Twenty-nine Western Hockey League Alumni to participate in 2026 Olympic Winter Games
Calgary, Alta.- Best-on-best hockey is back.
Twenty-nine Western Hockey League alumni will represent nine countries at next month’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
The tournament marks the return of NHL players for the first time since 2014, when Tri-City Americans legend Carey Price iced a 24-save shutout against Sweden in the gold medal game for Canada.
Eighteen Western Hockey League clubs will see a former player represent their country on the international stage, highlighted by the Portland Winterhawks’ seven alumni.
Nine WHL graduates will suit up for Canada and make their first appearance at the Olympics, though they’ve all previously represented Canada in IIHF competition- including six skaters (Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore) who won gold at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Faceoff.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (Morinville, Alta. / Red Deer Rebels) continues his rise as one of the NHL’s great modern underdogs. The 27-year-old went unsigned by the Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him back in 2016, but went back to Red Deer to battle for a contract as a free agent. Hagel closed out his WHL career with 279 points (103G-176A) and a berth on the 2019 WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team.
Fellow Lightning star Brayden Point (Calgary, Alta. / Moose Jaw Warriors) snagged WHL Eastern Conference First Team All-Star honours twice (2015, 2016) and collected 324 points (134G-190A) in 252 games. He remains the third-highest scoring Warrior of all time. The 29-year-old has hoisted the Stanley Cup twice (2020, 2021)- including the championship-winning goal in 2020- and is a two-time Lady Byng Trophy finalist.
Florida Panthers alternate captain Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver, B.C. / Kootenay ICE) netted 319 points (120G-199A) over his WHL tenure and reigns as the all-time leading scorer for the Wenatchee Wild/ICE franchise. He won a WHL Championship with the ICE in 2011 and went on to win WHL Rookie of the Year (2011), Most Sportsmanlike Player (2014) and Player of the Year (2014). The 30-year-old scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in 2014 and was named an NHL Selke Trophy finalist for top defensive forward in 2025.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (Winnipeg, Man. / Brandon Wheat Kings) enters the tournament with a chance to cement an already stellar hockey legacy and join the rarified ranks of hockey’s Triple Gold Club. Only 30 players have won an Olympic gold medal, IIHF Men’s Hockey Championship and the Stanley Cup. Now 33, Stone carved out 296 points (106G-190A) in 232 career WHL games while being named the league’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2012. At the NHL level, Stone has been a finalist for the Calder Trophy and earned two nominations for the Selke Trophy.
Winnipeg Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey (Calgary, Alta. / Kelowna Rockets) divvied up his time in major junior between the Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Rockets, winning a WHL Championship with Kelowna in 2014. Morrissey, 30, collected 196 points (66G-130A) in 249 games, was named WHL Scholastic Player of the Year in 2013 and earned All-Star recognitions twice.
Philadelphia Flyers ‘A’ Travis Sanheim (Elkhorn, Man. / Calgary Hitmen) registered 162 points (35G-127A) in three seasons with the Hitmen, highlighted by a 65-point (15G-50A) campaign in 2014-15 that saw him lead all defencemen in scoring and snap up a spot on the Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.
Vegas Golden Knights rearguard Shea Theodore (Aldergrove, B.C. / Seattle Thunderbirds) spent parts of five seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, earning the captain’s ‘C’ in his final campaign and notching 212 points (58G-154A) in 257 games. He led all defencemen in points in 2013-14 and was named WHL Defenceman of the Year in 2015. Theodore overcame testicular cancer at just 24 years old and won the Stanley Cup as an original member of the Golden Knights in 2023.
Notably, goaltenders Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon, Sask. / Red Deer Rebels) and Logan Thompson (Calgary, Alta. / Brandon Wheat Kings) made the team despite not being among the 92 players invited to Hockey Canada’s Olympic Orientation Camp back in August.
Kuemper, 35, enjoyed a dominant career in Red Deer, winning WHL Goaltender of the Year and WHL Player of the Year in 2011. He posted a 94-60-4-13 record with a 2.48 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and 19 shutouts over three seasons. Kuemper backstopped the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 2022 and was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for NHL Goaltender of the Year in 2025. He is also fighting for entry to the Triple Gold Club, having won Worlds Gold back in 2021.
Thompson, 28, took a circuitous route to hockey’s brightest stage after graduating from the WHL. Over four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings, he went 63-41-6-4 with a 3.26 GAA, a .905 save percentage and four shutouts. He cracked the Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team in 2017-18. Undrafted to the NHL, Thompson was a standout at Brock University and earned a two-year, entry-level contract with the Golden Knights, where he was a member of the 2023 Stanley Cup-winning squad.
The 12-team tournament kicks off on February 11 in Milan.
