Oilers’ Ekholm and Samanski Are Headed to World Championship

The Edmonton Oilers are going to be well-represented at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, which is set to take place May 15-31 in Switzerland.

Defenceman Mattias Ekholm and forward Josh Samanski are among five Oilers who have been named to their respective nation’s rosters for the annual tournament. Ekholm will suit up for Sweden, while Samanski plays for Germany.

The Europeans join a trio of other Oilers that are headed to Switzerland: Canadian blueliners Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse, and American forward Isaac Howard.

This will be the most Edmonton players at the World Championship since 2018, when six Oilers participated, including Nurse as a member of Team Canada.

For Ekholm and Samanski, being able to compete at this year’s World Championship has much different meanings, besides the shared honour and pride that comes with representing one’s country on the global stage.

Ekholm Has Extensive International Experience

Ekholm will turn 36 on May 25, during the preliminary round of the World Championship. The 6-foot-5 rearguard has been a pillar on the blue line for the better part of 15 years in the NHL, but is finally starting to show signs of slowing down. Father Time comes for everyone, and Ekholm is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

With that in mind, this might be the last time that Ekholm wears his nation’s colours. One of Sweden’s greatest hockey athletes this century, Ekholm has competed in 10 different international events, from the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament to the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.

Ekholm’s international resume includes five previous appearances at the World Championship, in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. He was part of the last Swedish team to win World Championship gold, eight years ago in Denmark.

The Borlange, Sweden, product will likely be the oldest and most experienced player on Team Sweden. He will provide veteran leadership, and there is a good chance he will wear a letter on his jersey.

Samanski is Just Getting Started

A native of Erding, Germany, Samanski is coming off his first year of North American pro hockey. He began the 2025-26 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors, before making his NHL debut in late January. From there, Samanski spent most of the rest of the season with the Oilers, appearing in 24 regular-season games and five playoff contests.

Samanski also competed at the 2026 Winter Games in February. He scored once and added an assist in five games with Germany, which placed sixth in the men’s hockey tournament.

The Olympics were just the latest international experience for the 24-year-old, who has already represented Germany four times, including a pair of appearances at World Juniors. Samanski played at the World Championship for the first time last year and recorded five points, the third most on the team.

Germany didn’t make the playoff round at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and is not expected to be a serious contender this year. But any time that Samanski gets to play against elite opponents in high-stakes situations is very valuable for his development, as he continues evolving into a player who could prove to be very impactful for the Oilers.

Oilers Teammates Will Play One Another

Germany and the United States are in Group A at the World Championship. Samanski and Howard’s teams will play each other on May 20.

Meanwhile, Canada and Sweden are in Group B. Ekholm will stand across the ice from his fellow Oilers blueliners Bouchard and Nurse on May 15, when the Canadians and Swedes face off in the first game of the tournament.