WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan are 100 days away, marking the first time in 12 years that NHL players will compete for their countries in the Olympics.
The Florida Panthers are well-represented among the preliminary rosters announced by the 12 participating countries in June. Four Panthers players made the initial cuts for their respective teams.
Matthew Tkachuk will represent Team USA, while Sam Reinhart earned a spot on Team Canada's roster. Uvis Balinskis will play for Latvia, and captain Aleksander Barkov was selected for Finland, though he is currently injured and will not participate in Milan.
Additional players are expected to be added to the rosters in the coming months.
Several Panthers players expressed their excitement about the opportunity during media day interviews.
"It's been a huge motivating factor for almost 15 years now, ever since I kinda had a taste back in 2014 of going to that camp," Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. "It's by far the biggest goal I think I've ever had."
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad echoed those sentiments about representing his country.
"It's certainly a heavy motivator trying to play for the Olympic team," Ekblad said. "It's going to be an extreme focus for me."
For Balinskis, this marks a return trip to the Olympics. He competed in 2022 before joining the NHL, recording three assists over four games for Latvia.
"To do it with Team Latvia will be a great honor," Balinskis said.
The Panthers' Olympic involvement extends beyond players. General Manager Bill Zito serves as assistant general manager for Team USA. Assistant coach Myles Fee will help coach Team Sweden, while assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu joins Finland's coaching staff.
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