As the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo draw closer, anticipation is building around the participating nations and their potential rosters. For Italy, the host nation, these games present a unique opportunity to showcase their talent on home ice and snow. While the pressure to perform will be immense, the home crowd advantage and the leadership of experienced coaches could prove to be invaluable.
In ice hockey, unlike many other nations, Italy faces a significant challenge. With few, if any, NHL players expected to be on the team, securing a single victory may be a difficult task. However, there are reasons for optimism. Jukka Jalonen, who coached Team Finland to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics, will be leading the team. The preliminary roster has already seen six players named. These include goaltender Damian Clara, who was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, and defenseman Thomas Larkin, who has AHL experience and currently plays in Germany. The other four named are forwards Diego Kostner, Daniel Mantenuto, Tommy Purdeller, and Luca Zanatta.
Looking at the potential composition of the rest of the team, several players could contribute. Forwards Daniel Tedesco, Bryce Misley, Dustin Gazley, Nick Saracino, Luca Frigo, Mikael Frycklund, Marco Zanetti, Alex Ierullo, Alex Petan, Dan Catenacci, and Daniel Frank could all be in contention. On defense, Alex Trivellato, Luca Zanatta, Phil Pietroniro, Daniel Glira, Greg DiTomaso, Andreas Bernard, and Dylan Di Perna could be valuable assets. Goaltender Davide Fadani and Andreas Bernard may also be considered.
Italy has automatically qualified teams for several events as the host nation, including men's and women's biathlon teams, a mixed doubles curling team, and a men's ice hockey team consisting of 25 players.
Beyond ice hockey, Italy will be looking to field competitive teams in various winter sports. Sofia Goggia is one athlete with high hopes for a medal. Italy's passion, style, scenery, and art of welcome will be witnessed by the world. Over 3,500 athletes representing 93 countries are expected to compete for 116 sets of medals in eight sports and 16 Olympic disciplines. A record 50 women's events, which is an increase of four from the Beijing 2022 Olympics, will be on the Olympic program. New events include the men's and women's team alpine combined.
The Winter Olympics of 2026 will be held in two cities, Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, and will include a record 114 events. The Games will run from February 6-22. Venues across northern Italy will be used, in four main areas: Milan, Valtellina, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme.
With the Games less than a year away, athletes are working hard to prepare. National Olympic Committees will have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games.
