As 2024-25 NHL season begins, 2026 Olympic males's hockey event takes form

With NHL gamers returning to the Olympics in 2026, and with a best-on-best worldwide event going down this February, the 2024-25 NHL season will set the early stage for the Milan-Cortina Winter Video games.

Final February, the NHL, NHLPA and Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced a preliminary agreement for NHL gamers to take part within the Olympics for the primary time since 2014.

This is a have a look at key Olympic storylines and gamers to look at in the course of the NHL season:

2026 Olympic males’s hockey event: Which groups are certified?

The 12-team Olympic males’s hockey discipline is almost set. All that is left to determine is whether or not Russia will probably be a part of it. Russia has been banned from worldwide hockey since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nevertheless it has a provisional place within the Olympic discipline if the ban will get lifted. The IIHF has not set a deadline for a closing choice on Russia’s Olympic spot. If Russia stays banned, France will transfer into the Olympic discipline.

2026 Winter Olympics males’s hockey teams:
Group A: Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy
Group B: Finland, Germany, Czechia, Denmark
Group C: Russia (if suspension is lifted), U.S., Slovakia, Latvia

Teams if Russia’s suspension just isn’t lifted:
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: U.S., Germany, Latvia, Denmark

USA Olympic males’s hockey roster outlook

The U.S. males have not received Olympic gold because the Miracle on Ice in 1980. However they boast 2023-24 NHL main purpose scorer Auston Matthews, Norris Trophy (greatest defenseman) winner Quinn Hughes and Vezina Trophy (greatest goaltender) winner Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the strongest group of goalies on this planet.

Matthews and Hughes have been among the many first six skaters named to the U.S. roster for subsequent February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, together with defensemen Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy and forwards Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. Nationwide federations like USA Hockey decide the rosters for each the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics. So the ultimate 23-man group for 4 Nations — introduced between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 — might be an early blueprint for the 25-man Olympic group in 2026.

Gamers to look at in 2024-25: Luke Hughes, Patrick Kane
Hughes’ older brothers, Quinn and Jack, are already NHL All-Stars and in robust early place to make Workforce USA. Luke, a 21-year-old New Jersey Devils defenseman, made the NHL All-Rookie group final season. The brothers share the EA Sports activities NHL 25 cowl. If all of them make the Olympics, they would be the second set of three brothers to play for one Olympic hockey group after Anton, Marian and Peter Stastny for Czechoslovakia in 1980. As soon as in historical past have three siblings competed on the identical U.S. Winter Olympic group in any sport: bobsledders Curtis, Hubert and Paul Stevens in 1932, in response to Olympic historian Invoice Mallon.

Can Kane make yet another Olympics at 37 years previous? He could be the oldest NHL participant on a U.S. Olympic group since 44-year-old Chris Chelios in 2006. In 50 video games for the Detroit Crimson Wings final season, he tallied 47 factors, rating twelfth amongst American forwards in factors per sport performed. Olympic rosters normally have 14 forwards.

Canada Olympic males’s hockey roster outlook

Canada received the final two Olympic tournaments with NHL gamers in 2010 and 2014. Its present group of forwards is the world’s deepest. That features the final two Hart Trophy (MVP) winners (Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid), the reigning Calder Trophy (rookie of the 12 months) recipient (Connor Bedard) and Sidney Crosby, who scored arguably essentially the most well-known purpose in Olympic historical past in 2010.

Crosby, who turns 38 subsequent August, could be the third-oldest Canadian man to play Olympic hockey within the NHL participation period after Martin St. Louis (2014) and Al MacInnis (2002).

Gamers to look at in 2024-25: Steven Stamkos, Goalies
Stamkos, a seven-time NHL All-Star, was left off the Olympic group in 2010 at age 19, later ending that season tied for the NHL targets lead. He was initially named to the 2014 Olympic group however missed the Video games on account of a damaged tibia. He was ineligible in 2018 and 2022 on account of no NHL participation. Now 34, Stamkos is preventing age to remain among the many prime Canadian forwards. His 40 targets final season ranked seventh amongst Canadians. He spent the earlier 11 seasons enjoying for Jon Cooper, who’s the Canadian Olympic coach, with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos signed with the Nashville Predators over the summer time.

What Canada lacks is a dominant presence within the crease that it had previously with Patrick Roy (1998), Martin Brodeur (2002, 2006), Roberto Luongo (2010) and Carey Value (2014). It did not have a Vezina finalist in any of the final three seasons. A storyline inside the league this season will probably be whether or not anyone can step up constantly. Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill every received a Stanley Cup, whereas Stuart Skinner reached Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals final season.

Sweden, Finland lead European contenders

Sweden and Finland will be a part of the U.S. and Canada within the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The final time the Olympics have been in Italy, Sweden beat Finland within the gold-medal sport in 2006.

The Swedes’ most achieved skaters are defensemen Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman, who personal a mixed 4 Norris Trophies. Sweden’s prime two goalies are every enjoying for a brand new group this season: 2023 Vezina winner Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators) and 2022 Vezina finalist Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils). The primary half of the NHL season might be key in figuring out the No. 1 for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the place a powerful efficiency may affect who begins on the Olympics.

Finland received its first Olympic title in 2022 within the absence of NHL gamers. It has essentially the most clear-cut goalie state of affairs of the highest groups. The Predators’ Juuse Saros led the NHL in begins final season and is a two-time All-Star. Ahead Aleksander Barkov captained the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup final season.

2026 Winter Olympics, Paralympics: Sport updates as Milan-Cortina Games approach

U.S. stars are already rising for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.