When the Colorado Avalanche aren’t scheduled, we always miss the burgundy and blue. However, When the Winter Olympics kick off in 2026, we will still get to see some of the beset players on the team suit up and hit the ice in Italy.
Earlier on Monday, I wrote about the news of Gabriel Landeskog making Team Sweden’s preliminary reveal. However, the list of Avalanche players who are going to suit up at the event didn’t stop there with No. 92.
For Team Canada, the Avalanche will be sending Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Those two elections are not a surprise whatsoever. We can add this accomplishment to both of their respective careers. With the Olympics announcement, they can lift their heads proudly for their Country. Personally, I don’t think that either MacKinnon or Makar needed this to make it obvious for their Hall of Fame fight, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have it on their résumé. They’re two of the best hockey players in the world, both winning league awards recently.
The two Canadian Avalanche players will join Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Sam Reinhart and Brayden Point as the preliminary team. We’ll have to wait and see if Devon Toews gets named to Team Canada, too. MacKinnon, Makar and Toews all made the 4 Nations Canada team, so it wouldn’t shock me to see Toews make this team as well.
Lastly, Martin Necas, acquired this past season from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Mikko Rantanen trade, has made Team Czechia’s preliminary team. Necas will join the likes of David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Radko Gudas, Lukas Dostal, and Ondrej Palat on Team Czechia. Necas had 27 goals and 56 assists during the 2024-25 season, between the Hurricanes and Avalanche.
He’s really fit in well with the Avalanche, though we would love to have seen more production in the postseason. Still, it’s a huge accomplishment for the 26 year old.
I’m definitely curious to see who else rounds out the rest of the rosters. Could we see someone like Toews make it for Team Canada? Will they add a third Avalanche player to that team? In the future, I’d love to see Mackenzie Blackwood make Team Canada, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t happen this year.
The Winter Olympics hockey will take place in Milano Cortina in 2026 from February 11 to February 22.