RALEIGH, N.C. - The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 Men's Ice Hockey schedule begins on Wednesday, and the Carolina Hurricanes will be represented by five players, dressing for four different countries at the event.
Frederik Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers will make Denmark proud, Sebastian Aho will be a part of Finland's group, Jaccob Slavin will sport the red, white, and blue of the United States, and Seth Jarvis will look to once again capture gold with Team Canada.
It's the first time NHL players have participated in the Olympic Winter Games since 2014, when Canada won in Sochi, Russia.
Two of just 11 players with any NHL experience on the Danish roster, Andersen and Ehlers are filled with joy at the opportunity after helping their country qualify for just the second time ever last summer.
Aho, named an alternate captain for Team Finland on Sunday, will try to help his national team achieve a greater result than its fourth-place finish at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off. Bringing a largely similar roster, the Finnish group will also feature former Hurricanes Erik Haula, Eetu Luostarinen, Mikko Rantanen, and Teuvo Teravainen.
As for Slavin, he'd be happy with a repeat of his personal performance during last year's 4 Nations tournament, which had him in the conversation for Most Valuable Player. Known for shutting down the opposition on a nightly basis, he'll now get the chance to show he can do so against the best in the world on any given night as the U.S. seeks to jump from silver in 2025 to gold in 2026.
Last, but certainly not least, Jarvis will compete for ice time on a stacked Canada roster. He appeared in three games for his country at last year's international event, including Canada’s gold-medal-winning overtime victory against its southern rival.
