National Hockey League (NHL) players have returned to Olympic ice hockey after a 12-year hiatus, paving the way for older players to add more games to their schedule while younger talent gets pushed aside.
In the years following the NHL’s nonparticipation, teams fielded younger players to fill the void left by the NHL stars.
In 2022, Olympic ice hockey was a breeding ground for the next generation of professional hockey players, with notable players such as Matty Beniers, Matthew Knies, Jake Sanderson and Brock Faber representing Team USA.
Team USA’s average age in the 2026 Olympics is 28, compared to 25 in 2022, according to a hockey webpage.
If NHL players had participated in 2022, it would have displaced young talent and prevented them from competing on a global stage.
Young players such as Owen Power, Mason McTavish and Juraj Slafkovský who gained recognition through the Olympics, are now overlooked in favor of NHL veterans in their 30s.
Instead of future NHL stars earning their stripes in the Olympics, Team USA and Canada are blowing teams out because of their star power, disrupting the competitive balance of the tournament.
NHL participation has created a significant gap between the top teams and the rest of the field.
Finland defeated Italy 11-0, marking one of the largest margins of victory in Olympic ice hockey history.
Finland’s roster features NHL standouts such as Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, Teuvo Teravainen and Juuse Saros.
The United States, Finland and Canada have been the strongest teams in the tournament.
The three teams each posted goal differentials of plus 10 or better, according to an International Ice Hockey Federation webpage.
France and Italy have struggled most in the tournament, with both teams losing all their games and posting goal differentials of minus 15, according to the same source.
The two teams each have one NHL player.
In 2022, the only team with a goal differential of minus 10 or worse was China, which competed as the host nation.
Team USA and Team Canada were eliminated in the Quarterfinals in 2022, signaling greater competitive balance that year.
In 2026, the teams with the most NHL players advanced to the final four, with the USA, Canada and Finland each rostering 24 or 25 NHL players, according to an ESPN article.
Olympic ice hockey has become a contest of how many NHL players a country can field.
The Olympics should serve as a stage for younger players, giving them as many opportunities as possible to compete.
Young players in other countries and leagues play an average of 30-50 games per season, far fewer than the 82 regular-season games, plus playoffs, that NHL players endure.
To develop, young players need as much practice and game experience as possible and the Olympics provide a valuable opportunity to compete on a global stage.
Veteran NHL players already face a grueling schedule with a full regular season and playoffs.
Adding Olympic competition increases the physical toll and raises concerns about player health.
The Olympics barred professional players until 1986 and the NHL maintained its own restrictions until 1995 because of scheduling and profitability concerns, according to an article by Britannica.
From 1998 through 2014, NHL players competed in Olympic hockey.
In 2016, the International Olympic Committee said it would no longer cover costs associated with NHL participation.
In 2025, the NHL reached an agreement with the committee to allow its players to return to Olympic competition.
Let’s restore the opportunities for young amateurs to return to the Olympics for the sake of creating more professionals for us to enjoy, while watching professional hockey during the other three years.
