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NHL Insider Reveals 2026 Olympics Roster Announcement Dates

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Mar 19, 2025 6:15 AM ET

With NHL players set to return to the Olympics in 2026, national teams now have official deadlines to submit their preliminary and rosters.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported from the NHL GM meetings on Tuesday that each country must name six players by June 15, with final rosters due by Dec. 31.

“The plan as of now regarding Olympic rosters is for each country to name six players in June and the rest of their rosters end of December,” LeBrun wrote on X.

He later added that this process gives teams four extra weeks compared to the 4 Nations Face-Off, where final rosters were announced on Dec. 4, 2024, before the start of the tournament in mid-February.

To be more precise, 6 players must be named by June 15 and the rest of the Olympic rosters by Dec. 31 https://t.co/cM6MM1Rneb
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 19, 2025

The two-step roster reveal follows the precedent set by the 4 Nations tournament, allowing participating countries to lock in core players early while leaving flexibility for changes.

However, LeBrun noted that the NHL and NHLPA still need to finalize their agreement with the International Olympic Committee and IIHF regarding replacement policies in case of injuries.

"The NHL and NHLPA still haven’t finalized their deal for the Olympic Winter Games in Italy," LeBrun reported. "Everyone expects that to get done."

According to fellow NHL insider Darren Dreger, Canada is already thinking about the Olympics and "planning ahead" regarding "orientation sessions" scheduled to take place next summer.

NHL insider Chris Johnston, meanwhile, revealed that while "it is not confirmed" that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will be Canada's GM at the 2025 World Championships, it "sounds like" he will be named for that role.

Canada is coming off beating the USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament held in February, edging the Americans 3-2 in an overtime victory in the championship game played on Feb. 20.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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