The Finns have found their presumable starter for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

On Monday, the NHL announced preliminary rosters for six players from 10 of the 12 teams competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Milan-Cortina, Italy, from February 5 to 22. 

Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros was named to Finland's preliminary roster.

Earlier this morning, Finland selected its preliminary six players for the #MilanoCortina#Olympics! pic.twitter.com/sM2G6441Fa

— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2025

The roster also included Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov and three Dallas Stars' players: defenseman Miro Heiskanen, forward Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Esa Lindell. 

Saros is currently the top Finnish goalie in the league, having played in 408 games, posted a 202-150 record, and recorded 27 shutouts. He has a goals against average of 2.68 and a save percentage of .914. 

This past season, Saros played 58 games and won 28 with four shutouts. He had a goals-against average of 2.98 and a save percentage of .896. His GAA this season was the highest of his career, having played 20 games or more. 

This will be Saros's seventh time representing Finland and his first time playing for his home country at the Olympics.

Saros recently represented the Finns at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, posting a 4-2 record over six games and a 1.67 goals-against average. Finland finished in seventh place, losing to the United States in the quarterfinal round. 

Saros has tasted gold before when representing Finland, winning the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2014. He lost just one of six games, posting a 1.57 save percentage. 

This is the first time since 2014 that NHL players will be allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics. 

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonas Rondbjerg has been named to Team Denmark's 2026 Olympic roster as one of the first six players.

Each Olympic team is naming their "Olympic Six," and Rondbjerg is the first Golden Knights player to be called to represent their country in Italy.

The 26-year-old has represented Denmark at the World Championships, World Juniors, U-18s and the Olympic Qualifiers, garnering 35 games of experience on the international stage at these events. He represented Denmark at the World Championship for the first time this season, scoring two goals in five games.

Prior to the start of the NHL's 2024-25 regular season, Rondbjerg participated in three qualifiers, scoring a goal as he helped Denmark earn a spot in the Olympics. 

Rondbjerg is a restricted free agent at the moment and in need of a contract. No word has been shared about GM Kelly McCrimmon's desire to re-sign the former 2017 third-round pick, but he's played in 76 NHL games over the years, scoring three goals and 10 points. The Golden Knights had higher expectations for Rondbjerg, but at the very least, he's become a trustworthy forward who understands what his role is when he is called up to the NHL. 

Rondbjerg will be hoping to impress at the tournament and put his name out there for many to see. Named alongside Rondbjerg on Team Denmark are Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers, Tampa Bay Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand, Washington Capitals' Lars Eller, Carolina Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen and defenseman Jesper Jensen Abo.

Denmark has named the first 6 players to its preliminary roster for Milano Cortina 2026.🇩🇰👍#IIHF#Olympics#NHL#NHLPA@dkishockey@olympics@nhl@nhlpapic.twitter.com/1xiFqnGwfb

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025

At the 2025 World Championships, Denmark surprised everyone, earning a spot in the semi-finals after beating Team Canada. They'll hope to replicate their performance as an underdog at the Olympics. 

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Golden Knights' Jonas Rondbjerg Finds Quick Success, Will The Same Occur For William Karlsson At The World ChampionshipFollowing the Vegas Golden Knights' elimination from the playoffs, forwards Jonas Rondbjerg and William Karlsson departed for the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship to represent their countries.

Another former CBJ draft pick has been picked to help run an NHL franchise. 

This time it's former 8th-round (2001) draft pick Ryan Bowness. Bowness has been picked by the new GM for the New York Islanders, and former Blue Jacket Mathieu Darche, to be the  Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel for the Isles. 

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that Ryan Bowness has been named Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 16, 2025

Bowness never played an NHL game, and only played made it as high as the ECHL. 

He's had several front office jobs over the years, including AGM for the Ottawa Senators and GM for their AHL team, the Belleville Sens. He's also worked for the Penguins, Jets, and Thrashers. 

Welcome back to the Metro Division Ryan Bowness. 

Let us know what you think below.

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Blue Jackets Close To Signing Dante Fabbro?Are the Blue Jackets close to signing Dante Fabbro long-term?  Elvis Merzlikins Among First Players Chosen For Latvian Olympic TeamBlue Jackets Goalie was given a big honor today by the Latvian National Team. Columbus Blue Jackets 2025 Draft Target: Carter BearThe 2025 NHL Draft is just 11 days away, and teams around the league are locking in on who they might pick. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, things are a little more interesting this year with two first-round picks: No. 14 and No. 20.

Pastrnak, McAvoy among first players named to 2026 Winter Olympic hockey rosters originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

NHL players will compete in the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina next February, and the first six players for each of the 12 teams were announced Monday.

