The wait is finally over.

After 12 years and multiple hurdles, NHL players are set to return to the ice at the Winter Olympics in Milan today.

Nearly 150 total players from all 32 NHL teams will be taking part. Who are the most interesting names to watch? What are the biggest storylines for each team’s fan base at the Games?

The Athletic asked the NHL staff, and here’s what they said.

Please note: Players who were not on the NHL roster for their team’s final game before the Olympic break were not included in this list.  

Anaheim Ducks

Lukáš Dostál, G (CZE)
Mikael Granlund, F (FIN)
Radko Gudas, D (CZE)
Jackson LaCombe, D (USA)

It will be interesting to see if LaCombe manages to crack a talented United States blue line after making the roster as an injury replacement for Seth Jones. But while the experienced Granlund and Gudas will play important minutes for their countries, the eyes should be on Dostál, as he could be the key to medal hopes for the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia. When the 25-year-old goalie is at his best, he has the ability to steal a game. In international play, Dostál is coming off winning gold in the 2025 World Championship. — Eric Stephens

Boston Bruins

Henri Jokiharju, D (FIN)
Joonas Korpisalo, G (FIN)
Elias Lindholm, F (SWE)
Hampus Lindholm, D (SWE)
Charlie McAvoy, D (USA)
David Pastrnak, F (CZE)
Jeremy Swayman, G (USA)

Could Swayman be the starting goalie for Team USA? He was the No. 3 at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, behind Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger, but he is leading both of his Olympic teammates in goals saved above expectation this season. — Fluto Shinzawa

Buffalo Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin, D (SWE)
Tage Thompson, F (USA)

Thompson is making his first trip to the Olympics and was one of the players who cracked Team USA after getting left off the 4 Nations roster. His gold medal goal at the World Championship likely helped his case. These will be the biggest games of Thompson’s career, and it should be valuable experience for when he returns to Buffalo for the Sabres’ playoff push after the break. — Matthew Fairburn

Calgary Flames

Martin Pospisil, F (SVK)

After battling a concussion for much of the year, seeing Pospisil represent Slovakia at the Games will be a win in itself. When he’s healthy, he can play physically and contribute offense. He’ll be leaned upon for that for an underdog Slovakian team that will rub shoulders with giants at this tournament. In an alternate world, Calgary would have two Swedes at the Games. But captain Mikael Backlund was snubbed and Rasmus Andersson is now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. — Julian McKenzie

Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho, F (FIN)
Frederik Andersen, G (DEN)
Nikolaj Ehlers, F (DEN)
Seth Jarvis, F (CAN)
Jaccob Slavin, D (USA)

The Hurricanes have five players in the Olympic tournament, and while Denmark’s top two players (Andersen and Ehlers) are both on loan from Carolina, it’s the other three who will draw the most attention. Team USA’s Slavin, Finland’s Aho and Canada’s Jarvis should all be in medal contention. Both Slavin and Aho will play key roles for their teams, and Jarvis’ late addition adds two-way acumen to Canada’s bottom six. — Cory Lavalette

Chicago Blackhawks

Teuvo Teräväinen, F (FIN)

Teräväinen is the lone Blackhawks player representative at the Olympics. Although now in his 30s, Teräväinen remains one of Finland’s premier playmakers. He is expected to be utilized in a top-six role and on the power play. His vision and passing ability are still at a high level. With Finland, he’ll have a chance to be reunited with his former Carolina Hurricanes teammate Sebastian Aho. As with the Blackhawks, Finland will probably want Teräväinen to shoot more than he does. — Scott Powers

Colorado Avalanche

Joel Kiviranta, F (FIN)
Gabriel Landeskog, F (SWE)
Artturi Lehkonen, F (FIN)
Nathan MacKinnon, F (CAN)
Cale Makar, D (CAN)
Martin Necas, F (CZE)
Brock Nelson, F (USA)
Devon Toews, D (CAN)

