Winter Olympic Ice Hockey Rosters: Who’s suiting up for the big show in Milan? Part one.

Milan-Cortina starts next month.

It is the year of the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics and if you, like me are having flashbacks to watching Sidney Crosby score in OT in Vancouver before getting up early for school on Monday morning. Not to mention a repeat of the four nations series final when Canada and USA went to war in the first 10 seconds, I think you may want to read on…….

In part one of this winter Olympic ice hockey roster release series brought to you by Over Bench Sports Blog I will bring you all you need to know in the build up to the start of the long awaited return of NHL stars back on the Olympic stage.

USA:

Here is how Team USA will line up for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy

Forwards:

Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), J.T. Miller (New York Rangers), Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers), Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres), Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)

Defence:

Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild), Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Seth Jones (Florida Panthers), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators), Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Goaltenders:

Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

The star-studded team representing the Star-Spangled Banner boasts remarkable depth, both up front and on the blue line. In goal, they feature arguably three of the NHL’s finest goaltenders, providing a formidable last line of defence. Following Team USA’s victory at last year’s men’s IIHF World Championships, ending a lengthy drought for the top prize in that tournament, the momentum has certainly shifted in their favour as they head into Milan.

The narrow overtime loss to Canada in the Four Nations Series final will only fuel their hunger for gold.

With players like the Tkachuk brothers ready to rise to the occasion, Team USA arrive in Italy as top contenders for the gold medal, with plenty of talent and determination to back up their ambitions.

Canada:

Here is who will be suiting up for Team Canada in Milan this February.

Forwards:

Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning), Bo Horvat (New York Islanders), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Brad Marchand (Florida Panthers), Mitch Marner (Vegas Golden Knights), Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning), Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers), Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), Tom Wilson (Washington Capitals)

Defence:

Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets), Colton Parayko (St. Louis Blues), Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers), Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights), Devon Toews (Colorado Avalanche)

Goaltenders:

Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues), Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles Kings), Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals)

Once more, Team Canada, along with the USA, Finland, and Sweden, will boast some of the strongest squads heading into this tournament. The history of the Winter Olympics truly needs no explanation, as Canada is a nation that thrives on the ice when others might falter. This Canadian roster is full of experience, depth, youth, and a hockey IQ capable of producing the most memorable moments you are likely to see in the upcoming tournament.

Notably, one player left out of this squad selection is Connor Bedard. The player most likely chosen instead is Macklin Celebrini, who has had an excellent start to the season with the San Jose Sharks—scoring twenty-two goals and providing forty assists (as of 3rd January) for a total of sixty-two points. This speaks volumes about how talented this 19-year-old centre is. The experience Celebrini will gain from sharing the ice with players like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand, Cale Makar, and Drew Doughty will only strengthen his career in the years to come.

Canada is known for leaving it late, so if this team reaches the final, prepare yourself for a nail-biting affair. Who could forget 2009, when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal—assisted by Jarome Iginla—in the final against the USA in Vancouver? In more recent years, when the NHL opted for an international tournament instead of the usual NHL All-Star weekend, we witnessed one of the fiercest starts to a hockey game in memory. With three fights in the first 10 seconds, Canada lined up against the USA, and the game had everything. Once again, Canada snatched victory in overtime, with the winning goal coming from Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

The Canadians go into this tournament with grand expectations, as will the eyes of the hockey world. But they are used to the pressure and know how to rise to the occasion. Canada remains firm favourites for the gold medal.

Sweden:

Now for a look at how Sweden will be lining up when the travel over to Milan next month.

Forwards:

Jesper Bratt, (New Jersey Devils),Leo Carlsson, (Anaheim Ducks), Joel Eriksson Ek, (Minnesota Wild), Filip Forsberg, (Nashville Predators), Pontus Holmberg, (Tampa Bay Lightning), Adrian Kempe, (Los Angeles Kings), Gabriel Landeskog, (Colorado Avalanche), Elias Lindholm, (Boston Bruins), William Nylander, (Toronto Maple Leafs), Elias Pettersson, (Vancouver Canucks), Rickard Rakell, (Pittsburgh Penguins), Lucas Raymond,(Detroit Red Wings), Alexander Wennberg,(San Jose Sharks), Mika Zibanejad, (New York Rangers)

Defence:

Rasmus Andersson,(Calgary Flames), Philip Broberg, (St. Louis Blues), Jonas Brodin, (Minnesota Wild), Rasmus Dahlin, (Buffalo Sabres), Oliver Ekman-Larsson, (Toronto Maple Leafs), Gustav Forsling,(Florida Panthers), Victor Hedman,(Tampa Bay Lightning), Erik Karlsson,(Pittsburgh Penguins).

Goaltenders:

Filip Gustavsson, (Minnesota Wild), Jacob Markstrom, (New Jersey Devils), Jesper Wallstedt, (Minnesota Wild).

This Swedish side is one that has immense depth spread across all corners of the NHL. The team shows great leadership with the return of Gabriel Landeskog, who after a lengthy spell out with injury sustained during Colorado's Stanley Cup run a couple of years back, made his return to the ice last season for the Avalanche. Players alongside Landeskog, such as Mika Zibanejad, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Gustav Forsling, and of course William Nylander, ensure that this team boasts not only skill and style to match USA and Canada, but also the grit and power not to be overrun or pushed off the play.

This Sweden team will dig deep and fight back when needed. With a wealth of Stanley Cup champions donning the yellow for the Swedes, their experience should prove invaluable as the tournament progresses into the knockout rounds.

I would place Sweden as strong contenders for a semi-final appearance, if not a final showdown against either the USA or Canada in Milan. Frankly, it would be a surprise if they did not secure a medal.

Part two of this series will feature Finland as they have also released their squad list, and as we await to so who will be selected for Czechia, Switzerland, Slovakia and who will be playing alongside Leon Draisaitl for Germany.