Italy is the final team to announce its 25-man roster for the 2026 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament, which will take place on home ice. The last time Italy participated in Olympic hockey was 20 years ago, also on home ice in Turin.
Italy is the only team in the tournament without an NHL representative. However, their head coach is Jukka Jalonen, who led Team Finland to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Team Italy’s Forwards
Matthew Bradley (HC Bolzano, Aut), Tommaso De Luca (HC Ambrì-Piotta, Sui), Cristiano DiGiacinto (HC Bolzano, Aut), Luca Frigo (HC Bolzano, Aut), Mikael Frycklund (HC Pustertal, Aut), Dustin Gazley (HC Bolzano, Aut), Diego Kostner, (HC Ambrì-Piotta, Sui), Daniel Mantenuto (HC Bolzano, Aut), Giovanni Morini (HC Lugano, Sui), Alex Petan (HC Olimpija Ljubljana, Aut), Tommy Purdeller (HC Pustertal, Aut), Nick Saracino (HC Pustertal, Aut), Alessandro Segafredo (GCK Lions, Sui-2), Marco Zanetti (HC Lugano, Sui).
The Italians will carry a roster heavy on naturalized players, with most of the top-line forwards originally hailing from North America. The roster will also be heavy on veterans who already have chemistry with teammates, as many of their players play for either HC Bolzano or HC Pustertal in Austria’s top league, which also features clubs from Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Tommaso Di Luca could be a pleasant surprise for Italy. The 21-year-old forward had a good season in the Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs in 2022-23 and is slowly growing into an impact player in Switzerland’s top league with HC Ambrì-Piotta – a team known for its strong development system: former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik moved to North America after two excellent seasons there.
Team Italy’s Defensemen
Dylan Di Perna (HC Bolzano, Aut), Greg DiTomaso (HC Pustertal, Aut), Daniel Glira (HC Pustertal, Aut), Thomas Larkin (Schwenninger Wild Wings, Ger), Phil Pietroniro (HC Kladno, Cze), Jason Seed (HC Bolzano, Aut), Alex Trivellato (Schwenninger Wild Wings, Ger), Luca Zanatta (HC Pustertal, Aut).
Much of the same can be said about the Italian blue line, with two players from HS Bolzano and three from HC Pustertal, although two players, Thomas Larkin and Alex Trivellato, will join from Schwenninger Wild Wings of the top-tier German league, and Phil Pietroniro plays for HS Kladno in Czechia.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
Dealing with the top teams’ forward lines will be difficult for this defensive squad. Experience, chemistry, and home pride can only do so much against the other teams in Group B, including Slovakia, Sweden and Finland. However, no game is ever won or lost on paper.
Team Italy’s Goalies
Damian Clara (Brynas IF, Swe), Davide Fadani (EHC Kloten, Sui), Gianluca Vallini (HC Bolzano, Aut).
The number one goalie position will likely be a battle between Clara, signed to the Anaheim Ducks and loaned to the Swedish Hockey League (Sweden’s top league), and Fadani, who’s having a strong season with EHC Kloten in the Swiss National League. Fadani will likely get the earlier starts, considering he has more experience, and he suits Jalonen’s approach.
Gianluca Vallini is expected to be the third goalie, with only seven games under his belt for Bolzano. The veteran netminder did play two seasons in North America, but never developed into anything more than a backup in top European leagues.
Italy Faces a Tough Olympic Tournament
Team Italy has a terrific challenge ahead. The team’s main focus should be trying to forget the recent difficulties with the tournament’s venue and trying to honor their country by remaining competitive in a tough grouping and aiming for a win.
