For every team, we’ll have one question, a look at the lineup, and their path to victory (plus any other lingering notes). The lines are courtesy of PuckPedia and subject to change.

Denmark

Question: Can Denmark be a tough nation to prepare for?

One of the coolest stories in hockey’s recent history is how a small town in Denmark (Herning) produced five NHLers. Fast forward to 2026, and a handful of them are on the Olympic team, making them a fun and frisky group.

Projected Lineup

Forwards

Oliver Björkstrand – Lars Eller – Nikolaj Ehlers

Nicklas Jensen – Oscar Fisker Molgaard – Joachim Blichfeld

Morten Poulsen – Alexander True – Patrick Russell

Mathias Bau-Hansen – Christian Wejse – Frederik Storm

Defense

Markus Lauridsen -Matias Lassen

Anders Koch – Jesper Jensen Aabo

Oliver Lauridsen – Phillip Bruggisser

Goaltending

Frederik Andersen

Mads Sodaard

It’s worth noting that Nicklas Jensen is not the same Nick Jensen that Washington Capitals fans know (along with the latter retiring, he plays defense). The top line will create a few fun games and keep Denmark in them. Nikolaj Ehlers is a star and can go off in a game or two while Frederik Andersen can add stability in the net. Otherwise, Denmark is holding its collective breath.

The Path to Gold (or a Medal) for Denmark

Denmark might steal a game, and if Frederik Andersen stands on his head, they’ll make it out of the group stage. That said, it’s an uphill battle for them, even if the top line is playing at a high level.

France

Question: Aside from Alexandre Texier, who else will a casual hockey fan know on the French team?

There’s a naming names moment with the French hockey team. Pierre-Édouard Bellemare spent 10 years in the NHL with stints on the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken. He’s 40 now but none of that matters since he finally takes the stage as the top-line center for France.

Projected Lineup

Forwards

Sacha Treille – Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – Alexandre Texier

Anthony Rech – Nicolas Ritz – Jordann Perret

Dylan Fabre – Aurélien Dair – Charles Bertrand

Justin Addamo – Stéphane Da Costa – Kevin Bozon

Defense

Yohann Auvito – Thomas Thiry

Pierre Crinon – Enzo Guebey

Jules Boscq – Enzo Cantagallo

Goaltending

Jullian Junca

Antoine Keller

AHL fans will be slightly disappointed to see that Benoit-Olivier Groulx isn’t on this team. He spent three years in the Anaheim Ducks organization before joining the Hartford Wolf Pack and is currently a key veteran on the Toronto Marlies. Maybe helping the prospects develop is more important than representing your country?

The Path to Gold (or Medal) for France

Like Italy, they need the ice to turn into grass and the puck to become a ball. Otherwise, they’ve got as good a shot of winning a medal at the Olympics as someone reading this being at the Olympics.

Italy

Question: How many of these players are actually on NHL rosters?

The short answer is one. It’s Damian Clara, a 21-year-old goaltender in the Anaheim Ducks organization. Clara, however, has never played a game at the NHL level, spending most of his time overseas aside from two games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the San Diego Gulls. That might tell you all you need to know about the chances of Italy winning. Not a medal, but a game.

Projected Lineup

Forwards

Dustin Gazley – Matthew Bradley – Tommy Purdeller

Christiano Digiacinto – Alex Petan – Nick Saracino

Luca Frigo – Mikael Frycklund – Alessandro Segafredo

Giovanni Morini – Daniel Mantenuto – Marco Zanetti

Defense

Luca Zanatta – Greg DiTomaso

Alex Trivellato – Thomas Larkin

Jason Seed – Phil Pietroniro

Goaltending

Damian Clara

Davide Fadano

The Path to Gold (or a Medal) for Italy

Unless all the ice in Italy melts, is replaced with grass, and the puck turns into a soccer ball, it’s unlikely Italy will win a game in the Olympics. But hey, at least they made it, and that makes it all worthwhile.

Latvia

Question: What’s the position of stretch for Latvia?

Presumably, the goaltending is what will make or break them, as Latvia has two NHL-level goaltenders. If Elvis Merzlikins struggles, they can turn to Arturs Silovs, who has a history of playing well on the big stage. It’s worth adding that Latvia has a few intriguing names elsewhere as well, including some young prospects who can turn heads.

Projected Lineup

Forwards

Sandis Vilmanis – Teddy Blueger – Zemgus Girgensons

Eduards Tralmaks – Dans Locmelis – Martins Dzierkals

Anri Ravinskis – Remars Krastenbergs – Kaspars Daugavins

Rudolfs Balcers – Oskars Batna – Rihards Bukarts

Defense

Uvis Balinskis – Kristians Rubins

Aberts Smits – Ralfs Freibergs

Kristaps Zile – Janis Jaks

Goaltending

Elvis Merzlikins

Arturs Silovs

Many prospect gurus will point to Alberts Smits as the sleeper name to watch. The young defenseman stood out in the World Juniors tournament, and many draft experts see him as a top-five pick. A strong tournament against the world’s best will make it hard to ignore the defenseman’s upside. The other young name to watch is Dans Locmelis, who has emerged as a top prospect and dynamic scorer for the Boston Bruins, with 15 goals in Providence this season, so maybe he nets a few big ones.

The Path to Gold (or Medal) for Latvia

It probably involves Silovs taking over as the starting goaltender and putting together a Cinderella run. It’s what happened in his junior days and in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks last season. So, maybe when the pressure is on, he’s at his best. With him stepping up and the NHLers overachieving, Latvia can go on a run.