The Florida Panthers will be well represented at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with ten players set to hit the ice and compete for gold.
The Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament will run from Feb. 12-22 and NHL players are competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, when Canada defeated Sweden for gold.
As for the Panthers, players will be putting on the sweaters of five different countries as they go from teammates to rivals for ten days
Here’s a look at which Panthers players are participating.
Team USA
Forward Matthew Tkachuk will be donning the red, white and blue for Team USA as he seeks to add an Olympic medal to his growing resume.
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MONTREAL, CANADA – FEBRUARY 15: Matthew Tkachuk #19 of Team USA fights with Brandon Hagel #38 of Team Canada during the first period in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Tkachuk has helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups but spent much of the NHL regular season on the sidelines after undergoing surgery last summer to repair some injuries. He made his return on Jan. 19.
The 28-year-old Tkachuk will be joined by his younger brother Brady at the Olympics. The pair have become two of the biggest names in USA Hockey after their thrilling run at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Jack Hughes, Laila Edwards and Declan Farmer announced the men’s, women’s and sled hockey teams for the Milan-Cortina Olympics on TODAY.
Unfortunately, Tkachuk’s Panthers teammate, Seth Jones, who had been named to the U.S. team, won’t be making the trip to Milan after suffering an injury in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. Jones had joined the Panthers in a trade last year and help them win the Cup.
Panthers GM Bill Zito is serving as Team USA’s assistant general manager while Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards is USA’s equipment manager in Milan.
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HELSINKI, FIN – OCTOBER 29: Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito smiles while answering questions during Media Availability ahead of the 2024 NHL Global Series on October 29, 2024 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
Team Canada
Canada defeated Team USA 3-2 in overtime of the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the help of multiple Panthers who are set to play in Milan.
Veteran forward Brad Marchand will be among those leading Canada at the Olympics, after representing his country in multiple other tournaments in the past.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 20: Brad Marchand #63 of Team Canada skates against Team United States in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game at TD Garden on February 20, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The 37-year-old was traded to Florida from the Boston Bruins last season and helped lead the Cats to their second Cup.
Joining Marchand for Canada in Milan will be Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart, who will be playing in his first Olympics.
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Reinhart, 30, won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Panthers and has previously represented Canada in World Championships and World Junior Championships.
After initially being left off Canada’s roster, Sam Bennett was named as a replacement for injured Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.
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SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JUNE 17: Sam Reinhart #13 of the Florida Panthers hands the Cup off to Sam Bennett #9 following their win over the Edmonton Oilers following Game Six of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 17, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Bennett, 29, has also been a member of the back-to-back Cup teams with the Panthers, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy last year as the MVP of the playoffs.
Team Finland
Finland heads to Milan as the reigning gold medal winners in men’s hockey following their triumph at the 2022 games in Beijing, albeit without NHL players.
This year, the Fins will head to Milan without Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during Florida’s training camp in September.
Charlie McAvoy, one of the NHL’s most charitable players, learned the value of hard work from his father Charles McAvoy Sr., who runs a four-generation plumbing business.
The 30-year-old center led Florida to the two Cup championships and previously represented Finland at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Finland’s team will still be full of Panthers in Milan, with three other Florida players joining the squad.
Forward Anton Lundell will skate for the Fins after previously playing in World Championships and World Junior Championships. The 24-year-old is in his 5th season with the Panthers.
Another forward, Eetu Luostarinen, is also making his Olympics debut in Milan. The 27-year-old is in his sixth season with Florida.
And defenseman Niko Mikkola is making his Olympics debut after winning Stanley Cups with the Panthers the previous two seasons. The 29-year-old previously played for the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.
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TAMPERE, FINLAND – NOVEMBER 02: (L-R) Finnish players Aleksander Barkov #16, Eetu Luostarinen #27, Niko Mikkola #77, and Anton Lundell #15 of the Florida Panthers after the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland game between the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers at Nokia Arena on November 02, 2024 in Tampere, Finland. The Panthers won 4-2 to sweep the series. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
Team Sweden
Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling will be skating for Sweden in Milan. The 29-year-old previously served as Sweden’s captain at the World Junior Championships.
Forsling was also a part of the two Panthers Stanley Cup teams after starting his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 02: Gustav Forsling #42 of the Florida Panthers controls the puck in front of Michael Rasmussen #27 of the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at Little Caesars Arena on March 2, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Florida defeated Detroit 4-0. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)
Team Latvia
The Panthers are also sending a pair of players to Milan for Team Latvia.
Defenseman Uvis Balinskis and forward Sandis Vilmanis will both be making their Olympics debuts.
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SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JANUARY 31: Uvis Balinskis #26 of the Florida Panthers shoots the puck at the Amerant Bank Arena on January 31, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by JC Ruiz/NHLI via Getty Images)
Balinskis, 29, has been with the Panthers since the 2023-2024 season, while Vilmanis, 22, made his NHL debut with the Panthers just last month.
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SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 02 : Florida Panthers left wing Sandis Vilmanis (95) passes the puck in the first period during a NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers on February 2, 2026 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL.(Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)