The 2026 Olympics will feature over 100 NHL players, but many stars won't attend because their countries have been banned or didn't qualify.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina will have plenty of talent on display in the men's and women's hockey tournaments.
However, in terms of notable NHL players, a handful will be forced to stay home and not participate in the Games.
Only 12 nations can compete in the upcoming tournament in Italy, excluding some countries that host notable NHL players. Whether those teams didn't qualify or are temporarily banned from the competition, some great players won't be able to represent their country this month.
Austria
There are two Austrians who are active NHL players, both of whom are centers and share the first name Marco.
Marco Rossi is one of the newest members of the Vancouver Canucks, as he was a part of the trade that sent star defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old has since played eight games for the Canucks, but is currently out with an injury.
Marco Kasper of the Detroit Red Wings is the other Austrian player in the NHL. Kasper, 21, has played 57 games this season for the Red Wings and recorded six goals and 13 points.
They've both featured for Austria at the 2021 World Junior Championship. Rossi and Kasper each played in two World Championship tournaments, but never at the same time.
It's also worth mentioning that Montreal Canadiens prospect defenseman David Reinbacher, selected fifth overall in the 2023 draft, is also Austrian. However, the 21-year-old is yet to make an NHL appearance.
Aliaksei Protas (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)Belarus
Belarus is one of two countries banned by the IOC from participating in the Olympic Games. However, if the situation were in line for them to compete at the tournament, they'd have a handful of decent NHL players.
Yegor Sharangovich, Aliaksei Protas, and Artyom Levshunov would all be flying to Milan if Belarus were competing in the Games.
Calgary Flames center Sharangovich will likely become the all-time Belarusian leader in NHL points, as he's scored 112 goals and 217 points, just 79 points behind the leader, Mikhail Grabovski.
Washington Capitals center Protas has been an excellent NHL scorer, particularly last season when he registered 30 goals and 66 points.
And Levshunov is a promising 20-year-old D-man for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 70 career NHL games split between the past two campaigns, he's averaged 19:29 of ice time and recorded 27 points.
Sharangovich and Protas have represented Belarus at the professional level, including at the 2021 World Championship and the 2022 Olympic qualifying tournament.
Norway
Norway competed in the 2018 Olympics, but hasn't qualified for the men's hockey tournament since then.
Nonetheless, there are a few Norwegians in the NHL, highlighted by Wild right winger Mats Zuccarello.
The 38-year-old is by far the best Norwegian player to ever play in the NHL. With 942 games played, registering 226 goals and 723 points, he is Norway's leader in all the major categories.
Zuccarello has represented Norway on numerous occasions over the years. The last time he suited up for his country was at the Olympic qualifiers, where he scored five points in three games.
Other Norwegians include Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg and Red Wings right winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Alex Ovechkin has scored eight goals and 11 points in 17 games at the Olympics. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)Russia
Along with Belarus, Russia is the other country that is banned by the IOC and won't participate in these Olympics. However, if they were eligible to compete in this tournament, they would be among the strongest teams in the men's hockey event.
Some of the best players in the NHL, including Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Kirill Kaprizov, and several others, would be suiting up.
Not only will that Russian roster feature plenty of elite offensive talent, but it also boasts the best goaltending depth of any nation in hockey. Between Ilya Sorokin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky, one of those star netminders wouldn't even be able to go with each team carrying three goalies.
The Russians are a little weak down the middle, but they'd have one of the best teams at the tournament on paper.
Anze Kopitar recorded four assists as he captained Team Europe to silver at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. (Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images)Slovenia
Slovenia is the final country on this list, and there's only one Slovenian NHL player who is missing out on this Olympic appearance. That star player is Los Angeles Kings center and captain Anze Kopitar.
Kopitar is one of the best two-way centers of his generation, winning two Selke Trophies in his 20-year NHL career, along with a pair of Stanley Cups and a handful of Lady Byng Trophies.
On Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kopitar reached the 1,300-point mark, becoming the 39th player to do so. Not to mention, the 38-year-old is just five appearances away from marking his 1,500th game in the NHL.
Like Zuccarello, he represented his country at a best-on-best tournament at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He captained Team Europe, which included eight nations, including Kopitar's Slovenia.
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