NHL players are headed back to the Olympics! As part of the recently sealed collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA, the league will be allowing players to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Olympic Games (the two events that are within the range of this CBA). The league must reach an agreement with the IOC to officially give this the green light, but IIHF chief Rene Fasel was encouraged by the development.
While all of this is generally seen as a win for the players and exciting for fans, it raises another important question: Who will be on the rosters in 2022?
Let's dive in on full roster projections for the "Big Six" contenders, along with a look at other notable NHL players that could be participating if their teams qualify for the tournament.
Note: Emily Kaplan acted as the GM for USA, Sweden and Russia; Greg Wyshynski did the same for Canada, Finland and the Czech Republic.
USA
F1: Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane
F2: Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Brock Boeser
F3: Kyle Connor, Dylan Larkin, Blake Wheeler
F4: Max Pacioretty, J.T. Miller, Jake Guentzel
D1: Zach Werenski, Seth Jones
D2: Torey Krug, Jaccob Slavin
D3: Quinn Hughes, John Carlson
Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck, John Gibson, Ben Bishop
Extra skaters: As long as the Olympic shootout rules stay the same, T.J. Oshie is making the team. Chris Kreider is a versatile forward coaches would love to plug in, and Alex DeBrincat could make a good case (the 22-year-old, somewhat quietly, has amassed 87 goals over his first three seasons). Brady Tkachuk, who will be 22, is going to get a long look. On defense, youngsters Charlie McAvoy and Adam Fox (both 22 years old) probably get the nod over Olympic vets like Ryan McDonagh, who is nine years older. Jacob Trouba is also in the mix.
Roster construction: This U.S. roster is going to drum up some excitement, even among casual hockey fans. It's going to be a great introduction for many Americans to the next wave of stars, many of whom play on Canadian NHL teams, and therefore get less exposure (Matthews, both Tkachuks, Gaudreau, Boeser, Connor, Hughes. It's really remarkable how many of the best young Americans aren't playing in America).
As we're ushering in a new generation, there aren't too many holdovers from the Sochi roster. There are enough Olympic veterans -- Kane, Pacioretty, Wheeler, Carlson -- to show the rookies the ropes. Of course, Oshie is on the roster for his shootout prowess. It would be a sin to leave the 2014 hero off, even if he'll be 35 in Beijing.
Biggest strength: Jones and Werenski are a legitimate No. 1 pairing in the NHL. The fact that they'll be able to play together, in their prime (they'll be 27 and 24, respectively) is absolutely the Americans' biggest strength. That top line also isn't too shabby.
Biggest flaw: The Americans' center depth isn't ideal past the top three. As good as the U.S. forward group is, the Canadians are deeper.
Toughest player to leave off: James van Riemsdyk. The power forward was on the Sochi roster, and actually led the 2014 tournament team with six assists. But Chris Kreider (two years his junior) will take van Riemsdyk's place as a rugged winger.
Coaching candidates: This feels like Mike Sullivan's job to lose. The Penguins coach was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2006 Olympics in Turin and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey; he knows how to handle a star-studded roster carrying big expectations.
Who's still on the team in 2026? There should be plenty of holdovers considering how young this roster is. Not only will Quinn Hughes and Matthew Tkachuk be back, but their younger brothers (Jack and Brady) are good bets to join them. Matthews, Eichel, Connor, Werenski, Jones, Guentzel, Boeser, DeBrincat, Helleybuck ... it's hard to imagine any of those guys regressing too much by 2026. And don't count out Patrick Kane competing in his fourth Olympics. Kane will be 37 by then, but his conditioning suggests he might be able to pull it off.
Canada
F1: Jonathan Huberdeau, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon
F2: Brad Marchand, Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron
F3: Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Mitch Marner
F4: Sean Couturier, Brayden Point, Mark Stone
D1: Thomas Chabot, Alex Pietrangelo
D2: Morgan Rielly, Cale Makar
D3: Josh Morrissey, Dougie Hamilton
Goalies: Carey Price, Jordan Binnington, Carter Hart
Extra skaters: As we've been reminded by our Canadian friends during every best-on-best international tournament, they have enough talent for multiple teams. Which is to say a team of snubs could defeat the majority of teams in the Olympics. Boiling that pool down to four reserve players is a challenge, but here's the best guess. At forward, Mark Scheifele of the Jets could easily supplant Tavares in the lineup and is an offensive force, while Blues star Ryan O'Reilly has played himself into the Jonathan Toews role of two-way center with leadership intangibles. If Doug Armstrong is selecting the team, one assumes he'd be on it. That general manager gig also informs one of the backup defensemen: Colton Parayko of the Blues, who had eight points in 10 world championship games for Canada in 2018. Finally, the Canadians will bring back another player seeking a third straight gold medal: Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, a Hockey Canada favorite who was an absolute star in the Sochi Games.