The full, final rosters will be unveiled during the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season. NHL players have not competed at the Olympics since 2014.

Several Bruins players were selected as part of Monday’s announcements.

Veteran defenseman Charlie McAvoy was among the first six players named to the United States roster, joining Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk. McAvoy played for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-off back in February but was unable to play in the final versus Canada due to an injury suffered in the tournament. That same injury sidelined him for the rest of Boston’s 2024-25 season.

𝐄𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋, 𝐐. 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒, 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐖𝐒, 𝐌𝐜𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐘, 𝐁. 𝐓𝐊𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐊, 𝐌. 𝐓𝐊𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐊

Introducing the first 🇺🇸 six for the #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/dvTRFm2pcg

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) June 16, 2025

Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and center/wing Pavel Zacha were among the first six players named to the Czechia roster. Czechia is a dark-horse gold medal contender in Milan with a lot of really talented NHL players.

Who’s in?👀 Czechia has selected the first 6 names for its Olympic Winter Games preliminary roster.🇨🇿#IIHF#Olympics#NHL#NHLPA@czehockey@olympics@nhl@nhlpapic.twitter.com/zii4b2t2pg

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025

McAvoy, Pastrnak and Zacha were the only Bruins players named in the first six roster spots for each team. However, these are not the full rosters and more Bruins players could be selected to their nation’s squad by the deadline.

For example, Bruins center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Hampus Lindholm should be in the mix for Sweden’s roster. Elias was on Sweden’s 4 Nations Face-off team and played well.

Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman was on the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-off but was third on the depth chart behind starter Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger.

Swayman helped Team USA win its first gold medal at the IIHF World Championships since 1933 last month. He had a 25-save shutout in the title game versus Switzerland, and overall he finished the tournament with a .921 save percentage and a 1.61 GAA.

A strong start to the 2025-26 season for the Bruins would help Swayman make a case to be included on the final USA roster for the Olympics.

Bruins prospect and 2022 draft pick Dans Locmelis also could be in the mix for a spot on Latvia’s Olympic roster.

The preliminary games for the men’s ice hockey tournament in Milan will start Feb. 11. The gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 22.

Anybody who’s been watching the Stanley Cup Final since the start of June will have to admit that the Florida Panthers made one of the best trades of the year when they obtained ultimate pest Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline for a conditional second-round pick at the 2027 draft.

The diminutive forward spent 16 years wearing the Black and Gold, and his departure shook many of the Bruins’ faithful, but given their lack of results this season, it was the right move. Furthermore, since the Panthers won at least two rounds in the playoffs and the veteran has appeared in more than 50% of their games (he started in all 22 games), the conditional second-round pick in 2027 has become a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028.

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That’s not to say Florida isn’t getting its money’s worth. In 22 games so far this postseason, Marchand has scored 10 goals and picked up 10 assists. Six of these goals have come in the Stanley Cup Final, and he now leads all active players in Cup Final goals with 13, and he’s the first and only player to have scored five or more goals in a Cup Final for two different teams.

At 37 years old, he looks like he was dunked in the fountain of youth before the start of the playoffs, and one of his goals in game five was just amazing, leaving even teammate Matthew Tkachuk struggling to find the words.

Matthew Tkachuk's reaction to Brad Marchand's second goal 🤣

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD" pic.twitter.com/87hhoAgUJv

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 15, 2025

When a champion is finally crowned, though, Marchand will be free as a bird and looking for a new stomping ground. His latest eight-year deal carried a $6.125 million cap hit, and he performed consistently throughout it. Some thought the off-season surgery he went through last year would slow him down, but he came back and played 71 games this season, recording 51 points in the process.

The left winger has now played 1,100 games in his career and has 980 points to show for it, along with 1,115 penalty minutes. He’s also collected the fines and suspensions from the Player’s Safety Department, relentlessly flirting with the line through his 16-season career. After becoming the most suspended player in NHL history, he made a conscious effort to clean up his game and was successful, becoming an elite player and a great leader.

His impressive display in the Cup Final no doubt caught the eye of numerous GMs around the NHL, and he should be in for an interesting payday. The Halifax, Nova Scotia native has said at the start of June that he’s not rulling out anything as he approaches free agency, menaning that every team who fancies adding the mix of skill, grit, leadership and experience can feel free to make an offer, meaning teams north of the border are included. Marchand is a proud Canadian who has worn the Maple Leaf proudly on numerous occasions over the years. He was part of the Four Nations Face-Off champion Canadian Team and also won gold for Canada at the 2016 World Championships, playing alongside Canadiens’ alternate captain Brendan Gallagher.

