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NHL.com’s Olympic Crystal Ball: Who Wins Gold in 2026

NHL.com’s staff made Olympic picks, and the early picture is clear: Canada’s the favorite, but the U.S. and a few surprises aren’t far behind.

by
Old Prof
February 8, 2026

If you hop over to NHL.com, you’ll find their whole staff taking a crack at predicting the men’s hockey tournament for the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina. And for a group that usually can’t agree on anything, they even have a pretty clear favourite.

The smart money, according to them, is still on Canada. Nine staffers picked them to win gold, and the reasoning isn’t complicated. Team Canada gathered too much talent, too much depth, and too many players who’ve already been through the biggest moments hockey can throw at them.

But Team USA Isn’t Far Behind Team Canada

But the United States isn’t far behind. Six votes went their way, and you can tell there’s a belief this might be their best shot since the old “Miracle on Ice” story gets rolled out every four years. They’re younger, faster, and built to play the modern game.

Sweden even pulled in four votes from writers who think this could be a sneaky throwback year for them — a roster stacked with skill and quietly deep enough to cause trouble. Czechia and Finland each received a single vote, mostly from the brave souls willing to predict a major upset in group play.

The Best Player Predictions Point Toward Connor McDavid

Where things get fun is the player predictions. Connor McDavid’s name pops up everywhere — top forward, MVP, probably best player in the tournament unless something goes completely sideways. Cale Makar is right there with him, getting nods as both the top defenseman and an MVP threat.

Nathan MacKinnon shows up in nearly every offensive category as well. And Sidney Crosby gets mentioned more than once as the guy whose experience could still tip a game when it matters.

Other Key Players Not Forgotten Either

A couple of goalies caught the staff’s attention, too. Lukas Dostal from Czechia and Juuse Saros from Finland both grabbed consideration as the potential best netminders in the tournament. These aren’t wild guesses: both goalies have earned reputations for stealing games when their teams need it.

On the U.S. side, Quinn Hughes was almost universally named as their most impactful defenseman, and Brady Tkachuk got flagged as an MVP possibility. That makes sense if you’ve watched him drag Ottawa into fights they had no business winning.

All This Points Toward the Gold Medal Game on February 22

The format is simple: twelve teams, three games each in the opening round. Then straight into win-and-move-on hockey until the gold medal game on February 22. It’ll be the first time we’ve seen NHL players on this stage in twelve years. And honestly? Judging by these predictions, the hype is already doing half the work. The other half will happen on the ice.