There are plenty of great storylines surrounding the players Colorado is sending to the Olympics, but my favorite is the underdog potential of the Czechs, and the role Necas would need to play for it to come to fruition. Czechia doesn’t have the depth of Canada and the U.S., but they have high-end scoring talent and excellent goaltending, both of which can turn the tide in a short tournament like this. If Necas shines, the Czechs will be dangerous. — Jesse Granger

Columbus Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins, G (LAT)
Zach Werenski, D (USA)

Werenski’s status soared after last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off, and that type of international exposure helped him finish second in Norris Trophy voting. This is an even bigger stage for Team USA’s 28-year-old, who currently ranks second among NHL defensemen in goals (20) and points (62). It will be interesting to see what role Merzļikins carves out with Latvia, as Pittsburgh’s Artūrs Šilovs is also on the roster. — Aaron Portline

Dallas Stars

Radek Faksa, F (CZE)
Thomas Harley, D (CAN)
Miro Heiskanen, D (FIN)
Roope Hintz, F (FIN)
Esa Lindell, D (FIN)
Jake Oettinger, G (USA)
Mikko Rantanen, F (FIN)

Faksa is one of the few Czechs who weren’t on the 2024 World Championship gold medalist team. Faksa will be a valuable penalty killer and defensive forward for a team with real medal aspirations. Harley earned Canada’s trust as a late injury replacement at 4 Nations and will be part of a dynamic back end for the gold favorites. Heiskanen is one of the best all-around defensemen in the league and will log heavy minutes in Finland’s suffocating defensive system. With Aleksander Barkov out, Hintz could be Finland’s No. 1 center. Lindell is yet another member of Dallas’ so-called Finnish Mafia; he could pair with Heiskanen on the top pairing. It’s Connor Hellebuyck’s job to lose in net, but Oettinger is as good a backup as there is in this tournament, capable of stepping in at any time. — Mark Lazerus

Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin, F (USA)
Lucas Raymond, F (SWE)
Moritz Seider, D (GER)

Larkin was one of the breakout stories at the 4 Nations. He was a difference-maker for the U.S. against Canada, and they will need him to be again. But while his role on a top-level contender will put him perhaps most in the spotlight for American viewers, Raymond and Seider will play perhaps even larger roles for their teams, with Raymond one of Sweden’s most important offensive creators and Seider expected to shoulder a massive workload for Germany. — Max Bultman

Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl, F (GER)
Connor McDavid, F (CAN)
Josh Samanski, F (GER)

For Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the 2026 Olympic Games offer a unique opportunity to add to their career accomplishments. The NHL’s 12-year hiatus from the games had a major impact on the generation of talents who entered the NHL after 2014. Both men have competed for their countries internationally, but nothing close to Olympic level. Both will build on substantial legacies. Draisaitl will be Germany’s flag bearer for the games, and will be joined by Oilers rookie Josh Samanski. — Allan Mitchell

Florida Panthers

Uvis Balinskis, D (LAT)
Sam Bennett, F (CAN)
Gustav Forsling, D (SWE)
Anton Lundell, F, (FIN)
Eetu Luostarinen, F (FIN)
Niko Mikkola, D (FIN)
Brad Marchand, F (CAN)
Sam Reinhart, F (CAN)
Matthew Tkachuk, F (USA)
Sandis Vilmanis, F (LAT)

With 10 players, the two-time defending Cup champs have the NHL’s largest Olympic contingent now that Bennett has been added for Team Canada. Florida has a ton of representation among the medal favorites, too, with three star Canadian forwards wearing the Maple Leaf, Matthew Tkachuk as a top threat for Team USA and Gustav Forsling logging huge minutes on Sweden’s blue line. Add in three Finns and two Latvians, and the Panthers boast a veritable United Nations of players at the Games. — James Mirtle

Los Angeles Kings

Joel Armia, F (FIN)
Drew Doughty, D (CAN)
Kevin Fiala, F (SUI)
Adrian Kempe, F (SWE)
Darcy Kuemper, G (CAN)

