Italy Announces First 6 Names For 2026 Winter Olympics Team 

Team Italy has announced the first six players of to their roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The remainder of the rosters will be announced closer to the end of the year.

The tournament will consist of 12 teams. As expected, there is not going to be a Team Russia. The 12 teams will be separated into groups, which are as follows: Group A features Canada, Czechia, France, and Switzerland. Group B includes Finland, Italy, Sweden, and Slovakia. Lastly, Group C has Denmark, Germany, Latvia, and the United States. The hockey tournament will take place on February 11th and run until the 22nd.

Now onto the first six players on Team Italy’s preliminary roster.

The First Six

Italy is the host country at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which makes this a special opportunity for the Italian Hockey team to play against the other powerhouse countries.

The first six players are as followed:

• Damian Clara, 20, is a goalie who played in only two games this season with San Diego Gulls of the AHL. He had an 0-1-0 record with a 3.15 GAA and a .898 SV%.

• Diego Kostner, 32, is a forward for HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss-A league. In 43 games this season, he had two goals and one assist for three points.

• Daniel Mantenuto, 27, is a forward for HC Bolzano in the Austrian league. In 48 games this season, he had five goals and 12 assists for 17 points.

• Tommy Purdeller, 21, is a forward for the HC Pustertal in the Austrian league. The former Peterborough Pete had 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 48 games.

• Luca Zanatta is a defencemen for the HC Pustertal in the Austrian league. The 34-year-old has scored one goal and 17 assists for 18 points in 43 games.

• Thomas Larkin, 34, is a defencemen for the Schwenninger Wild Wings in the DEL. In 42 games, he scored two goals and 10 assists for 12 points.

The 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina will be the first time in 12 years that NHL players will be allowed to participate in the Olympic Winter Games.