The NHL and IIHF have announced the first six players on each country's roster for February's Olympics. The NHL, of course, is returning to the Olympics in Milan for the first time in 12 years. In 2018, the players wanted to go, but the owners said no. Then they worked it into the CBA and the NHL players were set to go in 2022, but they had to pull out because of COVID-related scheduling issues.
As a result of that 12-year absence from the Olympics, there's a group of hockey players who would've been locks for their respective national teams in either 2018 or 2022 (or maybe both) that will end up never having been Olympians at all. Twelve years is a long time, yet they'll have gone the entire prime of their careers missing out on that opportunity. Some of them may still be selected for their nation's roster in February, but there's no guarantee of that. And, if they don't make the team in 2026, the chances of their playing in 2030 are slim to none.
One name I immediately thought of was Jonathan Quick. Had the NHL played at the 2018 Olympics, he likely would've been the starting goalies for the U.S. However, Quick was Ryan Miller's backup in 2014, so he doesn't count as non-Olympians. Same with Marc-Andre Fleury, who won a gold medal as Roberto Luongo's backup in 2010 (yes, he's that old!). These 10 players, though, completely missed out because of the NHL's taking two Olympics off.
Johnny Gaudreau (USA): Obviously, the reasons for this one are tragic. You can bet Johnny Hockey would've been in the mix for the Olympic roster, and you can tell how much his absence is felt. His jersey hung in the USA locker room at the Four Nations Face-Off and was draped over the championship trophy at the World Championships. There's no question he would've been on both the 2018 and 2022 Olympic rosters.
Chris Kreider (USA): Kreider was on the American roster at the Four Nations, but was a healthy scratch in the first two games. It's highly unlikely that he'll make the 2026 Olympic team. The 2021-22 season, meanwhile, was the best of his career, so he almost certainly would've been on the roster in Beijing had the NHL participated.
Seth Jones (USA): There's still a chance Seth Jones could be selected to Team USA for the 2026 Olympics. But he wasn't on the Four Nations roster even as an alternate, so you've got to think he'll need to do something special to earn a spot on the Olympic team. That wasn't the case in 2022, when he was actually one of the first players named to the roster while the NHL was still planning on going. It would be brutal if that's the closest he ends up coming to being an Olympian.
Kris Letang (CAN): How crazy is it that Kris Letang hasn't been on a Canadian National Team since the 2007 World Juniors? I get that Canada is deep and that he's never been one of the best defensemen in the NHL, but you'd have to think he would've been selected to at least one of those two Olympic teams (almost certainly 2018). In 2026, he's got no chance.
Claude Giroux (CAN): Claude Giroux is another one whose prime corresponded to the span between NHL Olympic appearances. He was controversially left off Canada's roster in 2014 despite being a Hart Trophy finalist that season. Four years later, he was one of the best damn players in the NHL! There's no doubt he would've been on the team in 2018, and it's not a stretch to say he would've made it in 2022, as well. In 2026, Giroux likely won't even be considered.
Taylor Hall (CAN): Yes, Taylor Hall is still playing in the NHL. He won the Hart Trophy with the Devils in 2017-18, so you'd have to think he would've been on Canada's Olympic roster that year. That was obviously when he was at his peak. Hall's career has cratered since then to the point that he's not even in the discussion for 2026, and likely wouldn't have been in 2022, either.
Jonathan Marchessault (CAN): Would Marchessault have been on Canada's roster during his breakout season with the expansion Golden Knights in 2017-18? Probably not. Would he have made it in 2022? Not a guarantee, but I think yes. He'd established himself by then. And that was likely his only chance to make a Canadian Olympic team, too. While I think Marchessault could be in the running for Milan, I doubt he'll ultimately be selected.
Braden Holtby (CAN): It's not crazy to think that Holtby might've been Canada's starting goalie in 2018. He was arguably the best goalie in the NHL then, winning the Vezina in 2015-16, allowing the fewest goals in the league in 2016-17, and leading Washington to the Stanley Cup in 2017-18. At the very least, he would've been one of the three goalies on their Olympic roster that year.
Pekka Rinne (FIN): I know what you're thinking. "How was Pekka Rinne not on Finland's Olympic roster in 2014?" Because he was injured, that's why (although, he did lead Finland to silver at the World Championships later that year). Meanwhile, in 2017-18, when he would've been Finland's unquestioned Olympic starter, he won the Vezina. Rinne's retired now, and his replacement in Nashville, Juuse Saros, also replaced him as Finland's starting goalie.
Nikita Kucherov (RUS): This one gets an asterisk since Nikia Kucherov would certainly be on Russia's roster (or whatever we're calling Russia these days) in 2026 if they were allowed to participate. Just like how he absolutely would've been on OAR's gold medal-winning team in 2018 and ROC's 2022 roster. Although, he'll be 36 and presumably still playing at a high level in 2030, so it wouldn't surprise me if he finally makes his long-awaited Olympic debut in the French Alps.
Of course, the opposite is also true. Those players who did participate in the 2018 and 2022 Olympic hockey tournaments wouldn't have gotten that opportunity had the NHL gone to either PyeongChang or Beijing. So, the NHL players' loss was their gain. Still, though, you can't help but wonder might've been for the NHL players who lost what might've been their only chances to play in the Olympics.
I'm a sports guy with lots of opinions (obviously about sports mostly). I love the Olympics, baseball, football and college basketball. I couldn't care less about college football and the NBA. I started this blog in 2010, and the name "Joe Brackets" came from the Slice Man, who was impressed that I picked Spain to win the World Cup that year.
Monday, June 16, 2025
Non-Olympians
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