Eight Colorado Avalanche players will compete in the 2026 Olympics. Two countries will have multiple Avalanche players, while three other nations will each feature one Avs skater. Here’s the breakdown:

Team Canada: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Devon Toews

Team Finland: Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Kiviranta
Team Sweden: Gabriel Landeskog
Team Czechia: Martin Necas
Team USA: Brock Nelson

MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog and Necas were named to the preliminary six-man rosters in mid-June of 2025. Toews was added on Dec. 31, 2025, while Nelson, Lehkonen and Kiviranta were announced on Jan. 2.

READ MORE: Colorado Avalanche players on the Team Canada 2026 Olympic roster

“I’m very proud, well deserved from all those guys, no question. All three of them played well last year at the 4 Nations. They’re having great seasons. Wish them luck,” head coach Jared Bednar said after Team Canada’s announcement.

Toews, Nelson and Lehkonen were expected additions, as the Olympic rosters closely mirror the 4 Nations tournament lineups. Seven Avalanche players participated in that event held in Montreal and Boston in February 2025.

Kiviranta is a surprising addition to the Olympic group after not being selected to the 4 Nations Face-Off. His international experience includes a bronze medal at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships (alongside Lehkonen) and a gold medal at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

Landeskog is the only Avalanche player chosen for the 2026 Olympics with previous Olympic experience. He won a silver medal in the 2014 competition, losing to Canada in the final game.

Nelson, 34, will make his Olympic debut with Team USA, continuing a rich family Olympic tradition. His uncle, Dave Christian, was on the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. hockey team, and his great-uncle, Roger Christian, won gold in 1960 and competed twice for Team USA. His grandfather, Bill Christian, was a gold medalist in 1960 and a competitor in 1964, and his great-uncle, Gord Christian, won silver in 1956.

Which Avalanche players were left out?

There were speculations that Avalanche goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood were considered for Team Canada; however, neither was ultimately selected.

“I’ll speak for me and Wedgie, we both felt like we had a good chance to go. So we’re both a little bit disappointed. But it’s the way things go, and we’re focused on playing here,” Blackwood said.

Russia was banned by the International Olympic Committee following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin played for Team Russia in the 2014 Olympics and undoubtedly would have been chosen to represent his country on the international stage if possible this year.