Five players from the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named to preliminary rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, which will take place from February 6 to 22, 2026. Each of the twelve teams has announced six players, regardless of position, who are guaranteed a spot on their respective Olympic rosters. The remaining roster spots will be announced later this year, closer to the start of the Games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning players selected to the preliminary rosters are:
Victor Hedman (Sweden): Hedman, a 34-year-old defenseman and captain of the Lightning, has recorded 794 points (171 goals, 623 assists) in 1,131 career games since being drafted second overall in 2009. A six-time finalist for the Norris Trophy, he won the award in 2018 as the league's best defenseman. Hedman has also been named an All-Star three times (2017, 2020, 2022) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2020, contributing 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games to help the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups. He represented Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, scoring one goal in four games, and has played in the World Championship four times. He also captained Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Erik Cernak (Slovakia): Cernak, a defenseman, recorded a career-high 21 points (3 goals, 18 assists) and a plus-29 rating in 76 games during the recent NHL season.
Brayden Point (Canada): Point, a forward, is a key player for the Lightning and has twice won the Stanley Cup with the team. He also scored the championship-clinching goal in 2020. Point recently played for Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off, which they won in February 2025. In 252 career regular-season games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Point tallied 324 points (134 goals, 190 assists). He was also named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team in 2015-16.
Zemgus Girgensons (Latvia): Girgensons, a forward, will represent Latvia at the Olympics.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (Denmark): Bjorkstrand, a forward, will be representing Denmark.
The tournament will begin with preliminary games on February 11, and the gold medal game is scheduled for February 22. The groups for the men's tournament are:
The 2026 Winter Olympics will mark the return of NHL players to the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. The absence of NHL players in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics was due to a disagreement between the NHL and the IIHF and COVID-19 concerns, respectively.
