The NHL announced during All-Star Weekend that they would be returning to the Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030. The last time NHL players participated was back in 2014 when Canada won gold over Sweden. Fifteen players from those teams are still active in the NHL, but no Vancouver Canucks as Roberto Luongo, Dan Hamhuis, and Daniel Sedin have since retired, and Alex Edler is currently a free agent.
When 2026 comes around, the Canucks might have a plethora of players heading to Milan to compete for their respective countries. Let’s take a look at them now.
USA – Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, Brock Boeser & Thatcher Demko
Canucks fans will likely be cheering on the Americans at the 2026 Olympics as Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko are near-locks for the roster and Brock Boeser and JT Miller are strong contenders. None of them have competed at the Olympics before, but they have played for their country at various World Championships and World Juniors in the past.
With how many points Hughes has racked up in his NHL career already (305 at the time of this writing), there isn’t a world where he is not Team USA’s top defender. His game-breaking abilities and burgeoning two-way game are head and shoulders above any American defenceman right now and he could win his first Norris Trophy this season. Could he have close to 500 points by the time the Olympics come around in 2026? I wouldn’t put it past him.
As for Miller, Boeser and Demko, they could all be on this roster when all is said and done. Demko could usurp Hellebuyck as the starter or form a lethal one-two punch depending on how age treats the Winnipeg Jets workhorse over the next season and a half, while Boeser and Miller’s performance this season has firmly placed them in the crosshairs of management. Boeser just hit 30 goals and Miller is on pace for over 100 points. Meanwhile, Demko has elevated himself into the discussion for the Vezina Trophy this season, and he’s only going to get better in the next season and a half. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the best American goaltender in the NHL by the time the Olympics start in February 2026. Heck, he might be already. If the trio continues on their upward trajectory, it will be difficult for newly appointed general manager Bill Guerin to leave them off the team.
Sweden – Elias Pettersson & Elias Lindholm
In the past, Sweden has been the team to watch when it comes to Canucks. That won’t be the case in 2026 as Elias Pettersson is the only lock to make the roster. Since his debut in the NHL in 2018, he has become one of the best players from his draft class leading the way with 388 points in 376 games. He is outpacing first-overall pick Nico Hischier by 70 points and could be the first Swede to post back-to-back 100-point seasons if his current pace holds this season. With 27 goals and 65 points in 51 games, he is still on track for 104 points, which would be two more than his career-high of 102 set last season. According to THW’s own Tony Wolak, he will be Sweden’s top-line center alongside Filip Forsberg and William Nylander, which seems about right considering his prominence in the NHL right now.
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New kid on the block Elias Lindholm could also find his way onto Sweden’s roster due to his versatility and two-way game. He is also on Wolak’s projected roster, lining up as a right winger on the third line centered by Joel Eriksson Ek. Despite a down season in 2022-23 without star talents Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, he is still a valuable player to have in the lineup. He has already showcased that fact with the Canucks after just two games; he scored two goals and led all forwards with 21:01 of ice time against the Carolina Hurricanes in his debut on Feb. 6. With his ability to play in all situations, Sweden will probably have him on their roster and double-down on the name Elias. Hopefully, he is still wearing Canucks colours in 2026 as he’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Czechia – Filip Hronek
Czechia has been a tough opponent outside of Olympic competition in the past few years. They have only won two medals at the Olympics, a gold in Nagano in 1998 and a bronze in Turin in 2006, but they won bronze at the 2022 World Championship and have medaled in the last two World Juniors with a silver in 2023 and most recently a bronze in 2024. That could mean they are poised for their first medal in what would be 20 years when the Olympics get going in 2026.
Helping Czechia in that pursuit will likely be Filip Hronek. He is no stranger to the national team as his country has called his name four times at the World Championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and twice at the World Juniors (2016, 2017). In total, he has amassed seven goals and 26 points across those tournaments and won the best defenceman award in 2019 after leading all defencemen with 11 points. He also walked away with a bronze medal in 2022.
With the Canucks, Hronek has become their second-best defender alongside Hughes, forming one of the top pairings in the entire NHL. He is on pace for a career season in Vancouver with 36 points in 51 games already.
Latvia – Teddy Blueger
As of this writing, Latvia is not set to compete at the Olympics in 2026, but if they end up making their way in, Teddy Blueger will most definitely be part of the roster. He is one of only four Latvians in the NHL right now and is second in career points next to Zemgus Girgensons of the Buffalo Sabres with 119. He has been a huge part of the Canucks’ uber-effective third line with Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland, and would be one of Latvia’s top forwards.
Switzerland – Pius Suter
Unlike Latvia, Switzerland will compete in the Olympics, and Pius Suter will be front and center on what could be a surprisingly good Swiss team. While only 10 Swiss-born players currently play in the NHL, most of them are stars on their respective teams. From Roman Josi and JJ Moser on defence to Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Kevin Fiala and Nino Niederreiter up front, they could topple a few giants and secure a spot in the medal rounds.
Suter might not be considered a star, but he’s turned into a solid two-way player in the NHL capable of playing with star talent. He started his career in Chicago alongside Patrick Kane and made a name for himself with 14 goals and 27 points in 55 games. He then spent two seasons in Detroit and hit double digits two more times before landing in Vancouver with the Canucks. He has 12 goals in 37 games so far and is now in the top-six with Boeser and Miller.
On a Swiss roster top-heavy with NHL talent, Suter will likely play on both the power play and penalty kill, and provide experience as he’s one of only a few players that have played in the Olympics before. Before he signed with the Blackhawks in 2020-21, he spent the majority of his time in the Swiss National League (NL) and was deservedly named to the Swiss roster for the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. He led the team with three goals and five points.
The Olympics should be fun to follow if you’re a Canucks fan. While they won’t have anyone representing Canada, a lot of them will have prominent roles on their teams and could bring home medals to boost their confidence for the stretch run. Sweden and the USA will be the teams to watch as six of the nine will be donning either the Tre Kronor or the Stars and Stripes.
