Several countries including Czechia, Denmark and Switzerland have announced their rosters for the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The lineups feature prominent NHL players eager to compete on the international stage. Victor Hedman of Sweden also shared positive updates on his recovery ahead of the event.
The Czech Ice Hockey Federation revealed its roster on January 6, 2026, highlighting forwards David Pastrňák of the Boston Bruins and Martin Nečas of the Colorado Avalanche, along with goaltender Dan Vladař of the Philadelphia Flyers. Pastrňák, who led the 2025 World Championship in scoring with 15 points, will make his Olympic debut, while Nečas brings experience from Czechia's 2024 gold-medal World Championship win. Czech general manager Jiří Šlégr emphasized the value of 19 players from that Prague triumph, stating, "It sometimes takes time to find a way to win, and when you find it, you gain confidence that you can carry over to other tournaments."
Denmark followed with its announcement on January 8, led by forwards Lars Eller of the Ottawa Senators and Nikolaj Ehlers of the Carolina Hurricanes, plus goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Mads Søgaard. Eller described the opportunity as a new experience, noting, "I've played a lot of NHL over the years... but I've never really played on a national team, best on best." The team, in Group C, opens against Germany on February 12. Six AHL players were added to Denmark and Germany's squads, including Søgaard for Denmark and Lukas Reichel for Germany.
Switzerland named Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid to its roster on January 7, marking his first Olympics. Schmid has posted an 11-4-5 record with a .894 save percentage this season. Meanwhile, Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, recovering from elbow surgery, assured fans of his readiness, saying to Expressen, "I am sure I will be in good form to OS." He has maintained skating throughout rehab and aims for gold, maintaining close contact with team leaders like Josef Boumedienne.
These rosters mark the first time NHL players will participate for some nations, setting the stage for a competitive tournament from February 12-22.
