FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The U.S. named Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy as its first six gamers for the 2026 Olympics, avoiding goaltenders on the preliminary roster unveiled Monday.
Some assortment of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko determine to make the staff when full rosters are submitted in early January.
“Our goalies performed effectively for us, nice seasons: Connor simply bought the Vezina and Hart, which is unimaginable,” U.S. basic supervisor Invoice Guerin stated on a video name with reporters. “It was simply type of the factor we talked that about earlier than we did it for 4 Nations: Can we add a goalie, can we not add a goalie? I felt it was finest we keep constant and simply let the goalies play it out through the season.”
All 12 groups that certified — with France changing Russia due to the Worldwide Olympic Committee’s ban on that nation for staff sports activities over the struggle in Ukraine — introduced the beginning of their teams set to participate in Milan. This event marks the return of NHL participation and what needs to be the primary Olympics for Canada’s Connor McDavid and lots of different prime gamers who haven’t but gotten that chance.
“Extremely honored to symbolize my nation on the largest sporting occasion on the earth,” McDavid stated after he and the Edmonton Oilers practiced through the Stanley Cup Last. “You consider the Canadian gamers that may be named to that staff and to be chosen once more, it means loads.”
McDavid would have been there had the NHL not pulled out of the 2022 Beijing Video games due to pandemic-related scheduling points. Together with McDavid, Canada picked Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart, the latter of whom can also be within the closing with the defending champion Florida Panthers.
“Once you’re rising up while you’re watching as a child, it is Stanley Cup Finals and it is Staff Canada,” Reinhart stated. “These are the 2 issues that you simply dream about taking part in for. To have that chance is fairly thrilling.”
Three different Panthers gamers — Aleksander Barkov for Finland, Nico Sturm for Germany and Uvis Balinskis for Latvia — are penciled in for Milan. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl headlines the checklist for Germany, which reached the ultimate in 2018 when the NHL skipped the Olympics.
“There’s not a variety of elite centermen within the league: I believe Leon is in that class, Sasha [Barkov is] in that class,” Sturm stated. “Massive left-handed centermen that you would be able to mannequin your sport after. He is undoubtedly any individual that I look as much as loads and attempt to be taught from.”
Clearly, a lot can change over the following eight months, from accidents to efficiency, and this course of with the IOC and Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation follows what the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland did in naming six preliminary gamers final summer season for the 4 Nations Face-Off that was an enormous success in February.
“I perceive it from a advertising and marketing perspective to get issues up and operating,” Canada GM Doug Armstrong stated. “We most likely had a large berth of gamers we might have named, however it’s what it’s. I believe it is in keeping with the 4 Nations and the occasion earlier than, so we’re OK doing. As I stated to somebody: ‘I believe the simple half’s behind us, these six. Now it will get fascinating as we fill out that roster.'”
Sweden selected forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Lucas Raymond, William Nylander and Adrian Kempe and defensemen Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin. Finland picked Barkov, fellow skaters Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell and goaltender Juuse Saros.
That is Barkov’s second Olympics after being in Sochi in 2014. That was as a younger, part-time participant.
“That was my dream as a child to be there, and I bought to expertise that for just a little bit for 2 video games,” Barkov stated. “Now, to be named once more is a large honor. I am actually, actually blissful and honored and grateful for that chance.”
A lot of the response to the roster launch on social media needed to do with Russia not participating. Meaning all-time main purpose scorer Alex Ovechkin, MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov and two-time Cup-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is not going to get the prospect to go to Milan.
“It is disappointing that they are not on this occasion, but it surely’s definitely nothing that the individuals within the occasion can management,” Armstrong stated. “It’s important to play the groups which can be in your schedule, and sadly this time across the Russians will not be there.”