5 Tampa Bay Lightning named as the preliminary roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics – Hockey Writer – Tampa Bay Lightning

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be held from 6 to 226 February 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Milan and Italy, and the five members of Tampa Bay Lightning have been named as the preliminary rosters of their respective countries.

From host Italy to gold medal favorite Canada, each team has announced six players, regardless of position, when the puck drops in Milan Cortina next February, they will be locked in their avatar.

The final game schedule has not been announced when these groups were set. The men’s championship will start with preliminary matches on February 11 and will be held on February 22.

Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: United States, Germany, Latvia, Denmark

The rest of the roster will be announced later this year. This is the Lightning member named on the preliminary list.

Victor Hedman – Sweden

The 34-year-old from Ornskoldsvik and Lightning Captain has scored 794 points (171 goals, 623 assists) in 1,131 games since being selected as second in the 2009 NHL admissions draft. He is a six-time finalist for the Norris Trophy, and he won the league’s best defensive player in 2018. Hedman is a three-time All-Star (2017, 2020, 2022), with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games, won the 2020 Stanley Cup playoff MVP, won Conn Smythe Trophy, helping Lightning win the first back-to-back title.

In the 2016 World Hockey Game, he scored one goal in four games in Sweden and represented them in the World Championships four times. Hedman fought against Swedish captain in 4 countries in February. Although Sweden is the only team of the four teams that have not lost regulation, Sweden is still eliminated. They completed a 1-0-2-0 record, and the short end of the decision to overtime in Canada was also seen.

Erik Cernak – Slovakia

Cernak scored an NHL career-high 21 points (3 goals, 18 assists) and 29 points in 76 games this season. The 28-year-old from Kosice has 603 professional shots and 1,197 hits in 441 games. Cernak has never competed in the world championship since 2019 as the Chargers played in the Stanley Cup playoffs in previous seasons.

The Los Angeles Kings selected Cernak in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft (43rd time). He was avoided by lightning in 2017 and was traded by Ben Bishop and Tampa Bay’s fifth-round draft picks in the 2017 NHL draft. He made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Saber on December 3, 2018.

Zemgus Girgenson-Latvia

The 31-year-old scored 194 points (91 goals, 103 assists) in the 2014-15 NHL All-Star Game, played his first 10 seasons in the Sabers before scoring six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the 2024-25 Lightning. Girgenson, a Riga man, scored two points (one goal and one assist) in five games in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and has not competed internationally since the 2017 world championship.

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Girgenson, who sought a career in the NHL, left his native Latvia, played junior hockey with Green Mountain in the US with Green Mountain, and scored 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 23 games in 2009-10. He was selected by the Saber in the first round of the 2012 draft, becoming the highest draft pick in Latvia. He spent 688 games on a Saber team that extended its NHL playoff drought to season 14. Last season, Girgensons signed a three-year, $2.55 million contract with the Lightning.

Cape Braden – Canada

Point has scored at least 40 goals in the past three seasons, scoring 42 goals and 82 points in 77 games this season. In the 2022-23 season, he scored a career-best goal and 95 points. The 29-year-old Center scored 635 points (306 goals, 329 assists) in 657 games and led the playoffs in 2020 and 2021 goals, scoring 14 points per game, helping the Lightning win back-to-back cup games. He scored his 300th NHL goal in an 8-0 victory against Utah Hockey Club (now Utah Mammoth) on March 27, 2025.

The Chargers won gold medals in the 2024 third round draft pick in the 2015 WJC, with four national confrontations earlier this season and silver medals at the 2017 World Championships. Point is also the MVP of the 2013 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, and he scored 4 points in five games to help Canada win the gold medal.

Oliver Bjorkstrand – Denmark

The 30-year-old has scored 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 79 games between Seattle Cleken and the Lightning this season, and 384 points (172 goals, 212 assists) in 624 games, including his first seven NHL seasons with the Columbus Blue Jacket. Bjorkstrand is a legacy man, a six-time 20-goal scorer, and has represented Denmark twice in the World and Olympic qualifiers.

The Chargers traded three teams with Kraken and Detroit Red Wings on March 5 this year.

The NHL has confirmed that its players will participate in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics. NHL players have previously participated in the Winter Olympics five times – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.