The return of ice hockey’s biggest stars to the Winter Games could spark a renaissance for the sport on the global stage, as gold-medal favorites United States and Canada handpicked top NHL talent for the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
The National Hockey League has not permitted its athletes to participate in the Games since 2014, putting a damper on the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament, as the world’s best players were forced to stay home in 2018 and 2022.
This year, however, celebrity sheen and extraordinary talent return to the Olympic ice hockey tournament as Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes will lead the 25-man U.S. team, while Canada’s squad includes Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.