Very Early 2026 Olympic Hockey Projections And Predictions

Welcome to The Hockey News Big Show, where the theme for this off-season episode is early projections and predictions for the 2026 men's hockey Olympic tournament. Here's what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discussed in this episode: 0:00: Will Team Canada make any significant adjustments to its Olympic roster? 5:36: Is Jordan Binnington still Team Canada’s top goaltending option? 08:30: Which nation has the best chance of upsetting Canada at the Olympics? 10:45: Should Team USA still be considered a favorite at the Olympics?  15:50: Is Connor Hellebuyck still Team USA’s No. 1 goaltender? 19:00: Who will be Team USA’s toughest opponent in group play? 22:20: Will Team Finland or Team Sweden end up being a more dangerous team at the Olympics? 25:30: Will Erik Karlsson make Team Sweden’s Olympic squad? 27:45: Can Juuse Saros still be Finland’s top goalie?  30:15: Predicting the medallists for the 2026 Olympics 31:30: Will the host nation of Italy end up scoring over or under 3.5 goals in group play? 33:05: Who finishes the tournament with more points: Leon Draisaitl or David Pastrnak? 34:10: Which defensemen finishes with more points: Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes? 36:00: What should Team Canada's goal song be? 37:20: What should be the mascot for the upcoming Olympic Games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices