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N.H.L. Players Return to The OlympicsThe 12-year wait is over: N.H.L. stars are heading back to the Olympics. Pierre LeBrun, a senior N.H.L. writer for The Athletic, and Brady Tkachuk, the captain of the Ottawa Senators, discuss the massive relief of the league’s return to the Winter Games for 2026, and why this tournament is critical for the global growth of hockey.

Milan will be the first Olympics with NHL players in 12 years since Sochi, Russia in 2014. There have been a lot of NHL stars have been outspoken in the process to this to get back to the Olympics. I mean, how worried were you at some point that may never happen for your generation? You know, more I feel bad for the guys that have had amazing careers within the 12 years and haven’t had a chance to represent their country in the Olympics, and it’s a no brainer that everybody wants to be in the Olympics. Everybody wants to be an Olympian and just happy that it was agreed upon, that it would be great for not just the players, but it’d be great for the league and great for growing of the game. I don’t see a world where NHL players aren’t at the Olympics anymore. I think it’s a it’s a staple that we want to be there. We should be there. And I think you always look back to when you’re a kid, you want to win two things. You want to win the Stanley Cup and the gold medal. And and I think every NHL player should have that opportunity and chance to be able to win that every four years. Have you allow yourself to envision standing on a podium and having an Olympic gold medal put around your neck? I mean, I’m definitely not going to shy away. It’s fun to now picture and visualize that being out there. And my brother like, of course I visualize that I’ve dreamt of that moment. And now I’m just going to do everything in our power as a team to to have it come to fruition.

The 12-year wait is over: N.H.L. stars are heading back to the Olympics. Pierre LeBrun, a senior N.H.L. writer for The Athletic, and Brady Tkachuk, the captain of the Ottawa Senators, discuss the massive relief of the league’s return to the Winter Games for 2026, and why this tournament is critical for the global growth of hockey.

January 30, 2026