Which Dallas Stars players are representing their countries at the 2026 Winter Olympics? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Seven Dallas Stars players are competing in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with more than half on the same team. Men’s ice hockey begins on Wednesday with the preliminary round. Finland and Slovakia compete first, with four Stars suiting up for Finland. Since the Finnish team won gold last year, it has retooled its roster, featuring some players who already have strong connections on the ice.

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Dallas Stars set to shine in 2026 Winter Olympics.

Miro Heiskanen is the only Finnish Star who has competed in the Olympics before. He competed in the 2018 games in PyeongChang, where his team finished in sixth place, and is now projected as a first-line defenseman. Mikko Rantanen, playing as a forward for Finland, has been named an alternate captain. He has tallied 20 goals and 49 assists in 54 games with the Stars this year and will enter his first Olympics as a key offensive presence and team leader.

Roope Hintz is expected to serve as a first-line forward alongside Rantanen and captain Mikael Granlund. This marks Hintz’s Olympic debut, and he will likely leverage his Dallas experience and chemistry to help navigate top-line matchups and support Finland’s medal defense.

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Defenseman Esa Lindell looks to help bring Finland another medal in his first go-around in the games. He is projected to be a first-line player, pairing up with his Dallas teammate Heiskanen. Their experience on the ice together should help this team form a tight, like-minded defensive unit.

One more Star will be on Olympic ice for a European country. Radek Faksa will be competing for the Czech Republic. The penalty kill and face-off specialist will likely be on the last line for his team, but he still brings his set of skills that can prove useful if the Czech Republic wants to improve on their ninth-place finish from the previous games.

Thomas Harley will represent Team Canada, likely on the third defensive line, in his first Olympic Games. Jake Oettinger, who has a .897 save percentage and 23 wins in 37 games this season, likely won’t start for the United States but remains an important depth piece.

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