The NHL’s Olympic moment has returned — and it’s bigger than ever

MILAN — The world has been deprived of men’s ice hockey in its most elite form for 12 years. 

An entire generation of NHL stars is finally coming off the shelves, after the previous two Olympic tournaments featured European professionals and minor leaguers. It starved hockey fans of a substantial piece of the sport. One that so many players grew up on: International best-on-best competition. 

The top hockey league in the world provided an appetizer — the 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025 — to tease what is sure to be a delicious main dish of Olympic proportions. 

A 12-nation tasting menu that finally includes Canada’s Connor McDavid, the United States’ Auston Matthews, Germany’s Leon Draisaitl, Czechia’s David Pastrnak and so many more. 

Delectably fast-paced. Rich in high-level skill. A display of hockey’s unrivaled form that will have you salivating for more. 

The NHL is what’s new at this year’s Olympics. Not only for the viewing audience at home, but the NHLers seem to be a hot topic in the Olympic Village. At least, that’s what it sounds like. 

“Probably Auston is the biggest [celebrity],” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk told reporters after Team USA practice Sunday in Milan, right after his brother and expected linemate, Brady, revealed that he and his American teammates forfeited the Players Association-provided hotel in favor of the Olympic Village. 

“But, I mean, a lot of guys stick out. A lot of them are pretty big. And I think a lot of [the other athletes] really like hockey and have some favorite teams back in the U.S. So a lot of people across the globe and men’s and women’s hockey have come up to us. And honestly, in all sports. It’s been really, really cool so far. I’ve really enjoyed them.”

Of the 148 NHL players across 11 countries competing in Milan, 125 are making their Olympics debuts. Gold is on everyone’s minds, and so is the glory that will come with winning this Olympic tournament in particular.

Hockey and the NHL will have more reach over the next two weeks than it has in over a decade.

As much as this tournament will be about national pride, it is a massive opportunity to grow the game and attract new fans. The players, coaches, executives and league have to treat it as such. This is their moment. 

Everyone has been clamoring for a Canada-USA rematch since the two nations put on a riveting show in a pair of games at the 4 Nations tournament. With two star-studded lineups and two of the most experienced head coaches — British Columbia’s Jon Cooper and Massachusetts’ Mike Sullivan — behind their respective benches, the anticipation has been tangible for years. 

Team USA will look to end a 46-year gold-medal drought and show just how far hockey has come in the States. 

Team Canada, on the other hand, is determined to maintain international supremacy.

The Canadians and Americans have set the standard, but this is anybody’s tournament once the preliminary round-robin format determines the seeding for the knockout rounds. 

“I think the hope is big,” said the Jets’ Nino Niederreiter, who carried Switzerland’s flag into the Opening Ceremony as one of three NHLers (along with Draisaitl and Pastrnak) to do so. “We want to poke the bear. There’s no question about that. We know how strong Canada is going to be and the amount of talent they’re going to have. But at the same time I don’t think we have to hide at all. Play our game and go out there and have fun, I think that’s the biggest thing.”

One would be remiss to underestimate William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, Rasmus Dahlin and the rest of the Swedes. 

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Finland has faced multiple injury setbacks, but Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen and more still remain. 

Anchored by Martin Necas and Tomas Hertl, Czechia also has 18 holdovers from its recent gold-medal squad at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. 

Maybe Juraj Slafkovsky and Slovakia can make some noise, or Teddy Blueger and Latvia. 

The only nation that doesn’t have any NHLers is the host country of Italy. 

However, the ban against Russian teams prevents this Olympic hockey tournament from being described as best-on-best. For without the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, Mikhail Sergachev or Andrei Vasilevskiy, there must be an asterisk on the competition. 

But it will not take away from the magic of watching an entire era of hockey stars realize their Olympic dream. 

This is what we’ve been craving. This is what the sport needs. This is going to be fun. 

“Surreal, surreal,” said McDavid, who was a leading voice in the league’s return to the Olympics. “It’s been a long time. It’s been a long time coming.”