In 58 career games against the Habs, he scored 48 points and recorded 81 penalty minutes. Would it be weird to see Marchard rocking the Sainte-Flanelle? Of course, he had been a hated rival for years around these parts, but that didn’t stop former Montreal Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin from trying to sign power forward Milan Lucic when he became a UFA.

Of course, there’s a possibility that Marchand may like to stay put in Florida, especially if the Panthers do manage to win a second Stanley Cup in a row, but the Cats have got quite a few pending UFAs and they won’t come cheap. Stud defenseman Aaron Ekblad is up for a new contract. His last deal ran for eight years and had a $7.5 million cap hit, and he’ll be looking for a sizeable raise. Uber pest Sam Bennett also needs a new contract, coming off a four-year deal that had a $4.425 million cap hit. While he’s never scored more than 51 points in the regular season, he is indispensable in the playoffs. He plays a gritty game, which sometimes results in casualties, and he has 22 points in as many games. He’ll be looking for a big raise.

In other words, the Panthers might not have the cash to retain Marchand’s services, and if they don’t, should the Canadiens make a pitch? As good as Marchand has been throughout these playoffs and his career, he remains an undersized winger who’s 37 and will soon be hanging up his skates.

If the Canadiens were further along in their rebuilds and had addressed their size issue, he could have been a great complementary piece, but the Canadiens are not there yet. Hughes is more likely to focus his efforts on younger and bigger players, regardless of how good Marchand remains.

Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

---

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The 12 national men's hockey teams competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan all announced the first six players on the roster on Monday.

Here's a look at each squad's first players with reaction.

Team Canada

C: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

C: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

C: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

D: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

C: Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

C: Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning

Canada is looking to win their 10th gold medal at the Olympics and third straight in tournaments that allowed NHL players. As usual, the team is littered with superstars and Stanley Cup Champions. Among the six players, there are eight Cups and counting. 

Reinhart is the only new player from the 4 Nations preliminary roster. Instead of him, it was Marchand who was among the first six players listed.

Team USA

C: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

D: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

D: Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

C: Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

LW: Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators

LW: Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Team USA is looking for revenge after the way the 4 Nations Face-Off final ended, with them losing in overtime. They’ve also had no luck in the Olympics for quite some time. The men's last gold medal in ice hockey at the Olympics was in 1980. The last time they earned a medal at the Olympics was in 2010 when they got silver after Sidney Crosby’s golden goal for Canada.

However, the personnel is different for the U.S. this time around. The roster is filled with all-stars and award-winners like Matthews and Quinn Hughes, along with Cup champions in Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk.

Team Finland

RW: Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars

C: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes

C: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

G: Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

D: Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

D: Esa Lindell, Dallas Stars

Team Finland’s preliminary roster for these upcoming Olympics is identical to the initial roster they listed for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Aside from Saros, all the players on this list played in the conference final of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

The Dallas Stars own the most Finnish players, and not just on this preliminary roster. If Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund are picked later in the year to go to the Olympics, they’ll have a reunion with their teammates from their club.

Team Sweden

RW: William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

LW: Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings

D: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

RW: Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

D: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

LW: Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche

Team Sweden made a few changes to their preliminary roster from the 4 Nations team. One name that stands out is Colorado Avalanche captain, Landeskog. He made a dramatic return to hockey during this past post-season after being sidelined with a severe knee injury for nearly three years. 

Kempe, Raymond and Dahlin weren’t among the first names announced for the 4 Nations tournament. However, all three players featured for Sweden in the tournament last February.

Team Latvia

G: Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets

D: Uvis Balinskis, Florida Panthers

C: Rodrigo Abols, Philadelphia Flyers

G: Arturs Silovs, Vancouver Canucks

C: Teddy Blueger, Vancouver Canucks

C: Zemgus Girgensons, Tampa Bay Lightning

In the 2023 World Championship, Latvia defeated the U.S. in the bronze medal game to earn the first top-three finish in the country’s history. Defenseman Kristians Rubins scored the overtime-winner to seal a 4-3 win over Team USA.

Team Latvia is the only nation that has listed two goaltenders on their preliminary roster. Merzlikins and Silovs have some NHL playoff experience, with Silovs taking the reigns for the Canucks with Thatcher Demko injured. The Latvians will need both of their goaltenders to step up and hold off the elite offenses of the opposition.

Team Italy

D: Luca Zanatta, Pustertal/Val Pusteria (ICEHL)

D: Thomas Larkin, Schwenninger Wild Wings (Ger.)

C: Diego Kostner, HC Ambri-Piotta (Sui.)

C: Daniel Mantenuto, HC Bolzano (ICEHL)

G: Damian Clara, Anaheim Ducks

C: Tommy Purdeller, Pustertal/Val Pusteria (ICEHL)

Team Italy is the host nation and home team as the Winter Games are held in Milan. They have one player on this list who is associated with an NHL team. Goaltender Clara is in the Anaheim Ducks system.