Roster construction: There are six players from the gold-medal team in Sochi on this roster, which should give you a sense of both the depth of Canada's talent pool and the rush of new stars that have come through the pipeline. While Crosby and Bergeron return to chase their third straight gold -- flanked by World Cup linemate Marchand -- this is going to be the team of McDavid and MacKinnon, who will make their Olympic debuts.
Defensively, it's a group in transition. Pietrangelo won gold in Sochi, but the other projected starters are first-timers, albeit terrifically talented ones. All the more reason you'd expect the brain trust to have a veteran ready to jump over the boards if necessary, like two-time gold medalist Doughty.
Price will be 34 for the 2022 Winter Olympics, but Team Canada has never hesitated to bring along veteran goalies to the Games. Whether he's the starter is probably contingent on what Binnington and Hart accomplish in the next couple of seasons -- especially the Flyers' netminder.
Biggest strength: The forward group is typically stacked, with McDavid and Crosby leading potential juggernaut lines. The third line features Tavares with a close friend (Stamkos, making his Olympic debut due to a snub in 2010 and an injury in 2014) and his Maple Leafs linemate (Marner). The fourth line is, on paper, an all-timer shutdown line if they decide to select Stone, who has only one national team appearance in his career. Scheifele could easily supplant Tavares in the lineup and is an offensive force, and O'Reilly has developed into an elite two-way center.
Biggest flaw: The defense, on paper, is one of the weakest groups the Canadians have iced since the NHL started sending players to the Winter Games. Yet it's also a cut above what most of the teams in the tournament are going to have on their blue line, and watching Makar and Hamilton create offense in Olympic-paced hockey could be revelatory.
Toughest players to leave off: For the forwards, I wish there was a way to get Mathew Barzal on the roster, considering how much offense he could generate with this assemblage of talent. But it's a numbers game, same as it was for Taylor Hall in his snub. On defense, it wouldn't surprise me to see Shea Theodore make the team if they're sticking to the "left/right" defenseman template.
Coaching candidates: Mike Babcock was behind the bench for the past two gold medals, but things have changed dramatically for him since 2014. He was fired by Toronto last year, and followed by accusations that he mentally abused players during his time with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings. If he's back in the NHL in the next couple of seasons, after the "mea culpa" media tour one expects to precede a new job, he could return for the three-peat. If not, Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy have to be in the mix, along with veterans Barry Trotz and Joel Quenneville, who were assistants under Babcock at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. As for the general manager, one has to assume Blues GM Doug Armstrong is the front-runner.
Who's still on the team in 2026? One assumes this will be the last ride for the Crosby generation, but 12 players on this roster are under 30. It's McDavid's team after this Olympics. One can imagine Hart taking the goaltending mantle after being along for the ride in 2022. The unanswerable question, at this point: Could projected first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere make the cut for 2022, or will he wait to ascend to Team Canada in 2026?
Sweden
F1: Gabriel Landeskog, Elias Pettersson, William Nylander
F2: Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad, Viktor Arvidsson
F3: Victor Olofsson, Nicklas Backstrom, Elias Lindholm
F4: Andre Burakovsky, William Karlsson, Rickard Rakell
D1: Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson
D2: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Klingberg
D3: Rasmus Dahlin, Oscar Klefbom
Goalies: Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark
Extra skaters: My friend, Swedish journalist Kajsa Kalmeus, suggested getting Jakob Silfverberg in the lineup. As she says, "he has a tendency of bringing that extra spice to the national team." Andreas Johnsson, Mikael Backlund, Carl Soderberg and maybe even Emil Bemstrom are options at spare forward. Mattias Ekholm, Rasmus Andersson and Hampus Lindholm are in the mix as extra blueliners.
Roster construction: Let's start in net. The obvious omission here is Henrik Lundqvist, a stalwart for the Swedish national team and national hero for leading the Swedes to 2006 Olympic gold. Lundqvist will be 40 in 2022, and just like the Rangers, the Swedish national team is looking for a succession plan. Either Lehner or Markstrom could earn the starting nod; that will be a fun battle to watch.
