Panthers Have Global Olympic Appeal

Five members of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have been selected to represent their countries in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan. Each country released the names of six players who will represent their homeland. The balance of the rosters will be released at a later date.

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will take place from Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 to Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 in Italy.

The five players selected are Sam Reinhart (Canada), Aleksander Barkov (Finland), Nico Sturm (Germany), Uvis Balinskis (Latvia) and Matthew Tkachuk (United States of America).

This will mark Reinhart's first Olympic team appearance. Reinhart has already put together a decorated international resume. He won gold for Canada at the IIHF U18 (2013), U20 (2015) and Men’s World Championships (2016). He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 U18 tournament and a silver at the 2019 Men's World championship.

He also assisted the Canadians in winning the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off with current Panthers teammates Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand.

Barkov will represent Finland for the second time in the Olympics. He won a bronze medal in 2014. When the Panthers won the Stanley Cup last season, he was the first Finnish-born captain to hoist the Cup. Barkov also served as the captain of the Finland 4 Nationals Face-Off.

According to the Panthers press release, Sturm earned a silver medal representing Germany at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship. He will participate in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in his career.

Balinskis represented Latvia at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games where he notched three assists over four games. He helped his native land capture their first-ever medal at an IIHF tournament, capturing bronze at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship with two assists over 10 tournament games. This includes a 4-3 overtime victory over the United States in the bronze medal game.

Tkachuk recently served as an alternate captain at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, recording three points (2-1-3) in three games played. He will join his brother Brady on the team.

Tkachuk joins Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito, who is serving as assistant general manager for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.