With Kuemper getting his first Olympic shot and Doughty in his final shot, those are nice stories for fans following the aging veterans, but it’s unlikely that both will play a significant role. Armia and Fiala should be integral pieces to their teams’ efforts. But if we’re looking at someone who could be a featured performer on a gold medal contender, it’s Kempe. A great skater with a terrific shot that can play two-way hockey, Kempe showed in last year’s 4 Nations that he can be a factor for Sweden. — Eric Stephens

Minnesota Wild

Matt Boldy, F (USA)
Joel Eriksson Ek, F (SWE)
Brock Faber, D (USA)
Filip Gustavsson, G (SWE)
Quinn Hughes, D (USA)
Marcus Johansson, F (SWE)
Nico Sturm, F (GER)
Jesper Wallstedt, G (SWE)

Boldy has been a major driver for the Wild this season, forming a dynamic duo with Kirill Kaprizov. And he’s coming into the Olympics hot, having racked up a hat trick against Nashville in the Wild’s last game before the break. His 32 goals are tied with Kaprizov and three other players for third in the NHL at the break. He has also been an X-factor on the penalty kill, which is a bonus. — Joe Smith

Montreal Canadiens

Oliver Kapanen, F (FIN)
Juraj Slafkovský, F (SVK)
Nick Suzuki, F (CAN)
Alexandre Texier, F (FRA)

Most eyes will be on Canada’s Suzuki, but the Canadiens’ player to watch is Slafkovský for Slovakia. He is one of his country’s most famous athletes — alongside Olympic slalom ski champion Petra Vlhová — and Slovak hockey fans have anticipated this moment since Slafkovský was 15. His MVP performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics vaulted him to the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Where might this performance vault him next? — Arpon Basu

Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg, F (SWE)
Erik Haula, F (FIN)
Roman Josi, D (SUI)
Juuse Saros, G (FIN)

Josi is the lone Pred making his second Olympic appearance, while the other three are debuting. The greatest Swiss player of all time, Josi will be critical to his team’s chances of surprising. Finland is hoping Saros goes on a heater and plays better than he has this season in Nashville, while Haula will contribute. Forsberg will be central to Sweden’s offensive attack. — Joe Rexrode

New Jersey Devils

Jesper Bratt, F (SWE)
Nico Hischier, F (SUI)
Jack Hughes, F (USA)
Jacob Markström, G (SWE)
Timo Meier, F (SUI)
Å imon Nemec, D (SVK)
Jonas Siegenthaler, D (SUI)

The Devils’ Swiss players have had success at the world championships — each has a pair of silvers on their resume — and will now have a chance to threaten for a medal on the Olympic stage. Hughes should be good to go for the Olympics after dealing with a lower-body injury. Bratt and Markström should contend for the podium with Sweden. Nemec has an Olympic bronze from 2022, but the Slovakians have a harder path with NHL players back at the tournament. — Peter Baugh

New York Islanders

Bo Horvat, F (CAN)
Ondrej Palat, F (CZE)

The Islanders are sending two players to the Olympics: Horvat and Palat. Horvat getting named to Team Canada sparked some conversation because there were some noteworthy center snubs, such as Mark Scheifele and Connor Bedard. But his excellent start to the season, play-driving and versatility earned him a spot here. Palat, on the other hand, has the chance to show he still has those playoff chops that earned him hype in Tampa Bay for Czechia. — Shayna Goldman

New York Rangers

J.T. Miller, F (USA)
Vincent Trocheck, F (USA)
Mika Zibanejad, F (SWE)

Miller and Trocheck are likely to assume bottom-six roles with Team USA. It’s not a guarantee they’ll both be in the lineup every night. Trocheck could be a scratch at points, though his ability to win faceoffs and play on the penalty kill might lead to Mike Sullivan playing him. Zibanejad, meanwhile, will be a mainstay in the Swedish lineup, barring injury. Though the Rangers have disappointed, he’s had a strong season and will look to continue that in Milan. — Peter Baugh

