Marner, Stone and Theodore will join Vegas’ head coach Bruce Cassidy for Canada’s team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in February

Over the past few days, Bill Guerin’s entire management team converged on Minnesota in the middle of a blizzard to make the final decisions on the men’s hockey roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

Who will make Team USA's Olympic hockey roster? The Sporting News gives its final projections ahead of the roster reveal.

Beyond Horvat and Schaefer, the only Islanders to be considered potential Olympic candidates are Swedish forwards Emil Heineman and Simon Holmstrom. Both are likely longshots, though Heineman has been impressive this season in elevating himself into a top-six role after playing in a bottom-six role as a Canadiens’ rookie last season.

The United States heaved on the rope in 2025 in its women’s hockey tug of war with Canada. Their rivalry is constant, but the stakes rise in the year preceding the Winter Olympics. Canada won one of eight meetings against its nemesis in 2025.

NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Monday he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts for his weekly notes column, “Zizing 'Em Up,” to preview the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.