With just over two months before the start of the 2026 Olympics in Milan, there continue to be concerns from the NHL and NHLPA about the main hockey rink not being complete and potentially untested until a few weeks before the start of the games.
As for the individual nations competing in the tournament, decisions on their 25-man rosters - due on Dec. 31 - have been impacted by injuries.
Team Finland’s chances of medalling took a significant hit when Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov suffered ACL and MCL injuries during training camp.
Meanwhile, Team Canada’s depth between the pipes has become further in question with Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill out of action since mid-October.
Three NHL Forwards Who May Have Played Their Way Off Team CanadaWhile there is an argument for several players to make Team Canada, other players from last year's 4 Nations Face-Off roster will need to be cut to make that room. Who are those players?However, those injuries seem minor by comparison to the plethora of players slated to make Team USA on injured reserve. With six key players on the mend, USA Hockey have had poor luck regarding the health of its players.
Panthers left winger Matthew Tkachuk was injured in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off last February and missed the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season. Later, he returned to play in every playoff game in the Panthers' second-straight Cup victory.
After undergoing off-season surgery to treat a sports hernia and a torn adductor, Tkachuk has started skating and could be back in action by December, according to The Hockey News' David Dwork.
Matthew's brother, and Ottawa Senators captain, Brady Tkachuk, suffered a broken thumb courtesy of Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi on Oct. 13 and is on a six-to-eight-week recovery timeline following surgery.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who missed 15 games last season due to injury and scored a career-low 33 goals, has been out since Nov. 11 following contact from Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
Matthews is practising again, and it is expected that he will return to the Leafs' lineup at some point during their current six-game road swing that goes through November and the beginning of December.
In a freak accident at a dinner, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes suffered a finger which required surgery. He is going to be re-evaluated six weeks following surgery, with a six-to-eight estimated timeline, which could pass the Dec. 31st roster deadline. USA Hockey will have to be certain of his availability before putting him on the roster.
Jack Hughes' Freak Injury Joins A Long List Of NHL's Unusual Off-Ice SetbacksIt's not every day an NHL player requires surgery after injuring themselves at a team dinner. But from eating pancakes to fixing bagpipes, Jack Hughes' freak incident doesn't stand alone.Boston’s Charlie McAvoy was a key contributor on the back end for the Americans at 4 Nations, but missed the remainder of the regular season with a shoulder injury, resulting in a staph infection.
McAvoy has led the resurgent Bruins to the top of the Atlantic Division at different points this season, but on Nov. 15, he took a slapshot to the face in a victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that McAvoy’s timeline depends on how he heals from facial surgery, but that the expectation is he’ll be able to return for the Olympics.
And if that were not enough, on Friday, it was announced that three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was undergoing knee surgery and will be out four-to-six weeks.
Once again, the timeline has Hellebuyck returning to action well before players leave for Italy, but if the Americans have any hope of unseating Canada, who have the most gold medals in men's ice hockey in Olympic history, they will need most, if not all, of these players in top form when next February rolls around.
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