver Canucks |
Latvia named two goaltenders in their initial group, including Elvis Merzlikins and backup Arturs Silovs.
Slovakia
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Pospisil | F | Calgary Flames |
| Juraj Slafkovsky | F | Montreal Canadiens |
| Tomas Tatar | F | EV Zug (NL) |
| Erik Cernak | D | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Martin Fehervary | D | Washington Capitals |
| Simon Nemec | D | New Jersey Devils |
Slovakia’s roster features young talent Juraj Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in 2022.
Switzerland
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Fiala | F | Los Angeles Kings |
| Nico Hischier | F | New Jersey Devils |
| Timo Meier | F | New Jersey Devils |
| Nino Niederreiter | F | Winnipeg Jets |
| Roman Josi | D | Nashville Predators |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | D | New Jersey Devils |
The 2026 Olympics run from Feb. 6-22 in Italian cities Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Each nation will expand their rosters significantly before the Games begin. The preliminary announcements give fans their first glimpse at the star power returning to Olympic hockey after a 12-year hiatus for NHL players.
