From teammates to rivals: Panthers players to watch at Milan Cortina Olympics

The Florida Panthers will be well represented at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with ten players set to hit the ice and compete for gold.

The Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament will run from Feb. 12-22 and NHL players are competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, when Canada defeated Sweden for gold.

As for the Panthers, players will be putting on the sweaters of five different countries as they go from teammates to rivals for ten days

Here’s a look at which Panthers players are participating.

Team USA

Forward Matthew Tkachuk will be donning the red, white and blue for Team USA as he seeks to add an Olympic medal to his growing resume.

Tkachuk has helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups but spent much of the NHL regular season on the sidelines after undergoing surgery last summer to repair some injuries. He made his return on Jan. 19.

The 28-year-old Tkachuk will be joined by his younger brother Brady at the Olympics. The pair have become two of the biggest names in USA Hockey after their thrilling run at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

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Unfortunately, Tkachuk’s Panthers teammate, Seth Jones, who had been named to the U.S. team, won’t be making the trip to Milan after suffering an injury in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. Jones had joined the Panthers in a trade last year and help them win the Cup.

Panthers GM Bill Zito is serving as Team USA’s assistant general manager while Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards is USA’s equipment manager in Milan.

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Team Canada

Canada defeated Team USA 3-2 in overtime of the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the help of multiple Panthers who are set to play in Milan.

Veteran forward Brad Marchand will be among those leading Canada at the Olympics, after representing his country in multiple other tournaments in the past.

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The 37-year-old was traded to Florida from the Boston Bruins last season and helped lead the Cats to their second Cup.

Joining Marchand for Canada in Milan will be Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart, who will be playing in his first Olympics.

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Reinhart, 30, won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Panthers and has previously represented Canada in World Championships and World Junior Championships.

After initially being left off Canada’s roster, Sam Bennett was named as a replacement for injured Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.

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Bennett, 29, has also been a member of the back-to-back Cup teams with the Panthers, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy last year as the MVP of the playoffs.

Team Finland

Finland heads to Milan as the reigning gold medal winners in men’s hockey following their triumph at the 2022 games in Beijing, albeit without NHL players.

This year, the Fins will head to Milan without Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during Florida’s training camp in September.

Charlie McAvoy, one of the NHL’s most charitable players, learned the value of hard work from his father Charles McAvoy Sr., who runs a four-generation plumbing business.

The 30-year-old center led Florida to the two Cup championships and previously represented Finland at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Finland’s team will still be full of Panthers in Milan, with three other Florida players joining the squad.

Forward Anton Lundell will skate for the Fins after previously playing in World Championships and World Junior Championships. The 24-year-old is in his 5th season with the Panthers.

Another forward, Eetu Luostarinen, is also making his Olympics debut in Milan. The 27-year-old is in his sixth season with Florida.

And defenseman Niko Mikkola is making his Olympics debut after winning Stanley Cups with the Panthers the previous two seasons. The 29-year-old previously played for the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

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Team Sweden

Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling will be skating for Sweden in Milan. The 29-year-old previously served as Sweden’s captain at the World Junior Championships.

Forsling was also a part of the two Panthers Stanley Cup teams after starting his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Team Latvia

The Panthers are also sending a pair of players to Milan for Team Latvia.

Defenseman Uvis Balinskis and forward Sandis Vilmanis will both be making their Olympics debuts.

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Balinskis, 29, has been with the Panthers since the 2023-2024 season, while Vilmanis, 22, made his NHL debut with the Panthers just last month.

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