19 NAHL Alumni Will Represent at the 2026 Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

As the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is a few days away, the North American Hockey League (NAHL) is excited to announce that 19 players and three coaches with NAHL ties will be going for gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.

10 countries will have former League of Opportunity players and coaches represented in the 2026 games. In addition, this tournament marks the return of NHL players to the ice since the 2014 Sochi Olympics. 

The 2026 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament will feature 12 countries placed in three groups consisting of four teams: Group A, Group B, and Group C. The three groups will participate in a round-robin format to determine the seeding for the knockout rounds. Group winners and the highest-ranked remaining team will receive a bye into the second round of the elimination games. Following that, play will proceed into a single-elimination format until the winner of the gold medal is determined.

Representing the red, white, and blue will be former Odessa Jackalopes netminder, Connor Hellebuyck. His domination in the blue paint has earned him the Vezina Trophy for the best NHL goaltender in the last two seasons. In addition, Hellebuyck’s work between the pipes was recognized last season and was named the NHL's most valuable player, and was awarded the Hart Trophy. He will look to backstop Team USA to their first gold medal since the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Olympics. 

Another goaltender looking to make his mark on the Olympic scene is Adam Gajan, a former Chippewa Steel netminder. The current UMD Bulldog and Chicago Blackhawks prospect is only in his sophomore season in collegiate hockey, but has already made a name for himself in the crease. He was recently named to the Mike Richter Watch List and has earned multiple weekly awards and monthly awards on the Division I level. He will look to help lift Team Slovakia to another podium finish at his first winter games.

This former Austin Bruin forward has won two Stanley Cups, but one thing he is looking to add to his collection is a gold medal from the Olympics. Nico Strum will represent his home country of Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics and will look to showcase his abilities on the international stage. 

A former St. Louis Bandits bench boss who has won on about every level of hockey, Jon Cooper will represent his home country of Canada as the head coach of the team. Cooper won back-to-back Robertson Cups with the Bandits and is currently the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. His storied coaching career also took him and the Tampa Bay Lightning to winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. The 2026 Winter Olympics mark the first time he will lead the bench for Team Canada since 2017, when he led Canada’s National Men’s Team to a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.

Plenty of NAHL alumni will lace up over the next two weeks. Here are the names to keep an eye out for:

Denmark:

Nicholas B. Jensen: Bismarck Bobcat (2008-10)

Mads Søgaard: Austin Bruins (2017-18)

Finland: 

Roope Hintz: Bismarck Bobcats (2012-13)

France:

Justin Addamo: Lone Star Brahmas (2016-18)

Louis Boudon: Northeast Generals (2017-19)

Stéphane Da Costa: Texas Tornado (2006-07)

Pierre Crinon: Corpus Christi IceRays (2014-15)

Hugo Gallet: Minnesota Magicians (2014-16)

Germany:

Marc Michaelis: Minnesota Magicians (2014-15)

Nico Sturm: Austin Bruins (2013-15)

Parker Tuomie: Wenatchee Wild (2013-14)

Italy:

Phil Pietroniro: Corpus Christi IceRays (2011-13)

Latvia:

Oskars Batna: Bismarck Bobcats (2014-16)

Ralfs Freibergs: Texas Tornado (2009-11)

Janis Jaks: Minnesota Wilderness (2014-16)

Slovakia:

Patrik Koch: Soo Eagles (2014-15)

Adam Gajan: Chippewa Steel (2022-23)

Switzerland:

Akira Schmid: Corpus Christi IceRays (2018-19)

USA:

Connor Hellebuyck: Odessa Jackalopes (2011-12)

 

On the coaching side, here are three league alumni that will look familiar on the bench:

Head Coach of Team Canada:

Jon Cooper: St. Louis Bandits (2003-08)

Assistant Coaches of Team USA:

John Hynes: USNTDP (1998-07)

David Quinn: USNTDP (2003-04)

Men’s ice hockey will kick off on February 11 and will run through February 22, 2026. All contests for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics will be held at two venues: Milano Satagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Fans can watch all the action live on TV through NBC, CNBC, and USA Network. There are also avenues to stream all the contests through Peacock.