One of the most exciting events of this past season was the league's pause to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, allowing NHL players to play for the first time since 2014. The 4 Nations tournament last February was a big reason for that, with the return of best-on-best hockey being rejuvenated by a pair of collisions between the United States and Canada.
The Hurricanes sent five players to the Winter Games in February, with Nikolaj Ehlers and Frederik Andersen representing Denmark, Sebastian Aho putting up big numbers and winning bronze with Finland, Seth Jarvis getting the late call and claiming the silver for Canada, and Jaccob Slavin helping the Americans win the gold medal for the first time since 1980.
There are many reasons for the league preventing players from participating in the tournaments in 2018 and 2022. Marketing and financial issues kept them out of Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018, while the COVID-19 pandemic and games being rescheduled in 2021-22 kept them out of Beijing. It was a long-time coming, so I'm happy that things worked out for the 2026 Games.
Representing your country is a massive honor for any player in any sport, and many of the best in hockey get to do so at the junior level. However, accomplishing something with the national team on the senior level is the dream, and claiming Olympic gold is the ultimate goal. While some Hurricanes got their chance this year, others missed their window.
So, let's pull the veil back a little and discuss who might've represented the Hurricanes in South Korea and China in 2018 and 2022, respectively. What would've happened if the NHL allowed players to participate in each? How well represented would the Hurricanes have been at each Winter Games? And, most importantly, who might've come home with Olympic hardware?
The 2018 Winter Games likely would've been light on Hurricanes
Without NHL players present, the Olympic Athletes from Russia took home the gold, though that team was stacked with good talent. They were led by captain Pavel Datsyuk and alternate captain Ilya Kovalchuk. They also had Vladislav Gavrikov and Artem Zub on defense, Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin as backups, and the youngest player on the team was Kirill Kaprizov. Not a bad group.
After breaking down the 2017-18 Hurricanes roster, there were a few names that initially stood out to me as possibilities. The most promising was a quartet of American defensemen under 25 years old, Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin, Justin Faulk, and Jaccob Slavin. However, I had to take my 2026 lenses off and re-evaluate their careers leading into the 2018 Games.
Pesce, Hanifin, and Slavin were all in their third years in the NHL, and Slavin hadn't quite reached his "most underrated" or "best defensive defenseman" status yet. Faulk had been around the block a little longer, and he'd represented the Hurricanes at the All-Star Game during the last three seasons. However, he wasn't off to the best start that season, allowing Hanifin to get the All-Star nod.
It's not completely out of the realm of belief that one of Faulk or Hanifin could've gotten the call to represent the United States. Based on this season alone, it would likely be Hanifin serving as the extra defenseman, but Faulk's history and right-handed shot might be what gives him the edge. Regardless, I don't think the odds are working in either of their favor, but one could've gotten in.
There were a few others who felt like they could've been in the early conversation but were unlikely to get in. The Canadian forward group is arguably the toughest in the world to crack, and Jeff Skinner would've been the only Hurricane within miles to sniff it. For Sweden, Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask could've snuck on, but I'd put their odds very low.
The only two players I felt confidently would've made their teams, dare I say locks, were a pair of Finns in Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Both players were among the highest-scoring Finnish forwards in the league to start the season. Aho, at just 20, was already turning into a star, and Teravainen was right there with him, finishing first and second in team scoring for the Canes.
2018 Olympians: Sebastian Aho (FIN), Teuvo Teravainen (FIN), Noah Hanifin (USA)
The Canes' pool gets a little bigger for the 2022 Winter Olympics
While initially expected to participate during the 2022 cycle, the pandemic messed everything up, keeping NHL players at home once more. Finland, led by captain Valtteri Filppula and former Hurricane Sami Vatanen, won gold over the defending world champion Russian Olympic Committee in a tight 2-1 contest to close the tournament.
Both Aho and Teravainen would've remained locks to make Finland. By now, Aho had grown into one of the most well-rounded players in the league, guaranteeing him a spot in Finland's Top 6. Meanwhile, Teravainen was still a strong two-way winger, adding depth to a good Finnish forward group. They're the only two players on the team representing the Canes twice.
However, they aren't the only locks to participate in the Olympics. Frederik Andersen, who'd been one of the best goalies in the league in 2021-22, is an easy pick to start for Denmark. Nino Niederreiter also makes it as one of Switzerland's first picks. Lastly, Martin Necas gets the call for Czechia, despite still not quite being his most dynamic self yet. Already, the Canes are off to a good start.
There are several close calls. I have Jesperi Kotkaniemi falling just short for the Finnish team, though I could see him making it as a winger. I also think Pesce fails to crack the American defensive core, with Brady Skjei joining him as a late cut. Vincent Trocheck is another player that I contemplated for the Americans. Jesper Fast was someone I looked at in a depth role for Sweden, but he falls short, too.
This still leaves me with three Hurricanes who I think make their final rosters. Antti Raanta wouldn't be Finland's starter, but his work backing up Andersen in a limited capacity could make him the backup or third string. Andrei Svechnikov also deserves a nod for the Russians as a young middle-six fit. Lastly, I think Slavin gets the call for the U.S. after coming so close in 2018.
2022 Olympians: Sebastian Aho (FIN), Teuvo Teravainen (FIN), Antti Raanta (FIN), Frederik Andersen (DEN), Martin Necas (CZE), Nino Niederreiter (SWI), Andrei Svechnikov (ROC), Jaccob Slavin (USA)
Playing for Canada, the U.S., Russia, Finland, or Sweden is more likely to give you a leg up when trying to win a medal. I threw together a quick simulation using the fixtures from the 2018 and 2022 Games and found that to be the case. I had some variation of Canada, the U.S., and Russia on the podium in both years, making Svechnikov and Slavin the only Hurricanes with medals before 2026.
If we could go back in time to allow NHL players to play in the Olympics, I would do it in a heartbeat. Hockey is at its most entertaining when the best players in the world are going at it with something meaningful on the line. It didn't happen during these two cycles, but I'm glad it's back now. Still, "3-time Olympian and Stanley Cup champion, Sebastian Aho" would sound pretty cool.
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