He hasn’t played an NHL game up to this point, but he has made appearances with the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Ducks. Clara played two games for them in this past season, recording a 3.15 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.

Team Czechia

RW: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

C: Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche

C: Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins

D: Radko Gudas, Anaheim Ducks

G: Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks

LW: Ondrej Palat, New Jersey Devils

The Czechs have had success in international tournaments before. Just last year, Team Czechia won gold at the 2024 World Championship. It was a big deal for the nation as fans filled the streets of Prague in celebration.

After they won the tournament, Pastrnak posted a picture of himself with the trophy with a caption that read, “Maybe Four Nation invite now?"

Czechia is more than capable of upsetting some of the big teams in this tournament. They could even be considered a big team themselves skilled players like Necas and Dostal to shut the door in goal.

Team Switzerland

D: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

C: Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils

D: Jonas Siegenthaler, New Jersey Devils

LW: Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils

LW: Kevin Fiala, Los Angeles Kings

RW: Nino Niederreiter, Winnipeg Jets

Team Switzerland is another team capable of upsets. There is plenty of leadership sprinkled around in this team, especially with the captains of the Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils on this team.

It won’t only be on former Norris Trophy winner Josi and former Selke Trophy finalist Hischier to lead this team. Players like Niederreiter and Fiala have the experience and skill with a combined 1,620 regular-season games between them.

Team Germany

C: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

C: Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators

D: Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings

G: Philipp Grubauer, Seattle Kraken

C: Nico Sturm, Florida Panthers

LW: Lukas Reichel, Chicago Blackhawks

Hockey in Germany has grown drastically over the years. When they played in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the roster had a handful of players who had played in the NHL.

Now, the Germans can say they have star players on their team, beginning with Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers center has six 100-point seasons, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, a Rocket Richard Trophy and more.

Don’t forget the supporting cast of the talented Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators and the physical Seider of the Detroit Red Wings, who captained Germany in the 2025 World Championship.

Team Slovakia

D: Martin Fehervary, Washington Capitals

LW: Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal Canadiens

LW: Tomas Tatar, Zug (Sui.)

D: Erik Cernak, Tampa Bay Lightning

D: Simon Nemec, New Jersey Devils

C: Martin Pospisil, Calgary Flames

Slovakia’s preliminary roster has a great mix of veteran and young players. However, these players have one theme seasoned into all of them, and that is grit.

Calgary Flames’ Pospisil leads the way in that aspect of the game. In this past regular season, the center finished the campaign with 301 hits, third in the league. Even the Montreal Canadiens’ Slafkovsky joined Pospisil on the list of top hitters, recording 194 hits.

However, it doesn’t end there, as D-man Fehervary blocked shots consistently for the Washington Capitals this season. He averaged 1.85 blocks per game, totalling 150 over 81 games.

Team Denmark

RW: Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets

G: Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

C: Lars Eller, Washington Capitals

RW: Oliver Bjorkstrand, Tampa Bay Lightning

LW: Jonas Rondbjerg, Vegas Golden Knights

D: Jesper Jensen Abo, EC-KAC (ICEHL)

Denmark’s preliminary roster is highlighted by goaltender Andersen, who is coming off a solid playoff campaign for the Carolina Hurricanes. He led the team to the Eastern Conference final with stellar performances in the first two rounds against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals.

Ehlers and Bjorkstrand are skilled wingers with excellent offensive skill for the Winnipeg Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively. The Danish wingers have had multiple 20-goal seasons in the NHL and will look to bring their best for their nation in February 2026.

Team France

D: Yohann Auvitu, HC Vítkovice (CZE)

C: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, HC Ajoie (Sui.)

D: Jules Boscq, HPK (Fin.)

D: Hugo Gallet, Tappara (Fin.)

RW: Jordann Perret, Mountfield HK (CZE)

LW: Alexandre Texier, St. Louis Blues

France doesn't have as much NHL experience as other squads, but there are some notables.

Auvitu, Bellemare and Texier have made appearances in the NHL. St. Louis Blues’ Texier is the only player who currently plays in the NHL. He scored six goals and 11 points in 31 games this past regular season.

Bellemare played 700 games in the NHL for five teams. He played his final season with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24. Auvitu played 58 NHL games for the Edmonton Oilers and the New Jersey Devils.

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Oilers are on cusp of making the wrong kind of Stanley Cup Final history originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Will the Edmonton Oilers finish as Stanley Cup runners-up again?

Edmonton was pushed to the brink of elimination in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, losing Game 5 at home by a score of 5-2 to the defending champion Florida Panthers. The series now shifts back to Florida for Game 6 on Tuesday, when the Panthers will have the chance to pull off a repeat championship.

