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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid celebrates scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Oilers Fans Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jackson Scherger | Last updated Feb 7, 2026 8:55 AM ET

With the last slate of NHL games wrapping up the other night (Feb. 5), the league is officially on pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The Edmonton Oilers played their last game a couple nights ago, and while it is a much-needed break coming up for most of their players, they’ll have a few special individuals heading overseas to represent their countries. Here’s what Oilers fans need to know about their favourite players for the Games coming up.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Josh Samanski will be the trio making the trip to Italy. Let’s take a look at their schedules and what to know about these guys in the tournament. All times will be listed in Mountain Daylight Time.

Connor McDavid – Team Canada

We finally get to see McDavid playing on the world’s biggest stage with all of the top stars. He has 96 points through 58 games this season with the Oilers, and leads them in all major stat categories. He is also second on the team in ice time, and it’s safe to say he’ll see ample time on the ice for Team Canada as well. McDavid’s also more than likely to wear a letter on his jersey, as he did at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago.

Canada begins their tournament with back-to-back games. The first one is on Feb. 12 against Czechia (8:40 a.m.) and then on Feb. 13 versus Switzerland (1:10 p.m.). Their last round robin game is currently scheduled for Feb. 15 against France (8:40 a.m.).

Leon Draisaitl and Josh Samanski – Team Germany

Speaking of finally, Draisaitl also gets his first shot at Olympic hockey. It is a nice bonus that he will be taking a young Oiler in Samanski with him. Draisaitl has 80 points in 55 contests so far this NHL season, ranking just behind McDavid in all the important categories. He will likely see a heavy workload on a very young German team. It makes sense for him to wear a letter like McDavid for his team as well.

Draisaitl was also a flag bearer for Germany at the opening ceremonies on Friday (Feb. 6).

As for Samanski, he was just recently called up to the big leagues. He has played extremely well. He has two points in five games with the Oilers and 28 points in 39 games with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors. It will be good for him to play more with Draisaitl and get a chance to play against the best competition you can. Samanski is the third-youngest player on the team.

Germany begins play on Feb. 12 versus Denmark (1:10 p.m.). They follow that up with a back-to-back of their own on Feb. 14 against Latvia (4:10 a.m.) and Feb. 15 taking on the United States (1:10 p.m.).

Olympic Playoffs and Where to Watch

The qualifying round takes place on Feb. 17, with the top four teams receiving a bye to the quarterfinals the following day. After that’s all sorted out, the semifinals will play out on Feb. 20 at 8:40 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. Finally, the bronze medal game will be on Feb. 21 at 12:40 p.m. and the gold medal game the very next day at 6:10 a.m.

In Canada, you can find all the coverage of the Olympic Games on CBC (online or cable). As for the United States, the Games will be live online and via Peacock. It will also be available on multiple cable channels such as NBC, USA Network, and more.

It will be the first Olympics for all three of the Oilers heading overseas, as mentioned, making it all the more exciting for them and the fans watching. Who knows, the gold medal game in a couple weeks could be an all-Oilers affair.