It was easy to identify Olympic-caliber defensemen for the Swedes; it's a golden age for Swedes on the blue line. Elias Pettersson, two years from now, is going to be scary good. It's going to be a treat to watch him man the top-line center spot. There are plenty of capable forwards around him, and this is one of the most defensively sound forward groups in the entire tournament, but isn't any particular scorer other teams have to worry about. Then again, plenty of Swedish players (William Nylander comes to mind) tend to play up when it comes to international competition.
Biggest strength: Just looking at this blue line feels intimidating. The Swedes are bringing a talented and well-rounded top six that can go toe-to-toe with anybody.
Biggest flaw: The dearth of superstar forwards puts them at a disadvantage against the Canadians and Americans, but there's enough talent (and definitely defensive buy-in) that they can overcome it and pick up wins.
Toughest player to leave off: Patric Hornqvist has been a staple of the Swedish national team since the mid-2000s, but by 2022 he'll be 35. His age and injury history aren't working to his advantage here.
Coaching candidates: Rikard Grönborg coached his last national team game last year, at the World Championships. His successor is Johan Garpenlöv, an assistant to Grönborg at the Olympics in Pyeongchang. Kalmeus says that Johan Garpenlövs' assistant coaches probably will be Marcus Ragnarsson and Markus Åkerblom.
Who's still on the team in 2026? This could be the last rodeo for Nicklas Backstrom, who will be 34 in Beijing and 38 in Milan. Other than that, pretty much every player on this roster has a chance at the 2026 roster (even a 36-year-old Erik Karlsson, as long as he stays healthy).
Finland
F1: Patrik Laine, Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen
F2: Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, Joel Armia
F3: Mikael Granlund, Roope Hintz, Joonas Donskoi
F4: Kasperi Kapanen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Kaapo Kakko
D1: Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Ristolainen
D2: Esa Lindell, Sami Vatanen
D3: Olli Maatta, Henri Jokiharju
Goalies: Tuukka Rask, Juuse Saros, Mikko Koskinen
Extra skaters: At forward, the Finns will have Erik Haula as a 30-year-old veteran hand who can fill a few roles. Montreal's Artturi Lehkonen, a hard-working forward and a linemate for both Kotkaniemi and Armia, could also be a reserve. On defense, Mikko Lehtonen could play himself into the top six if the KHL star thrives with the Maple Leafs next season. Markus Nutivaara of the Blue Jackets would be the other reserve.
Roster construction: Since 1992, the Finns have finished in the top three in men's hockey every Olympics save for 2002 and 2018, with one silver medal and four bronze. They earned a reputation for having tenacious offensive forwards and outstanding goaltending, and that tradition continues with this roster.
Barkov and Aho are a great one-two punch at center at both ends of the ice, and Hintz is from that same template. Laine and Rantanen are elite offensive talents on the top line, and Teravainen and Aho are a tremendous teammate duo from the Hurricanes. We're making a lot of assumptions here about the trajectory of young stars in Kakko and Kotkaniemi -- and getting in over players like Jesse Puljujarvi, Eeli Tolvanen and Henrik Borgstrom -- but they could be warranted.
On defense, Miro Heiskanen is Finnish for "Nicklas Lidstrom," in that he can control the ice in all three zones and be a rock they build their blue line around. Ristolainen, Lindell, Vatanen and Maata -- one of the few players here that will be over 30 -- are proven commodities.
Biggest strength: Scrabble word scores using the names on the roster. Just kidding, it's goaltending, as it has been for many years with the Finns. Rask will be 34, but his consistent play and previous international accomplishments -- eliminating the Russians and beating Team USA for the bronze in 2014 -- make him the odds-on choice here. But just as he has with Finnish legend Pekka Rinne in Nashville, Saros will give him a push for the gig. National team mainstay Koskinen edges some other worthy contenders for the third spot.
Biggest flaw: The biggest flaw for this Finland team might be its depth on the blue line beyond Heiskanen, which is serviceable but not on the level of Canada, the U.S. or Sweden.
Toughest player to leave off: In goal, both Joonas Korpisalo of the Blue Jackets and Antti Raanta of the Coyotes could stake a claim at that final goalie spot.
Coaching candidates: Jukka Jalonen led Finland to IIHF world championship gold in 2011 and 2019, and was signed last August to a new deal that runs through 2022.
Who's still on the team in 2026? We'll see some turnover in the depth positions and in goal, but players like Barkov, Laine, Rantanen, Kakko and Heiskanen are going to be mainstays for the Finns for the next two Olympics.
