Ice Hockey Stars: Draisaitl, McDavid, Rantanen to Compete at 2026 Milan Olympics
New and Exciting: 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament Line-ups Revealed
The ice hockey world is buzzing with excitement as the twelve participating nations have unveiled the first wave of stars for the Milan Olympics, set to take place in 2026! With eight months to go, fans can already savor the juicy morsel of the announced line-ups.
After a seven-year pause, the North American NHL is jumping back on board to let its stars shine. From February 11 to 22, the Olympic frosts will be locked in two Milanese arenas, divided into groups: Group A with hockey heavyweights Canada, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and France; Group B featuring Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and host Italy; and Group C boasting the USA, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark.
North American Stars are Back
Finland is bringing their A-game, sporting top-tier forwards Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars), Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers), and Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes). The Czechs are looking fierce with David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins), Martin Necas (Colorado Avalanche), and Ondrej Palat (New Jersey Devils). Canada is fielding none other than the esteemed Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers).
European Hopefuls Show Up
The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) will be making a splash in Milan with Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken), Tim Stuetzle (Ottawa Senators), Lukas Reichel (Chicago Blackhawks), and Nico Sturm (Florida Panthers). DEB sports director Christian Kunast proudly shares, "Our enthusiasm for this grand sporting event soars even higher when we see the world-class players that the participating associations have lined up. With our NHL stars, it was only fitting to announce the first six players who currently hold contracts with their NHL clubs."
Sweden will field stars such as Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), and William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs). Vice World Champion Switzerland will be lead by Roman Josi (Nashville Predators), Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), and Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils). The complete rosters will be unveiled at the start of 2026.
Ingolstadt-Bred ERC Contenders
A host of standout players from ERC Ingolstadt could potentially earn Olympic spots. Defenders Leon Huettl (for Germany) and former assistant captain Peter Spornberger (for Italy) have strong prospects. Additionally, longtime Panthers captain Fabio Wagner (now EHC Munich) and the recently NHL-switching Wojciech Stachowiak have good chances of making the DEB team. French hopes might rest with former Ingolstadt player Charles Bertrand, while Denmark's Frederik Storm is likely a firm fixture on their team.
Get ready for exceptional competition and unforgettable memories as the world's finest hockey players take to the ice in Italy!
The North American NHL, returning to the Olympic stage after a seven-year absence, is anticipating a strong showing with stars like Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), and Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) representing Canada.
European hopefuls such as Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, eager to make their mark, will field stars like Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Roman Josi (Nashville Predators), respectively, in the Milan Olympics.
