The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature best-on-best international hockey for the first time since 2014 in Sochi. The massive question looming over everyone's head is whether Russia will be in the tournament, as they haven't been allowed in any international hockey since the issues in Ukraine. Russia is one of the qualified teams, but if they are deemed ineligible, France will take their place. For the purposes of this exercise, we'll assume Russia will be there, as there is one significant player who could make the cut.
Hockey fans felt robbed by some teams that weren't included in the Four Nations Faceoff. Many believed Czechia and Germany should've been there with their elite talent, but the first dive back into best-on-best and the limited time to play the tournament forced it to be only four teams. However, we will get a full 12-team slate in Milan in 2026.
Let's look at all the players we could see in Milan who will be representing the Canadiens.
Canada - Sam Montembeault
The first returnee from the Four Nations Faceoff. Sam Montembeault didn't do anything to lose his spot, as he didn't get into any game action for Team Canada. Their goaltending room seemed like a good group at the tournament, and the front office might want to run it back in the Olympics.
Finland - Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine didn't hurt his chances of representing Finland again, and considering full health, he will be on their roster in Milan. Laine had three assists in three games at the tournament and played some of his best hockey in years. He will elevate his game internationally and be a crucial part of Finland's Olympic chances.
USA - Cole Caufield
Team USA could've used some more scoring at the Four Nations Faceoff, and Cole Caufield would've helped. However, the coaching staff opted for more muscle in the championship game and scratched Kyle Connor for Chris Kreider. If the decision-makers have the same mindset when picking the Olympic team, Caufield could be on the outside-looking-in once again. It's likely that the Olympic team won't look much different than the one we saw in Boston and Montreal.
Canada - Nick Suzuki
Suzuki, like Caufield, didn't make his country's roster for the Four Nations Faceoff. While USA could switch things up next year, it'll be harder for Canada to do it. There are some players that Canada may not take to Milan next year whether it be age or failed productivity, and Suzuki has to be one of the players they consider taking. Suzuki/Mark Scheifele in and Mark Stone/Brad Marchand out could be the front office's path. However, you also have to consider they might want to give Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini their first taste. I wouldn't put Suzuki's chances as one of the highest on this list.
Russia - Ivan Demidov
Team Russia will have a deep roster at the 2026 Olympics if they are allowed to participate. Two names to circle will be Ivan Demidov and Matvei Michkov, as the Russian decision-makers don't always decide on the side of youth. Demidov showing success in the NHL could help them, but the Russian front office will likely take some players from the KHL, and Demidov leaving there to play with the Canadiens won't help his case.
Slovakia - Juraj Slafkovsky
We know about Juraj Slafkovsky's success with Slovakia, as it's the main reason he rose to first-overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Slafkovsky always picks his game up on the international stage, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs at his second Winter Olympics after scoring seven goals in 2022.
Finland - Oliver Kapanen
Team Finland had two Canadiens on their team at the Four Nations Faceoff. Joel Armia will likely go elsewhere next season, but that doesn't mean the two-Habs trend won't continue. Oliver Kapanen had some successful stints at the World Juniors, including captaining them in 2023, and then led the team with six goals at the 2024 World Championships.
Czechia - Jakub Dobes
Jakub Dobes sprung into action with the Canadiens this season and looked good until hitting a wall after five starts. The team hopes the break will do him good and get him back on track for the rest of the season. He has some competition among Czechia goaltenders with Petr Mrazek, David Rittich, Lukas Dostal, Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek, and Dan Vladar. However, a good trio could be Dobes, Dostal, and Vejmelka, and they are also the only Czech goaltenders with a save percentage above .900 this season.