With NHL players returning to the Olympics in 2026, and with a best-on-best international tournament taking place this February, the 2024-25 NHL season will set the early stage for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Last February, the NHL, NHLPA and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced a preliminary agreement for NHL players to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Here’s a look at key Olympic storylines and players to watch during the NHL season:
2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament: Which teams are qualified?
The 12-team Olympic men’s hockey field is nearly set. All that’s left to decide is whether Russia will be part of it. Russia has been banned from international hockey since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But it has a provisional place in the Olympic field if the ban gets lifted. The IIHF has not set a deadline for a final decision on Russia’s Olympic spot. If Russia remains banned, France will move into the Olympic field.
2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey groups:
Group A: Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy
Group B: Finland, Germany, Czechia, Denmark
Group C: Russia (if suspension is lifted), U.S., Slovakia, Latvia
Groups if Russia’s suspension is not lifted:
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: U.S., Germany, Latvia, Denmark
USA Olympic men’s hockey roster outlook
The U.S. men haven’t won Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. But they boast 2023-24 NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews, Norris Trophy (best defenseman) winner Quinn Hughes and Vezina Trophy (best goaltender) winner Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the strongest group of goalies in the world.
Matthews and Hughes were among the first six skaters named to the U.S. roster for next February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, along with defensemen Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy and forwards Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. National federations like USA Hockey pick the rosters for both the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics. So the final 23-man team for 4 Nations — announced between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 — could be an early blueprint for the 25-man Olympic team in 2026.
Players to watch in 2024-25: Luke Hughes, Patrick Kane
Hughes’ older brothers, Quinn and Jack, are already NHL All-Stars and in strong early position to make Team USA. Luke, a 21-year-old New Jersey Devils defenseman, made the NHL All-Rookie team last season. The brothers share the EA Sports NHL 25 cover. If they all…