
The 2026 Olympic men's hockey tournament kicks off in less than 24 hours, and each team has had time to practise and set their lineups ahead of the opener on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Kings have five players in Milan competing in the Games, and each of them will have a different role in the competition.
Here is where each Kings player sits in the lineup of their respective nations following the first couple of days of practice.
It was unclear if either Drew Doughty or Darcy Kuemper would make an appearance for Team Canada at the Olympics, given the talent that stands before them.
However, based on Canada's lines at practice, it appears that Doughty will be slotted in on the team's bottom defensive pairing. The Kings blueliner was placed on the right side of the Dallas Stars' Thomas Harley.
As for the goaltenders, there is no clear indication as to who will start between the pipes. But the understanding is that Canada coach Jon Cooper will likely choose between Jordan Binnington and Logan Thompson.
At a practice session for Finland, Joel Armia was reportedly taking reps as a right winger on the fourth line. On his line were center Erik Haula and left winger Eeli Tolvanen.
With the Kings, he's been getting used to a middle-six role. In their last game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Armia was alongside Anze Kopitar and Trevor Moore.
Adrian Kempe (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)It looks like Adrian Kempe will be put in a similar role for Sweden as he is for Los Angeles. On Sunday, Kempe was practising on Sweden's top line as the right winger, beside Joel Eriksson Ek, and William Nylander.
However, on Tuesday, Toronto Maple Leafs star Nylander was absent from practice. He took a maintenance day amid a nagging groin injury. So, there is the possibility that somewhere down the line, someone like Filip Forsberg or another forward gets bumped up to the top line.
Kevin Fiala is going to be one of the most important players for Switzerland in these Olympics. It appears that he'll be the top-line left winger for the Swiss, with center Nico Hischier and right winger Timo Meier.
His role for his country will be even more elevated that with the Kings, especially in terms of carrying the offense in Switzerland's forward group. For most players transitioning from club to country, the workload typically trends into the opposite direction.
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