After the last two incarnations of Olympic ice hockey didn’t feature the National Hockey League, the world’s premiere players are at last headed back to the grandest international stage the sport has to offer. It was announced last Friday (Feb. 2, 2024) that the NHL will allow its talent to participate in both the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics. The league had previously ended its involvement starting with the 2018 games, a decision that was widely unpopular amongst players.
It’s great news for Olympic hockey, but also for the players themselves and they will once again have the honor of representing their countries. And as for the Buffalo Sabres, the team stands a chance of being well-represented at the 2026 games in Milan, Italy.
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are all but guaranteed to be selected for the United States and Sweden, respectively — while the “Latvian Locomotive” Zemgus Girgensons will undoubtedly lace up for his homeland as well — but a few of their contemporaries also stand a chance of being selected. Some of these are more realistic than others, but the following Sabres could be in contention as well.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen — Finland
Though he still has a good amount of growing to do, 2023-24 has been Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen‘s breakout season and he’s established himself as the Sabres’ top goaltender after years of being shuffled back and forth between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL.) The team in front of him has struggled with consistency all season and many of his best efforts have been squandered, but he’s proven nevertheless that he has what it takes to succeed. And as a result, the Finnish National Team may take note.
The man fans know as “UPL” has already represented Finland in several international tournaments at the junior level. He helped them to the gold and silver medals at the 2016 and 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Under-18 Championships, respectively, and won gold once again at the 2019 World Juniors. Suffice it to say, his homeland is already quite familiar with him and more than likely has him on the radar for future competitions.
Finnish stalwarts Juuse Saros and Joonas Korpisalo would admittedly be on the list ahead of him, but Luukkonen is younger than both and that might play into his favor down the line. Saros will be 30 by the time the Milan Olympics arrive and Korpisalo will be 31. Luukkonen, on the other hand, will be just 26 and that might make him a more appealing option, especially if his stock continues to rise as it has this season. Age isn’t the only factor, of course, and a whole lot can change in two years, but it wouldn’t be wise to count him out.
Jiri Kulich — Czech Republic
We’re admittedly reaching a bit here given that Jiri Kulich has just one NHL game to his credit at the moment, but the 19-year-old looks to be a star in the making and will undoubtedly by a mainstay for the Czech national team for years to come. He’s dazzled since coming to North America and scored 46 points in a 62-game rookie AHL season with the Rochester Americans. He’s added 25 points in 33 games thus far in his sophomore campaign and it earned him his first NHL call-up in November. It’s safe to assume he could be in a full-time role in Buffalo next season.
Like Luukkonen, Kulich had success in his international junior career and helped Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 World Juniors. He stepped up even more at the following year’s event, leading the tournament with 12 points in seven games and helping his team to a second-consecutive medal, this time the bronze.
Though a member of the “Big Six” of international ice hockey, Czechia doesn’t have the biggest NHL representation when compared to other nations and their Olympic rosters of the past haven’t always been comprised entirely of NHL talent. Therefore, it’s easily plausible that such a young player could be included on their 2026 team. Kulich will be just 21 by that time but at the rate he’s currently progressing, that won’t be a concern.
Alex Tuch — United States
This one is difficult to foresee for a number of reasons. The United States has one of the most competitive rosters in international hockey and the list of players in contention for it would be quite lengthy. Alex Tuch‘s stock has risen considerably since coming home to Western New York and he’s certainly in the upper-echelon of American NHL players at the moment, but it’s possible he could be passed over due to the sheer number of big names ahead of him.
Make no mistake, Tuch is no stranger to the international stage and has put himself on the map. He helped the United States to gold at the 2014 U18 Championship and served as an alternate captain at last summer’s World Championship. He performed exceptionally well in the latter, scoring five goals and eight points in 10 games as the U.S. finished fourth after falling in the bronze medal game in overtime.
The problem is, despite that, there’s still a host of big names ahead of him. Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Dylan Larkin are all guaranteed to be included, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Tage Thompson is likely a lock as well, but even he is second-tier by comparison. That doesn’t mean that Tuch has no chance at all, but the odds are far less in his favor than others on this list, especially given how his play has regressed this season. But if he can turn it around over the next two seasons, his inclusion is still very much a possibility.
Devon Levi — Canada
Before you laugh, think about this one first. Canada is quite literally the world-heavyweight champion of ice hockey and has the most formidable roster at every international event even in an off-year, but if they have one current weakness, it would be in net. Carey Price, their standard bearer in goal for years, is no longer an option and whom his successor will be is anybody’s guess.
Carter Hart once looked like the guy, but his career trajectory has not been as expected and it’s been further complicated by the recent allegations against him that could potentially make him ineligible in 2026. That opens a door for Devon Levi, who still has a chance to become an elite backstop despite the mistakes the Sabres have made with him. Hockey Canada is aware of such given that he was named to the roster for the 2023 World Championship, at which he backed up Samuel Montembeault and helped them win gold. His inclusion at just 21 years old proves his country wants him to be involved going forward.
With less than one full season to his name, the Levi of 2024 isn’t a viable choice at all, but the Levi of 2026 could be a different story. He’ll be 24 by then and if the Sabres actually allow him to develop at his own pace like they have recently, he very well may have emerged as a force by that time — he’s already shown promise despite his inexperience. It appears he’ll only get better with age, and that’s great news for the Sabres as well as Canada.
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The Canadian national team does have a few bigger names to choose from, most notably Montembeault and Tristan Jarry. Levi wouldn’t likely be the starter either way and perhaps not even the backup, but the honor of being selected to the Olympics speaks for itself, even if as a third stringer. There are a ton of “ifs” in this case, but the odds of Levi representing the Great White North in the future are still very favorable and he will undoubtedly shine when he does.
There’s still a long time to come before countries start to even think about the 2026 Olympics and loads of things could be different by then. None of these could end up coming true and all four won’t be selected, or perhaps all of them will be. Which of them do you think is most likely? What other Sabres players do you think could play at the 2026 Olympics?
