NHL players are set to return to the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. On Monday, two Carolina Hurricanes players were announced as part of their respective countries’ preliminary rosters for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Sebastian Aho will represent Finland, and Frederik Andersen will play for Denmark. Both nations have selected six players each for the upcoming Games, which will include teams from Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States in Milan.
The men’s hockey tournament is scheduled to begin with preliminary games on February 11 and conclude with the gold medal game on February 22. The complete rosters for each nation will be revealed later this year.
Aho has an extensive international career and recently served as an alternate captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. He recorded two assists in three games. His previous international experience includes being named the best forward at the 2018 IIHF Men’s World Championship with 18 points in eight games. Aho has also won three medals internationally: a World Junior gold and World Championships silver in 2016 and a World Junior silver in 2015. He joins Aleksander Barkov (FLA), Miro Heiskanen (DAL), Esa Lindell (DAL), Mikko Rantanen (DAL), and Juuse Saros (NSH) on Finland’s preliminary roster.
Andersen played a crucial role in Denmark’s qualification for the Olympics by winning all three games in Group F of the qualifying tournament last summer. He stopped 60 out of 64 shots against Great Britain, Japan, and Norway. Andersen’s international achievements include receiving a Best Goaltender award at the 2018 IIHF Men’s World Championship held in Denmark. He joins Oliver Bjorkstrand (TBL), Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG), Lars Eller (WSH), Jesper Jensen Abo, and Jonas Rondbjerg (VGK) on Denmark’s preliminary roster.
Further details about the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 can be found online.