Ottawa Senators

Lars Eller, F (DEN)
Nikolas Matinpalo, D (FIN)
Jake Sanderson, D (USA)
Mads Sogaard, G (DEN)
Tim Stützle, F (GER)
Brady Tkachuk, F (USA)

Eller and Sogaard for Denmark and Matinpalo for Finland could be nice stories. Tim Stützle teaming up with friend Leon Draisaitl will also be noteworthy. But the spotlight will shine brightest on Team USA with Brady Tkachuk and Sanderson at the forefront. Tkachuk has craved high-level games, while Sanderson continues to impress and improve at every level he plays. If the U.S. wins gold, both players figure to be part of the reason why. — Julian McKenzie

Philadelphia Flyers

Rasmus Ristolainen, D (FIN)
Travis Sanheim, D (CAN)
Dan Vladar, G (CZE)

Sanheim made a nice account of himself at the 4 Nations, steadily working his way up the lineup. Ristolainen — lately Sanheim’s partner on the Flyers’ top defense pair — missed the first two months of the season and has been injury-plagued the last few years, so the Flyers may simply be hoping he makes it out of the tournament in one piece. It’s uncertain whether Vladar will be the starter for Czechia — Dostál was one of their first players named, but Vladar has better numbers. — Kevin Kurz

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, F (CAN)
Erik Karlsson, D (SWE)
Rickard Rakell, F (SWE)
Artūrs Šilovs, G (LAT)

Karlsson and Rakell will represent Team Sweden, and Šilovs will be a goaltender for Team Latvia. One member of the Penguins, however, will be in the spotlight more than perhaps anyone else in the tournament. Captain Crosby has also been the captain of Team Canada for more than 12 years. There is pressure and attention on him, which is nothing new. — Josh Yohe

San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini, F (CAN)
Philipp Kurashev, F (SUI)
Pavol Regenda, F (SVK)
Alexander Wennberg, F (SWE)

After a rookie season good enough for a third-place Calder Trophy finish, Celebrini has taken off like a rocket in Year 2. At only 19, the North Vancouver native has carried the Sharks and forced his way onto a stacked Canada roster with a monster season. Can you imagine if he has a pivotal game-changing moment on this massive Olympic stage? Tracking his role as the tournament progresses and how he does with the minutes he gets will be one of the storylines in Milan that’s worth watching. — Eric Stephens

Seattle Kraken

Oscar Fisker Molgaard, F (DEN)
Philipp Grubauer, G (GER)
Kaapo Kakko, F (FIN)
Eeli Tolvanen, F (FIN)

Grubauer has enjoyed a huge bounce-back for the Kraken this season, and has an opportunity to keep it going for a spoiler Germany team that has a shot to pull off a significant upset (or two) at this tournament. Kakko and Tolvanen should play depth roles for a Finnish team that, even if they’re dealing with some key injuries, is always a significant medal threat at the Olympic tournament. — Thomas Drance

St. Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington, G (CAN)
Philip Broberg, D (SWE)
Dalibor Dvorsky, F (SVK)
Colton Parayko, D (CAN)
Pius Suter, F (SUI)

The Blues have five players at the Olympics and one — Jordan Binnington — is undoubtedly a hot topic. He made some eye-popping, game-saving stops for Canada in last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. But with an 8-17-6 record and a career-low .864 save percentage for the Blues this season, the country’s hockey fans aren’t excited about Binnington being in the crease again for the Canadians. So he’ll be out to prove himself again. — Jeremy Rutherford

Tampa Bay Lightning

Oliver Bjorkstrand, F (DEN)
Erik Cernak, D (SVK)
Zemgus Girgensons, F (LAT)
Jake Guentzel, F (USA)
Brandon Hagel, F (CAN)
Victor Hedman, D (SWE)
Pontus Holmberg, F (SWE)
J.J. Moser, D (SUI)