Russia
F1: Artemi Panarin, Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Kucherov
F2: Alex Ovechkin, Vadim Shipachyov, Vladimir Tarasenko
F3: Kirill Kaprizov, Artem Anisimov, Andrei Svechnikov
F4: Nikita Gusev, Ivan Barbashev, Valeri Nichushkin
D1: Ivan Provorov, Nikita Zaitsev
D2: Dmitry Orlov, Slava Voynov
D3: Mikhail Sergachev, Alexander Romanov
Goalies: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin
Extra skaters: Pavel Buchnevich, Evgenii Dadonov and Ilya Kovalchuk could all easily plug in at forward. Kovalchuk will be 38 by 2022, but his status with the national team (he has been a captain or alternate captain at Olympics and World Cups since 2009) should earn him some curry. Also don't discount a 35-year-old Alexander Radulov. Artyom Zub and Nikita Zadorov are good picks for extra defensemen.
Roster construction: The hardest decisions to make here are is net. Vasilevskiy, who is still in his prime, is your starter, flanked by Rangers hotshot rookie Shesterkin. Sorokin -- who just signed with the Islanders -- gets a slight nod over the Capitals' Ilya Samsonov. While Samsonov might have a better long-term projection, Sorokin has more of an international track record, and is older. While it feels unsavory leaving off national team stalwart in Sergei Bobrovsky (a two-time Vezina winner) that's the cost of doing business when you have an embarrassment of riches.
There are so many exciting combinations to play with in the forward group, but mostly all of the talent lies in the wings. Evgeny Kuznetsov will be serving his four-year IIHF ban, and therefore ineligible for the tournament. His presence could have put this Russia team over the top.
Biggest strength: Besides goaltending, the Russians' biggest strength is their wingers. A combination of Panarin, Kucherov, Ovechkin, Tarasenko, Kaprizov and Svechnikov sounds like a nightmare for opponents. This team could put up a ton of goals.
Biggest flaw: A weakness, however, is depth down the gut. Malkin is going to be 35 by this tournament, and the centers behind him aren't as talented. Kuznetsov's absence is missed.
Toughest player to leave off: Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Samsonov. Either could feasibly start on a half-dozen other Olympic rosters.
Coaching candidates: Ilya Vorobiev has been the Russian national team coach since 2018.
Who's still on the team in 2026? By 2026, it's going to be the Kirill Kaprizov show. He'll be the star attraction as Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk age out. As for the goalie situation for the Russians? It's going to be just as crowded.
Czech Republic
F1: Jakub Vrana, David Krejci, David Pastrnak
F2: Dominik Kubalik, Tomas Hertl, Jakub Voracek
F3: Filip Zadina, Martin Necas, Ondrej Kase
F4: Ondrej Palat, Radek Faksa, Dmitrij Jaskin
D1: Michal Kempny, Filip Hronek
D2: Jakub Jerabek, Radko Gudas
D3: Radim Simek, Tomas Kundratek
Goalies: Pavel Francouz, David Rittich, Petr Mrazek
Extra skaters: This isn't going to just be an NHL party, even if the roster is more NHL-heavy than their 2014 Sochi roster. Winger Milan Gulas will be 36 in 2022, but after scoring 76 points in 52 games last season for HC Plzen of the Czech league, he'll fill that "aged national icon" role we've seen filled by players like Petr Nedved (Czech), Teemu Selanne (Finland) and Tore Vikingstad (Norway) in the past. Center Jan Kovar, 30, has a wealth of international experience, including five points in six games in the 2018 Olympics. On defense, NHL veteran Jan Rutta and Rangers prospect Libor Hajek are at the ready.
Roster construction: The Czechs were a surprise semifinalist in 2018, eliminating the U.S. before losing to Canada in the bronze-medal game. The reintroduction of NHL players into the tournament means that Pastrnak, who tied for the lead in goals scored this season, would make his Olympic debut along with other talented first-timers like Hertl, Varna and Kase. Krejci was 23 when he played for the Czechs in Vancouver; Zadina, a brilliant offensive talent, would be 22, but we're projecting that he's on this roster.
Francouz's strong 2018 tournament should put him in the conversation for starter, with Calgary's David Rittich and Carolina's Petr Mrazek in the mix. They'll play behind a defense that has a good balance of puck-movers and brute force.
We're going under the assumption that this Czech team won't include a 50-year-old Jaromir Jagr, but never say never: He's already broken his "international play retirement" once and, well, he's Jaromir Jagr.
