Jan 10, 2026
3 min read
Several members of the Colorado Avalanche have been selected to join their national teams for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Several Colorado Avalanche skaters receive invitations to join national teams in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
It has been 11 years since NHL players last represented their country's teams at the Winter Olympics.The tournament ends with players competing to represent their countries at the highest level of hockey in Milan, Italy, which will include several Colorado Ice hockey players.
A number of AV skaters were recently selected by their national teams to compete in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
Avis has been selected for the Milan Cortina Games
- Defender Kale Makar - Canadian team
- Defender Devon Toews - Team Canada
Forward Nathan MacKinnon -- Team Canada
- Forward Martin Nex -- Team Czechia
- Striker Arturi Lekkonen -- Team Finland
- Forward Joel Kiviranta - Finland
- Forward Gabriel Landskog - Swedish team
-Forward Brock Nelson -- Team USA
Unfortunately, in the world of hockey, injuries can happen at any time.Since the Olympic selection, Toews and Landeskog have suffered injuries during the NHL season.So their status with the Avs and their countries remains up in the air.
The Avs got big games from Canadians Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood.However, after the announcement of Team Canada's starting list, the two defensemen were left with no choice.
Colorado will also be represented by someone born in the state.Honorable mention goes to defenseman Jacob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes, who hails from Denver and joins Nelson on Team USA's Olympic roster.
Despite the excitement of returning NHL players to the Olympics, the equipment used by the men's and women's national teams has been in serious trouble.Construction of the arena is behind schedule, and it has already been confirmed that the rinks are below standard measurements for an authorized NHL rink.The two center rinks in Milan will be smaller than what NHL and PWHL players are used to.
According to the Associated Press, key parts of the rink are not guaranteed to be completed when puck drops for the first women's game on February 5 and the first men's game on February 11, however, the head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said the ice surfaces will be ready for players on schedule.
The Cortina Games in Milan will begin on February 4 and run through February 22. The final day of the Winter Olympics also includes the men's ice hockey gold medal game.The women's ice hockey gold medal game will be played the day before, February 19.