The Lightning originally had a league-high 10 reps going to the Olympics, but injuries will hold both Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point out of action. Brandon Hagel will be the lone Team Canada skater for Tampa, and he could make a stronger name for himself internationally after his 4 Nations play. Victor Hedman’s always one to watch for Sweden. Jake Guentzel is too for USA as his offense will be key for a team that snubbed so many high-octane scorers. — Shayna Goldman

Each of 32 NHL teams has at least one representative for the Milan Cortina Games. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Toronto Maple Leafs

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D (SWE)
William Nylander, F (SWE)
Auston Matthews, F (USA)

The Leafs have two players expected to lead their team to a medal. They have different experiences doing so: William Nylander constantly hits a high gear for Sweden, winning MVP and a gold medal at the 2017 worlds. Auston Matthews, however, has never won a gold for USA or been consistently dominant after the Under-18 level. Matthews is captain and can be one of the world’s best goal scorers. Doing so internationally will bolster his resume. Oliver Ekman-Larsson also joins Sweden in a depth role. — Joshua Kloke

Utah Mammoth

Clayton Keller, F (USA)
Olli Maatta, D (FIN)
JJ Peterka, F (GER)
Karel Vejmelka, G (CZE)

Keller and Tage Thompson were the only new forwards the USA added to its roster compared to the 4 Nations tournament. Keller was phenomenal for the Americans at the World Championships last summer, scoring 10 points in 10 games and captaining his country to gold for the first time in 92 years. It will be fascinating to see whether he can earn top-six minutes. — Harman Dayal

Vancouver Canucks

Teddy Blueger, F (LAT)
Filip Hronek, D (CZE)
David Kämpf, F (CZE)
Kevin Lankinen, G (FIN)
Elias Pettersson, F (SWE)

The Canucks will have five players at the Olympics, with some rich storylines for a fan base that hasn’t had much opportunity to watch meaningful (or even especially competitive) hockey. Can Elias Pettersson keep up with the pace of best-of-best this year, after struggling at the 4 Nations? Can Filip Hronek lead a dark-horse Czechia side to a medal (or even to gold)? Can pending UFAs Teddy Blueger and David Kämpf avoid injury and enhance their trade value? — Thomas Drance

Vegas Golden Knights

Rasmus Andersson, D (SWE)
Jack Eichel, F (USA)
Noah Hanifin, D (USA)
Tomas Hertl, F (CZE)
Mitch Marner, F (CAN)
Akira Schmid, G (SUI)
Mark Stone, F (CAN)
Shea Theodore, D (CAN)

The Golden Knights are sending more than a third of their roster to the Olympics, and the battle between the Canadians and Americans should be particularly dramatic. Vegas has major pieces on both sides of the rivalry. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he used his gold medal from the 4 Nations Face-Off as a golf ball marker on the green to taunt Jack Eichel last summer after he, Stone, Marner and Theodore came out on top last February. Eichel and Noah Hanifin will be seeking redemption. — Jesse Granger

Washington Capitals

Martin Fehervary, D (SVK)
Logan Thompson, G (CAN)
Tom Wilson, F (CAN)

Fehervary’s presence is a good excuse to watch Czechia’s games. Thompson could be Canada’s starter before you know it. Wilson, though, might be one of the most compelling players in the tournament. Nobody else has his skill set, and nobody knows quite how he’ll be deployed by Jon Cooper and the Canadian staff. — Sean Gentille

Winnipeg Jets

Kyle Connor, F (USA)
Connor Hellebuyck, G (USA)
Josh Morrissey, D (CAN)
Nino Niederreiter, F (SUI)

Will Connor still play a prominent role for the U.S. after last year’s disappointing 4 Nations, which saw him scratched for the final against Canada? There’s no denying that he’s one of their most talented forwards, but it wasn’t easy for him to build chemistry with new linemates and the coaching staff had him on a pretty short leash. Hellebuyck, meanwhile, is still the USA’s projected starter. — Harman Dayal

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