Three members of the Buffalo Sabres have been selected to represent their countries at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, American forward Tage Thompson, and Finnish goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will compete for gold as NHL players return to Olympic ice hockey for the first time since 2014.
Rasmus Dahlin, who serves as captain of the Sabres, was among Sweden’s first six roster choices announced in June. He is the only member of this group with previous Olympic experience, having played two games at Pyeongchang in 2018 before being drafted into the NHL. Dahlin also participated in last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament alongside prominent Swedish players Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman. Reflecting on his selection, Dahlin said that playing at the best-on-best Winter Olympics stage has long been a dream.
Tage Thompson earned his spot on Team USA after notable performances in recent seasons and scoring an overtime goal against Switzerland at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. “When I heard [Team USA general manager Bill Guerin] say I was on the team, just kind of a big sigh of relief, excitement, a bunch of different emotions going through you at the same time,” Thompson said. “Really cool. It’s a goal I’ve worked towards for a very long time and dreamt of as a kid. For it to be coming true now is pretty special.”
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is one of seven Finnish goaltenders currently active in the NHL this season and has posted strong numbers during 2025-26. Although he did not play during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, his performance this season could see him share playing time with Finland’s other goalies Juuse Saros or Kevin Lankinen during the Olympics. “I think a lot of it, even playing hockey in the NHL, how big of a privilege that is, and now getting to go to the Olympics, it’s huge,” Luukkonen said. “I’m just really, really excited.”
The men’s ice hockey competition begins February 11 with group-stage games scheduled through February 15 before moving into playoff rounds leading up to medal games on February 21 (bronze) and February 22 (gold). All matches will be broadcast across NBC’s networks and available for streaming via Peacock.
Fans can follow each player’s progress throughout the tournament by bookmarking updates provided by official sources.