The rare Cup Final rematch between Florida and Edmonton has played out much differently than last year, when the Oilers erased a 3-0 series deficit before dropping the decisive Game 7 on the road.

Panthers-Oilers Round 2 has been a back-and-forth battle with three overtime contests in five games. Edmonton took the series opener before Florida responded with two straight victories. The Oilers evened the series in Game 4, but the Panthers pulled back ahead in Game 5.

Now, Connor McDavid and Co. need to win two straight elimination to avoid becoming repeat Stanley Cup runners-up.

Has an NHL team ever lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals?

The Oilers wouldn’t be the first team to suffer Cup Final losses in consecutive seasons.

How many NHL teams have lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals?

Since the start of the expansion era in the 1967-68 season, there have been just two instances of the same team losing at least two Cup Finals in a row.

Who was the last NHL team to lose back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals?

And it’s been nearly 50 years since it last happened. The Boston Bruins lost the 1977 Cup Final to the Montreal Canadiens before suffering the same fate against Montreal in 1978. Boston’s consecutive Cup Final defeats were part of a four-peat for Montreal from 1976-79.

The only other team to record consecutive runner-up finishes is the St. Louis Blues, who were defeated in three straight Cup Finals. St. Louis lost to the Canadiens in 1968and 1969 before falling to the Bruins in 1970. The Blues wouldn’t make it back to the Cup Final until 2019, when they defeated the Bruins for the franchise’s first championship.

USA and other nations reveal first 6 players for 2026 Olympics hockey rosters originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s all starting to come together for the Milan Cortina Olympics.

With NHL players set to return to the Olympics in 2026 for the first time since 2014, national teams across the globe are scrambling to sign up their stars.

USA Hockey confirmed on Monday the first six players who will be on its roster:

• Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
• Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
• Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
• Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
• Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Mike Sullivan of the New York Rangers was previously announced as the coach for the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

Five of those six players competed for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, losing in overtime to Canada in the final. Hughes was set to be on the roster, but he withdrew from the tournament due to injury.

Aside from the U.S., the other 11 countries also revealed the first six players for their rosters. Here’s a look at who will be heading to Italy in February:

CANADA

• Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
• Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
• Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
• Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

FINLAND

• Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
• Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
• Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars
• Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
• Esa Lindell, Dallas Stars
• Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

SWEDEN

• Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
• Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
• Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
• William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
• Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

CZECHIA

• Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche
• Ondrej Palat, New Jersey Devils
• David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
• Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins
• Radko Gudas, Anaheim Ducks
• Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks

SWITZERLAND

• Kevin Fiala, Los Angeles Kings
• Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils
• Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils
• Nino Niederreiter, Winnipeg Jets
• Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
• Jonas Siegenthaler, New Jersey Devils

SLOVAKIA

• Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal Canadiens
• Martin Pospisil, Calgary Flames
• Tomas Tatar
• Erik Cernak, Tampa Bay Lightnings
• Martin Fehervary, Washington Capitals
• Simon Nemec, New Jersey Devils

GERMANY

• Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
• Lukas Reichel, Chicago Blackhawks
• Nico Sturm, Florida Panthers
• Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators
• Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings
• Philipp Grubauer, Seattle Kraken

LATVIA

• Rodrigo Abols, Philadelphia Flyers
• Teddy Blueger, Vancouver Canucks
• Zemgus Girgensons, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Uvis Balinskis, Florida Panthers
• Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
• Arturs Silovs, Vancouver Canucks

DENMARK

• Oliver Bjorkstrand, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
• Lars Eller, Washington Capitals
• Jonas Rondjberg, Vegas Golden Knights
• Jesper Jensen Aabo
• Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

FRANCE

• Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
• Jordann Perret
• Alexandre Texier, St. Louis Blues
• Yohann Auvitu
• Jules Boscq
• Hugo Gallet

ITALY

• Diego Kostner
• Daniel Mantenuto
• Tommy Purdeller
• Luca Zanatta
• Thomas Larkin
• Damian Clara

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stützle has been named to the preliminary roster for Team Germany ahead of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games being co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) announced the first six names on its men's preliminary Olympic roster Monday, in coordination with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Joining Stützle are fellow NHL stars Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, Philipp Grubauer, Lukas Reichel, and Nico Sturm—a high-end core that reflects Germany’s remarkable rise on the international hockey stage.

Stützle, 23, is coming off an excellent year with Ottawa, where he led the Senators in scoring for the second time in three seasons. He put up 24 goals and 79 points, helping the club clinch its first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance since 2017. On top of that, he seems to be finding more of a groove in his two-way play.

