The Chicago Blackhawks are getting set for the beginning of the 2025-26 season, which will mark 100 years of NHL hockey in the city of Chicago.
One of the key points on the calendar this year is the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Milan, Italy, in February. A handful of Chicago Blackhawks players are coming into the year hoping that there is a chance that they will represent their country in the ice hockey games.
This is the first time that the NHL will go to the Olympics since the Sochi games in 2014. Back then, the Blackhawks had a lot more “locks” to make rosters. Now, guys will have to fight to make teams.
There are seven players on the roster right now who have a shot to crack a squad. Nothing is guaranteed at this point, but a strong start could get any of these players named.
Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard spent all summer working on his skating. He believes that if he improves his stride and edges by even a little bit, his offensive game will be taken to another level. For being one of the most successful teenagers in recent NHL history, you have to admire his determination to get even better. The work ethic matches his natural skill.
Bedard has a chance to make Team Canada at the Olympics, although it is going to be hard. Canada is one of, if not the deepest, teams in the entire tournament. There are seven or eight superstars who are locks to make the roster in terms of forwards, and Bedard would have to be one of the players who earn one of the final few spots.
For Bedard to make the team, he must come out of the gate extremely hot. They don’t have much time to submit their rosters, so players are going to have to start proving themselves early.
Frank Nazar
Frank Nazar was one of Team USA’s three best players when they won the Gold Medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. That certainly got him noticed by the brass in charge of selecting the team.
During the off-season, the Blackhawks paid Nazar for what they believe he is going to become, with very little NHL experience. Now, he is set out to prove that he is worth his money. In the process, that could make him a realistic candidate for the Olympic team.
Although Nazar has the potential to be a high-end scorer, there is more to building a Gold Medal caliber hockey team. They will have to have some speed, use forwards who can defend using said speed, and there will be penalties to kill. Nazar helps with all of those skills.
Alex Vlasic
Team USA has a handful of offense-minded defensemen. The type of “best in the world” guys who can generate 80+ point seasons include guys like Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski. Outside of them, great two-way players are needed for the blue line. Even someone like Jaccob Slavin, who is entirely defensive-minded with very little offensive contribution, is a lock to be on the team.
If Team USA wants another defenseman who isn’t going to light up the score sheet but will always be in a good position and understands situational hockey, Vlasic is worth considering.
It should be noted that both Vlasic and Nazar were invited to Team USA’s orientation camp, which they held late in the summer with all of the players who have a chance to be on the team.
Teuvo Teravainen
Teuvo Teravainen, unless he’s hurt or has a truly brutal start to the season, will be a forward on Team Finland. With Sasha Barkov out for the year, they need all of the firepower that they can get.
Teravainen has had some chemistry with Sebastian Aho in the past when they were Carolina Hurricanes teammates, and that should be revisited again here.
In his first season back with the Blackhawks, Teravainen was about as productive as you’d expect with 15 goals and 43 assists for 58 points. As one of the veterans on the team now, he leads both on and off the ice. If Teuvo can increase his goal-scoring total by 5-10 more goals, he may even play a more prominent role for Finland by the time they get to Italy.
Arvid Soderblom
Last year, for the 4-Nations Face-Off, Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, and Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators were originally selected for Team Sweden’s goal.
When Markstrom was forced to miss due to injury, Samuel Errson of the Philadelphia Flyers was named to be the replacement over Arvid Soderblom, which was a 50/50 decision at that point.
Now, if one of Sweden’s big three wasn’t able to go for some reason, Soderblom would have a case to be named this time around. He went with Sweden to the IIHF World Championships, so their staff is aware of his ability to play the net well.
Andre Burakovsky
Andre Burakovsky is a long shot to be one of Team Sweden’s depth forwards, but he has a shot nonetheless. He has had NHL seasons where he would be in consideration, but it just hasn’t been great for him since going to the Seattle Kraken.
If Burakovsky comes to the Blackhawks, gains chemistry with someone like Bedard or Nazar, and starts really hot, Team Sweden could think twice about passing on someone with his skillset. Even if there is an injury to one of their forwards, Burakovsky is someone to consider as a replacement.
Lukas Reichel
Lukas Reichel, who is probably the least proven player on this list, is the only one who is a lock to make his team because he’s already been named as one of Team Germany’s “first six”.
The reason for that is that Germany isn’t as deep as some of the other hockey countries. With stars like Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, and Moritz Seider there, they have a chance to make some noise, but Reichel is technically one of their five or six best forwards.
Milan is going to host some of the best hockey that the world has ever seen. As the 4-Nations Face-Off (which is never going to have the prestige of the Olympics) showed, the best-on-best is a treat. If the Chicago Blackhawks are involved, these are the players you may see.
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