Lightning players named to preliminary 2026 Olympic rosters

Countries competing in next year’s Winter Olympics in Italy are announcing the first six players on their hockey rosters, and the Lightning’s representation is headlined by captain Victor Hedman, who is slated to participate in the Games for the first time in his 17th NHL season.

Hedman, 34, has represented Sweden in 10 international tournaments, but has never been able to play for the Three Crowns in the Olympics. He was slated to play for Sweden in the 2022 Beijing Games, but the NHL was forced to pull out to make up missed contests due to COVID cancellations.

Hedman recently captained Team Sweden in February’s inaugural 4 Nations Faceoff, a league-organized showcase event that was a successful springboard for the Olympics, where NHL players will participate for the first time since 2014.

The 4 Nations, won by a Canada team coached by the Lightning’s Jon Cooper, perfectly showcased the international pride the players from the four competing countries had, highlighted by two intense meetings between the United States and Canada.

The Olympics will be a much broader event that should have even more flair competing on a larger stage in Milan.

Also named to Olympic rosters: Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons will represent Latvia. Girgensons, 31, has played in 46 international games for Latvia, including the 2014 Sochi Olympics on a team that advanced to the quarterfinals.

Defenseman Erik Cernak, 28, was named to Slovakia’s preliminary roster, and right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand, 30, was one of the first six named to Denmark’s lineup. Both players will be making their Olympic debuts.

Preliminary games for the Olympics begin Feb. 11 and end with the gold-medal game on Feb. 22.