The 2018 and 2022 Olympics were a missed opportunity for many NHL players, including those from the Carolina Hurricanes, to represent their countries and potentially win Olympic gold. The NHL's decision to pause and participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina has finally allowed players to compete, and it's fascinating to look back and imagine how things could have been different. In my opinion, the 2018 Games would have been a relatively weak showing for the Hurricanes, with only a few players likely to have been selected. The team's defense was led by Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin, Justin Faulk, and Jaccob Slavin, but none of them were considered locks for their respective national teams. Faulk and Hanifin were both strong contenders for the US team, with Hanifin likely to be the extra defenseman. However, the Canadian forward group is notoriously tough to crack, and Jeff Skinner was the only Hurricane who could have sniffed it. For Sweden, Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask were unlikely to make the cut. The only two players I felt confident would have been selected were Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, both of whom were among the highest-scoring Finnish forwards in the league at the time. As for the 2022 Olympics, the Hurricanes had a much stronger showing. Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen were locks to make Finland's team, with Aho already a well-rounded star and Teravainen a strong two-way winger. Frederik Andersen was an easy pick for Denmark, and Nino Niederreiter made it as one of Switzerland's first picks. Martin Necas got the call for Czechia, and Andrei Svechnikov was a strong contender for Russia. Jaccob Slavin was also a strong contender for the US team after coming so close in 2018. In a simulation of the 2018 and 2022 Games, I found that Canada, the US, and Russia were consistently on the podium, with Svechnikov and Slavin the only Hurricanes to win medals before 2026. While I would have loved to see NHL players compete in the Olympics, I'm glad it's back now. The 2026 Games will be a chance for the Hurricanes to shine on the international stage, and I can't wait to see who represents the team and brings home some hardware.
