Offensively, Finland will have one of the deeper units in the tournament. From the Dallas Stars, Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz will look to translate their ability to score at will and in the biggest moments towards the Olympic stage; the former was able to score a Game 7 hat trick in the first round of the 2025 playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche.
Nathan MacKinnon knew he wouldn't make Canada's 2014 Olympic team as an 18-year-old NHL rookie, while Germany's Leon Draisaitl and Czechia's David Pastrnak were still a year away from being drafted. Canadian Connor McDavid and American Jack Eichel were just 17 and Auston Matthews 16 when the best hockey players in the world went to Sochi. They all figured they'd get their chance four years later, and it never came as the league chose not to go to Pyeongchang in 2018 and then a global pandemic wreaked havoc and wrecked the chance to play in Beijing in 2022.
GROUP PLAY (Feb 11-15): The 12 countries play a round-robin within their respective groups, with three games per team. Teams earn three points for a regulation win, two points for overtime or shootout wins, one point for overtime or shootout losses, and zero points for regulation losses. GROUP A: Canada, Czechia, France. Switzerland GROUP B: Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden GROUP C: Denmark, Germany, Latvia, United States
They include two-time Olympic champion Sidney Crosby who scored the golden goal in 2010 at Vancouver and helped Canada repeat four years later in Sochi along with fellow forwards Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart. Cale Makar was the lone defenceman on the early list. Canada has captured three gold medals since NHL players were first allowed to compete at the 1998 Nagano Games in Japan, winning in 2002, 2010 and 2014. The 12-country tournament begins Feb. 11.
Here are my takes on each team's number one stud so that you can keep your eye out for them during the action this season. While I encourage you to watch hockey for the sport, these guys certainly won't hurt! Do you have a favorite team? Have any of these gentlemen convinced you to become a fan? Let me know in the comments!