Barring injury, Stützle is a lock for Germany’s final roster, which will be determined by the German National Olympic Committee (NOC). 

This tournament will mark the first true best-on-best Olympic men’s hockey competition since Sochi 2014, as NHL players return to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade. 

While Germany's top six, headlined by Draisaitl, Stützle, and Seider, can compete with anyone, the drop-off in depth beyond that group is swift and fierce when compared to powerhouses like Canada and the USA. 

But Germany can be a dangerous in any given game if their role players and younger talents can rise to the occasion. The Germans won silver at the games in PyeongChang in 2018 in the first of two tournaments that were completely void of active NHL players.

The men's tournament will take place from February 11 to 22, 2026, across two venues: the Milano SantaGiulia Ice Hockey Arena (14,000 capacity) and the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena (5,700 capacity).

All 12 qualified teams have been divided into three groups of four:

• Group A: Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, France
• Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy (host)
• Group C: United States, Germany, Latvia, Denmark

Stutzle and company will face a tough path in Group C, including a monster opponent in the United States. Latvia is always sneaky good with loud fans who travel well. And Denmark just eliminated an NHL star laden Canadian team at this year’s Worlds.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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The Colorado Avalanche already have two represented players in next year's Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy.

The IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation began announcing preliminary rosters (six players) for the 12 qualified countries participating in next year's Winter Games on Monday morning. At the time of this article's publication, Team Canada's first six have not yet been announced.

Team Sweden - Gabriel Landeskog

Sweden's Olympic Winter Games preliminary roster is taking shape with the first 6 names announced.🇸🇪💪#IIHF#Olympics#NHL#NHLPA@trekronorse@olympics@nhl@nhlpapic.twitter.com/ocidNPtM1X

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has made the preliminary roster for Team Sweden.

Landeskog made his professional return to the NHL on April 23rd after over 1,000 days of rehabilitation of a knee injury suffered in the team's 2022 Stanley Cup run.

In five games played in this most recent postseason, the Stockholm, Sweden native posted 4 points (1 goal/3 assists).

Team Czechia - Martin Necas

Who’s in?👀 Czechia has selected the first 6 names for its Olympic Winter Games preliminary roster.🇨🇿#IIHF#Olympics#NHL#NHLPA@czehockey@olympics@nhl@nhlpapic.twitter.com/zii4b2t2pg

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025

Martin Necas, traded to the Avalanche this past January, has been named one of the first six players to Team Czechia's ice hockey roster. 

Necas posted a career high in points this past season between his time with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Avalanche, tallying 83 points (27 goals/56 assists) in 79 GP.

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Entering the Stanley Cup Final, there was an expectation that a future Hall of Fame player would put on a show worthy of being labeled one of the best the NHL has seen during his career.

We just thought it would be someone else.

There is no arguing that Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid possesses a combination of talents that put him in a class all his own.

That’s why there was a bit of an expectation that he would stand out during the championship series for all the right reasons.

Now while McDavid has quite good during the Final, racking up a goal and six assists so far in the five games against Florida, he hasn’t exactly taken the series over or blown anyone away with his otherworldly skills.

Instead, the player who has captured everyone’s attention and basically grabbed the NHL by the shirt collar and said “Hey, remember me?!” is Panthers forward Brad Marchand.

“It’s just him, that's how he is,” said Florida center Anton Lundell. “He really has this passion, you could see (in Game 5), he decided he wanted to go out there and be the difference maker, and he did that.”

He sure did.

Marchand hit the ice for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton on Saturday and stole the show, scoring a pair of highlight-reel goals, one of which stood up as the game-winner, while helping Florida to a resounding 5-2 victory that placed them one victory away from winning the Stanley Cup.

“It’s those big moments when you need guys to step up,” said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. “Time and time again, he’s there to produce.”

And produce he has.

So far during the playoffs, Marchand has racked up 10 goals and 20 points through Florida’s 22 postseason games.

Of those 10 goals, six of them have been scored during the Stanley Cup Final.

“He's very gifted offensively,” said Lundell.

Marchand’s contributions to the Panthers go well beyond just the scoresheet, though.

According to his new head coach, Marchand is also a source of constant positive energy and feedback for his teammates.

Whether in the locker room, at the practice rink or on the bench during games, Marchand is constantly talking to his fellow Cats, pumping them full of good vibes and hockey knowledge.

“He does everything, he's a guy that that we follow,” said Panthers forward Sam Bennett. “He's a natural leader, he speaks up when he needs to speak, and he goes out there and does the hard work that is inspiring for guys. We all look up to him and look to him to lead, and he's done a fantastic job.”

It’s not like the skills and veteran savvy that the 37-year-old Marchand possesses come as any big surprise.