Biggest strength: The depth at forward, and the variety in that depth. Pastrnak, Krejci, Voracek and Hertl are all elite NHL players, or at least have been for stretches. Vrana, Kubalik, Necas and Zadina are on the way up. Faksa, Palat and Kase are the kind of glue guys a successful team needs.
Biggest flaw: The blue line. In 2014, the national team had Tomas Kaberle, Zbynek Michalek and Marek Zidlicky. This group doesn't have that caliber of player, although Hronek could get to that level eventually.
Toughest player to leave off: Dominik Simon and Pavel Zacha both have their virtues and could make this squad in the end, but telling Rangers prospect Filip Chytil he'll have to wait until 2026 because Gulas and Kover made it as reserves was a tough conversation.
Coaching candidates: Filip Pesan, 42, was the surprise replacement for Czech coaching icon Milos Riha, after the 2020 IIHF world championships were canceled. Among his assistant coaches: former NHLers Jaroslav Spacek and Martin Straka.
Who's still on the team in 2026? Pastrnak is now the standard-bearer for Czech hockey, and will have some outstanding forwards along with him in 2026 like Zadina, Necas and Hertl, who will be only 32 by then.
Other NHL stars we expect to see
The six teams listed above, along with Germany, Switzerland and China, have qualified for the 2022 Games.
Slovakia, Latvia and Norway are hosting qualification tourneys for the three remaining slots. Other teams that could make it from those tournaments include: Belarus, Austria, Poland (Slovakia group); France, Italy, Hungary (Latvia group); Denmark, South Korea, Slovenia (Norway group).
Germany
Leon Draisaitl, C: The Edmonton Oilers MVP candidate is 65 points away from tying Marco Sturm (487) for most points in the NHL for a German-born player ... and he has played 516 fewer games.
Moritz Seider, D: Drafted No. 6 overall in 2019 by the Detroit Red Wings, he's a solid two-way defenseman with a high hockey IQ.
Tim Stutzle, LW: Not a star yet. In fact, he'll only be 20 years old for the 2022 games, but the game-breaking forward is projected to go No. 3 overall in the 2020 NHL draft by ESPN's Chris Peters.
Switzerland
Roman Josi, D: After getting relegated to "Team Europe" in the last NHL best-on-best tournament in 2016, the Swiss are going to ice a talented group in 2022. None more talented than Josi, the Predators' elite defenseman and a probably Norris Trophy finalist this season.
Nico Hischier, C: The first overall pick in 2017, the Devils' center should have blossomed into the top tier two-way center he projects to become by 2022.
Kevin Fiala, RW: The Wild winger matched his career high in goals this season (23) and needed only 65 games to hit it.
China
Brandon Yip, RW: Remember him? Yip played for the Avalanche, Predators and Coyotes before moving on to the Kunlun Red Star in the KHL beginning in 2017. He's one of a handful of players with Chinese heritage looking to suit up for the national team, which gets an automatic spot in the men's hockey tournament as host.
Slovakia
Tomas Tatar, RW: The Canadiens forward appeared for Slovakia in Sochi and played for Team Europe in the World Cup.
Andrej Sekera, D: The 14-year NHL vet will be 35 years old in Beijing. But as captain of the 2019 World Cup team, he'd probably be back.
Latvia
Elvis Merzlikins, G: The Blue Jackets' rookie sensation could put a scare into some big favorites if Latvia earns one of the last three spots in the tournament.
Norway
Mats Zuccarello, RW: The all-time points leader for Norwegian players in NHL history will be 35 when the 2022 Winter Olympics arrive ... and will have two more years on his deal with the Wild.
Denmark
Frederik Andersen, G: The Toronto Maple Leafs netminder was too young for the 2014 Games and didn't get a chance to represent Denmark in 2018. But in 2022, if the Danes qualify, it has to be his crease.
Nikolaj Ehlers, F: The Winnipeg Jets' explosive forward is fourth on the all-time scoring list for NHL Danes in just 369 games played.
Lars Eller, F: The Washington Capitals forward scored two goals and three assists in three World Championship appearances for Denmark in 2019.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, F: The Columbus Blue Jackets forward scored 44 goals in 126 games over the past two seasons. He's just 25, and coming into his own.
Slovenia
Anze Kopitar, C: If Slovenia makes the cut, you know the Kings' star is going to suit up. He'll be 34 for the 2022 Games.