Will Team USA be fully healthy? How many role players will the Canadians choose? Who will be Sweden's starting goalie? Here are the questions that remain before the men's Olympic hockey rosters are revealed.
We should know by the end of the week which hockey players will be heading to the 2026 Olympics.
Canada is scheduled to announce their men's hockey roster at 11:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, while USA Hockey is announcing its men's, women's and Para hockey rosters during the 8 a.m. ET hour on Friday. Sweden and Finland are due to reveal their men's rosters on Jan. 2 as well, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
Some of these burning questions about the rosters will only intensify after the selections are revealed. So with that in mind, here are five questions before the Olympic men's hockey rosters are announced.
What Kind Of Team Will Canada Really Be?
We've said it before, but it bears repeating: we see Team Canada and Team USA as the co-favorites to win this Olympic tournament. But it will be fascinating to see how Canadian GM Doug Armstrong shapes his roster.
Will he choose positionally sound players, such as Tampa Bay Lightning defensive center Anthony Cirelli, or will he just stock Canada's lineup with as many elite players as possible?
To put it differently, are the Canadians going to pick a team that's strictly based on the most-skilled players available, or will Team Canada have some players who fit a role on the fourth line and penalty kill? That's what the Canadians did at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Armstrong put that team together, too.
There was some buzz Monday evening when Fanatics was selling Olympic merchandise with Nick Suzuki, Brad Marchand and Mitch Marner before pulling that merch off the store. If Suzuki makes the team, he wasn't on the 4 Nations squad, and he can provide more skill than Cirelli with some two-way ability as well.
2026 Olympics: Projected Team Canada Roster Before Dec. 31 Deadline
The 2026 Olympics are almost here, and it's time to project Team Canada's Olympic roster. The Canadians have plenty of talent to pick from, of all ages, but who is making the final cut?
Will Team USA Be 100 Percent Healthy?
Like the Canadians, the American team will be stocked with incredible talent. But the first half of the NHL's season has not been particularly kind to the U.S. players.
Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews isn't producing goals at his normal rate, causing some to speculate about his health. Meanwhile, New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes has had unfortunate luck on the health front, while Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk hasn't played a single game this year.
It all adds up to legitimate questions about the health of this American team. The U.S. has plenty of high-end depth, but if some of their best players are playing through injuries, that could open the door for another team to beat the American squad.
You can say the same for all teams, but if the injury bug continues to plague U.S. players, the Americans' bottom line could suffer, and they could lose out on gold at the Winter Games.
2026 Olympics: Projected Team USA Roster Before Dec. 31 Deadline
The Americans' deep and talented men's hockey roster makes them a co-favorite to win gold at the Olympics. It also means there will be some surprising snubs.
Who Will Be The Swedes' No. 1 Goalie?
The Swedish team has its share of difference-makers at forward and on 'D,' but they don't have a clear No. 1 option in net. Devils veteran Jacob Markstrom is having a subpar season, but Minnesota Wild goalies Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have both had strong stretches. That said, which of the two deserves first crack at the starter's job?
Gustavsson has a .912 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average in 25 appearances this year. Wallstedt has a .931 SP and a 2.16 GAA in 15 appearances. So, do you go with the more experienced hand in Gustavsson, or ride the hotter hand in Wallstedt? The choice between the two may be the difference between Sweden winning a gold medal or being held off the podium altogether.
2026 Olympics: Projected Sweden Roster Before Dec. 31 Deadline
Sweden could have a well-balanced, slick and skilled team that could upset the Canadian and American teams and finish atop the Olympic podium in men's hockey.
Who Will Step Up On Finland And Fill The Hole Left By Injured Star Barkov?
When it comes to injuries affecting Olympic teams, no team was hurt more than Finland when superstar center Aleksander Barkov suffered a devastating, season-ending knee injury.
As usual, the Finns will be a plucky bunch, but when you lose your best player – and someone as effective as any forward at both ends of the ice as Barkov is – you're going to be in tough to rise above the injury and emerge as a strong group.
Our projected Finnish team has three Dallas Stars stars: center Roope Hintz, right winger Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Miro Heiskanen. If those three rise to the challenge – or if a less-heralded Finland player imposes his will in one shape or form – the Finns could shock the hockey world and pull out a gold-medal win. But without Barkov, their odds of winning won't be favorable.
2026 Olympics: Projected Finland Roster Before Dec. 31 Deadline
Can Finland's players overcome the injury of a key player and win gold in men's hockey at the 2026 Olympics? Here's what their roster could look like.
How Will The Czechs' Non-NHL Players Impact Their Pursuit Of A Medal?
Czechia will likely have some Olympic players who aren't NHLers – and no, we're not talking about icon Jaromir Jagr. There will be some elite Czechia players – including Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak, Colorado Avalanche right winger Martin Necas and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal – but there are also going to be Czech players even avid hockey fans would have a hard time picking out of a lineup.
That said, one of those little-known players may rise to the occasion and carve out a special place in Czechia hockey history with a timely goal or a great defensive play that helps engineer a huge upset. And by the time the Olympics are over, the Czechs could ride a little-known talent all the way to a medal-winning performance.
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