He’s been one of the best in the game throughout his career, but now that the Panthers are seeing all the little details up close, they are getting an even better perspective on what makes him so special.

“The thing about players, when they come in, is you have a really strong idea (about them), you do all your pre-scout, you get it, and then you get on the ice with them in practice, and hat's when you learn,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I said this right from the start, clearly, he’s closing in on 1,000 points, he’s got good hands, but I didn't fully appreciate a small area things that he can do, and that's the most difficult to do. It's not the rink-wide pass on the tape that you get excited about, but what he can do under duress in a small area is world class, it’s as good as I've seen.”

As we enter the home stretch of the Final, it's interesting to remember that it wasn’t Marchand we were expecting this kind of in-your-face production from. It was McDavid.

But alas, the most recent, crucial game in the Stanley Cup Final, which was played in Edmonton, did not see anyone in an Oilers sweater stealing the show.

Nope.

It was Marchand scoring a pair of eye-popping goals while helping his Panthers reach within one win of a Stanley Cup Championship.

“Those are the goals you look on YouTube when you’re a kid and try to go out and practice yourself,” said Lundell. “We’re all pretty amazed by him.”

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Photo caption: Jun 4, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) reacts after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

The Charlotte Checkers have tied the Calder Cup Finals 1-1 after an overtime winner from defenseman Mike Benning in Game 2. 

The Abbotsford Canucks took Game 1 in double overtime after a bizarre disallowed own goal that kept them in the game. 

John Leonard continued his fantastic play by opening the scoring, his team leading seventh goal and 11th point of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Sammy Blais was everywhere for the Canucks, evening up the score just over a minute later while simultaneously taking a goalie interference penalty. 

OT WINNER WINNER BOJANGLES DINNER‼️@CheckersHockey | #CLTvsABB | #CalderCuppic.twitter.com/RqRvbDRRa4

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) June 15, 2025

Wilmer Skoog notched his fourth of the playoffs midway through the first on the powerplay before Linus Karlsson scored his playoff leading 10th goal with the man advantage to tie the game 2-2 at the end of the first. 

Charlotte dominated the second and third period but could not beat Arturs Silovs. Their forecheck proved difficult for Abbotsford and they forced constant turnovers in the Canucks' end. 

Benning ultimately ripped a puck by Silovs on a powerplay after Chase Wouters took a tripping penalty four minutes into overtime. 

The relentless forecheck producing results and scoring two powerplay goals is a good sign for the Checkers who had trouble converting earlier in the playoffs. 

Charlotte outshot Abbotsford 42-13. 

Silovs was once again dominant for Abbotsford, making 39 saves. 

Blais and Karlsson were among the only Canucks to look dangerous and will need to continue to drive the bus offensively.

There was lots of chippy play throughout the game with 13 different players taking minor penalties, it will be interesting to see how the physicality develops in Game 3. 

Game 3 goes Tuesday June 17 at 4pm EST/7pm PT in Abbotsford. 

The full Calder Cup Playoffs bracket and schedule can be seen here. 

Check out The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers team sites for more updates on the series. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.  

Photo Credit: © Kris Craig/The Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators announced on Sunday that they've signed defenceman Lassi Thomson to a one-year, two-way contract for the coming season. The deal carries an average annual value of $775,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL.

Thomson is still just 24 and was originally selected by Ottawa in the first round (19th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. That was a pick that was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Matt Duchene trade, so Thomson's return injects some life into Duchene's fallen trade tree.

Thomson spent the 2024-25 season with the Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), where he put up 17 goals and 29 points in 50 games. But he continued to be an RFA on this side of the pond and the Sens retained his NHL rights. It would be fabulous for the club if the year away helped Thomson restore some of that first-round swagger.

The Finnish defenceman has only appeared in 18 career games with the Senators, recording five assists. He was briefly claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks on October 1, 2023, before being reclaimed by Ottawa just over a week later on October 9.

Thomson has also logged some big miles with the AHL's Belleville Senators, putting up 24 goals and 93 points over 202 career games. He continues to be viewed by the organization as a decent two-way defender, and his signing offers the club some insurance heading into training camp, particularly with veteran defenceman Nick Jensen recovering from hip surgery last month.

While the nature of Jensen’s hip surgery has not been disclosed, though the team remains optimistic he’ll be ready to start the season. Nikolas Matinpalo is already pencilled in as the club's third-pairing right defenceman, a projection further enhanced by his recent two-year, one-way contract signing.

Thomson's return, along with Carter Yakemchuk's graduation to the pro ranks, simply gives the organization some added depth. It also allows the team to take a measured approach with the highly-touted Yakemchuk. The best in class formula will probably guide them to a decision to leave Yakemchuk in the minors, at least to start the year. 

