The Edmonton Oilers are set to be well represented at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics with multiple current and former Oilers participating. There are also a number of notable snubs who could have made the cut but due to a variety of factors, they were not chosen.
Although the Oilers stars left the team in a bit of turmoil, having lost three straight games leading up to the break, they will have a chance to regroup and compete for a Gold Medal with their home countries.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is the first time that NHL players will compete in the event since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Canada won gold there, along with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. At the 2006 Torino games Sweden captured gold with Canada having won at the 2002 Salt Lake City games and Czechia (formerly Czech Republic) having won at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Edmonton Oilers named captains at 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics
At the 2026 games, the Oilers have three representatives in total. Captain Connor McDavid is playing for Canada and serving as their alternate captain. It is the same role and the exact same group of captains that represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last year.
As alternate captain, McDavid hopes to win and is set to play a crucial role for Canada as they return to the Winter Olympics and try to win gold again. Canada has not been able to capture gold since NHL players last played at the Olympics, winning Bronze in 2018 and failing to medal at all in 2022.
The other two Oilers players participating are star Leon Draisaitl, representing Germany and Josh Samanski with Germany as well. Not only is Draisaitl competing for the German National team but he was also chosen as the flag bearer for his home country and is the team captain.
Although Germany is an underdog, Draisaitl enters into the tournament coming off multiple big milestones this season. He became the first German player to reach 1,000 career NHL points. He also hit the 400-goal mark of his NHL career at the beginning of the season.
Samanski comes in having lead all U-23 players in scoring last season for the DEL, the top flight German men's league. He was signed to his two-year entry-level contract last spring, making his North American professional debut this year.
He has spent the majority of the season with the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, Bakersfield Condors. He has played well enough to earn a call-up and a trial run heading into the Olympic break as a third-line centre, playing five games and scoring two assists. It is unclear what his role with Germany will be but he could be a valuable piece as they fight to win a medal.