When the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF announced the first six players for the 12 teams competing in the 2026 Olympics on Monday, the New Jersey Devils had a strong representation. The 2026 Olympics will be the first time NHL players have participated in the Olympics since 2014.
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Here is who made the preliminary roster for the respective clubs. There are just five names representing the Devils so far, with a few more to be announced when the full rosters are revealed.
Let’s take a peek.
Team Switzerland
Nico Hischier – F
Timo Meier – F
This will be the first Olympic action for these three men representing Switzerland. All three were part of the silver medal team at the 2025 World Championships, which Team USA defeated. It is a big honor for these guys to show what they can do on this stage. Switzerland is a team that will fly under the radar entering these games. All three have demonstrated their capabilities on the International Stage; it is no secret why they are here.
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As Nico Hischier told Arda Öᴄᴀʟ of ESPN during the regular season against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he is 100 percent excited to play in the Olympics for Switzerland because it is something he has never done. It is a dream of every Athlete to play in the Olympics.
Devils captain Nico Hischier said he is 100 percent excited to play for Switzerland in the Olympics.
Credit ESPN’s @Arda for the question #njdevils @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor @DevilsNationX pic.twitter.com/RVYKKshGI5
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) December 10, 2024
Team Czechia
Ondrej Palat – F
This is Palat’s second time representing Czechia in the Olympics. The last time came back in 2014. Team Czechia lost to the United States in the quarterfinals. Remember, he was still a young player at the time and has matured more as he looks to make an impact.
Team Slovakia
Simon Nemec – D
The final Devils pick in the first six was defenseman Simon Nemec. This will be Nemec’s second Olympic Games for Team Slovakia. He won bronze in 2022. There was some shock to see the number two overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft being selected as part of the top six. However, he did participate in the Olympic Qualifying for Slovakia, recording one assist. And though he got hurt in the qualifying tournament, he has taken strides as one of their better defenseman in these international tournaments.
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Remember, at the 2023 World Juniors, he had five points in five games and was a significant factor in Slovakia’s near-upset of Canada, which ultimately lost in overtime. Then, at the 2024 World Championships, he had seven points in eight games for Slovakia. So it makes sense why he is there.
Other Members To Be Named
Some people are shocked that Jesper Bratt was not named as Sweden’s first six. While he had a good Four Nations for Sweden, with Gabriel Landeskog back in the game, he was always getting that spot over Bratt. They need star power in these announcements.
Expect that Jack Hughes joins his brother on Team USA. Not to mention, Erik Haula should be a part of Team Finland at the 2026 Olympics. Here is an interesting potential pick for Team Germany: goaltender Nico Daws. He has proven he can be a good backup and has a chance to steal the net from Philipp Grubauer.
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The 2025 Olympic Games in men’s ice hockey take place beginning February 11th through February 22nd (the gold medal game).
Here is how the Groups are set up.
- Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France – There will be a chance to see Hischier, Meier, and Siegenthaler go up against Palat.
- Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy – There is a chance Haula and Bratt square off again as Haula looks to run him into the boards, jokingly, of course, as the rivalry between Sweden and Finland is fierce.
- Group C: USA, Germany, Latvia, Denmark – Do Hughes and Daws square off in a preliminary?
These are guaranteed matchups, but what about the medal round? It will be interesting to see how things play out.
However, these are the five New Jersey Devils who will be attending the Olympic Winter Games, as Finland looks to defend its gold medal.