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

The Buffalo Sabres are entering the 2025 off-season as one of the key NHL teams to watch. As they try to re-jig the roster with the goal of ending their 14-year streak with no playoff appearances, the Sabres are highly-motivated to make a splash. But what are they likely to do on the trade front -- and what teams are out there that could be a trade partner? That's the focus of this new series on THN.com's Sabres site. 

We began the series with a look at the Utah Mammoth. And today, we're turning our attention to one of the most active teams on the trade front last season -- the Colorado Avalanche:

TEAM: Colorado Avalanche

CAP SPACE: $1.2 million

FREE AGENTS:  Jonathan Drouin, LW; Jimmy Vesey, LW; Joel Kirviranta, LW; Erik Johnson, D; Ryan Lindgren, D; Tucker Poolman, D; Sam Malinski, D (RFA)

NEEDS: Offensive help, strength on the wing

SABRES FIT? Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland was a mad wizard of sorts this season, completely making over his goaltending, and shocking the NHL with the trade of star right winger Mikko Rantanen. But while the deal gave a terrific jolt to the Avs in the regular season, they didn't have playoff success, losing to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's simply not acceptable to a franchise with an extremely high-set competitive bar, so we expect the Avs will once again be a team that makes significant moves this summer.

Thus, it shouldn't be surprising that rumors are bubbling up concerning Avalanche forward Martin Necas -- the main part of the package MacFarland got from the Carolina Hurricanes in the first Rantanen trade. Speculation is that Necas isn't particularly pleased with the way he was used in Denver, and he'd be looking to explore other options.

Necas still has a year left on his contract at $6.5 million per season, but the key part here is that he doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection in his contract. And that's where the Sabres come into play. Buffalo could deal for Necas, employ him for the 2025-26 season, and see what happens at that point. And really, if Necas is looking to maximize his earnings, the Sabres could do that for him.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Utah MammothThis is the first file in what will be an ongoing series on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site. In these files, we're going to identify a number of teams the Sabres could be making a trade with this summer, and we'll be picking out specific players who could be trade targets for Buffalo.

Now, would Buffalo probably have to overpay Necas to stay long-term? Absolutely. But that's true of most players, given how much the Sabres have struggled for the past decade-and-a-half. You're not going to have many veterans of Necas' caliber giving Buffalo some type of hometown discount. But if you make the winning bid, and money is really what a top UFA is looking for, Buffalo can and should be the team that makes the most lucrative offer.

What would it take to acquire Necas? Probably winger J.J. Peterka, an RFA also looking for a significant raise. Something tells us Peterka would love the opportunity to play alongside Avs superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. And Colorado would make this deal knowing they'd open up a good deal of salary cap space that allows them to make other moves this off-season. Peterka made only $855,834 this year, and while we still think the Sabres should try to keep him, moving the 23-year-old to Colorado in a deal for Necas would give Buffalo a dynamic offensive force, and the Avalanche would get a player who could get a healthy raise and still be paid far less than Necas is earning next season.

In acquiring Necas, the Sabres would bring in someone determined to play well in a contract year, and given that Necas is still only 26 years old, he's still entering his prime. Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams should be taking big swings on the trade front, and landing Necas would certainly be a move that tells Sabres players the team intends to be a high-octane offensive group. 

Is Peterka In Position For An Offer Sheet?Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has a lot of balls in the air as the NHL Draft and July 1st approach. The Sabres have the ninth overall pick later this month, they are reportedly fielding offers for RFA defenseman Bowen Byram, and also have to deal with the contractual situation of winger JJ Peterka. Adams at the end-of-season media availability indicated that the Sabres hope to sign Peterka to an extension this summer, but rumors persist that the 23-year-old may prefer to play elsewhere, which prompted Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff to place the young German forward as one of his top-five offer sheet candidates.

A Necas/Peterka trade works for both sides. The Avs would get a youngster who could easily break the 30-goal mark as part of their elite offense, and not cost them as much as they were paying Necas. The Sabres, on the other hand, would add a veteran with something to prove, and money to aim for. The deal could pay dividends for each team, and those are the type of moves  that get consummated.

Even if Buffalo had to add a mid-tier draft pick to satisfy Colorado, it would be worth it for the Sabres. They've got enough draft assets and young players to turn to after dealing Peterka. They could use a top-tier offense creator to play with proven veterans like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, and Necas would certainly help in that regard.

In any case, we expect the Avalanche and Sabres to be notable movers-and-shakers in terms of trades this summer. They've got a potential match here, and we can definitely see a scenario in which Necas becomes a Sabre, and Peterka becomes an Av. Let's see if Adams and MacFarland can make it happen.