Group A will see Canada take on Czechia, Switzerland and France, while Group B features Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and host Italy, which will reveal its roster closer to the start of the Olympics.
The United States, Germany, Latvia and Denmark form Group C.
TEAM CANADA
TEAM CZECHIA
Matej Stranksy, 32, spent three seasons with the Saskatoon Blades, piling up 192 points (93G-99A) in 213 contests. A Draft pick of the Dallas Stars, Stransky went on to win a Calder Cup in the AHL, the Czech Extraliga championship and two Spengler Cups with HC Davos.
Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas spent the 2009-10 season with Everett and led all Silvertips defencemen in scoring with 37 points (7G-30A) and a +45 rating in 65 games. He was named to the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010. Gudas has twice led the NHL in hits and won gold at the IIHF World Championship in 2024.
Kundratek hopped the pond after being drafted by the New York Rangers in 2008. He played two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, bagging 52 points (6G-52A) in 116 games. A three-time Czech Extraliga champion, Kundratek was named Playoff MVP in 2022 and won a World Championship gold medal in 2024.
TEAM DENMARK
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand enjoyed three seasons of dominance with the Portland Winterhawks, lifting the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions in 2013 and making it all the way to the Memorial Cup final. Bjorkstrand tallied 290 points (144G-146A) in 193 regular-season games, scoring 31 goals, 50 goals and 63 goals in each season. Bjorkstrand was named the WHL Player of the Year in 2015 while winning the Bob Clarke Trophy for most regular-season points (118). With 405 points (178G-227A) over 11 NHL seasons, Bjorkstrand, 30, is the fourth-highest-scoring Danish NHL player.
Following in Bjorkstrand’s footsteps, Joachim Blichfeld skated with the Hawks from 2016-19. He potted 228 points (105G-123A) in 187 games, highlighted by a breakout 114-point (53G-61A) campaign in 2018-19. Blichfeld made the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team, won the Bob Clarke Trophy and was named WHL Player of the Year. After spending time in the San Jose Sharks system, Blichfeld returned to Europe, winning an SHL championship and jumping over to the Finnish Liiga.
Six-foot-5 centreman Alexander True was an imposing figure for the Seattle Thunderbirds for three seasons. True notched 84 points (45g-39A) in 169 regular-season matches. He did some of his best work in the 2017 WHL Playoffs, putting up 22 points (12G-10A) in 20 games to be crowned a WHL Champion. He toiled in the San Jose Sharks system before joining the Seattle Kraken, returning to the AHL, and, now, playing in Finland.
25-year-old Mads Sogaard made the jump to North America with the Medicine Hat Tigers, putting up two solid seasons in the late 2010s. Sogaard owns a 40-21-3-3 record in the WHL with a 2.58 GAA and .915 save percentage and seven shutouts. He was named to the WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team in 2019 and was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the NHL Draft later that summer. Sogaard now splits his time between the NHL club and the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
TEAM FINLAND
Henri Jokiharju, 26, made a splash over two seasons patrolling the Portland blueline, netting 119 points (21G-98A) in 134 games. He cracked the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team roster in 2018 and has since won gold for Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. He recently surpassed 100 NHL points after eight seasons split between the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins.
TEAM GERMANY
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl erupted for 216 points (78G138A) over 160 regular-season games with the Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Rockets. He made tracks for Kelowna in 2014-15 season and played a critical role in winning a WHL Championship that spring. Draisaitl was named WHL Playoffs MVP after putting up 28 points (10G-18A) in 19 games. He was also named the Stafford Smythe Trophy winner as the Memorial Cup MVP, where the Rockets reached the championship final. Post-WHL, Draisaitl’s phenomenal career has included the Ted Lindsay Award for NHL regular season MVP, as voted by the NHL Player’s Association, the Rocket Richard trophy for most goals, the Art Ross trophy as the league points leader and the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP.
TEAM LATVIA
Forward Rodrigo Abols played parts of two seasons with Portland, scoring 50 points (20G-30A) in 64 regular-season games. He cracked the NHL at 29 years old when he made his debut for the Philadelphia Flyers in January of 2025. Abols has represented his country at the Olympics twice and played in nine IIHF World Championship tournaments, highlighted by a bronze medal finish in 2023.
After being drafted by San Jose in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Rudolfs Balcers joined the Kamloops Blazers for 2016-17. Already a two-time Norwegian Champion when he arrived in Kamloops, Balcers piled up 77 points (40G-37A) in 66 games, leading the Blazers in goals and finishing second in points. He has suited up for the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Balcers was part of the 2023 bronze medal-winning Latvian side at the 2023 Worlds and has won two consecutive Swiss titles.
Towering defenceman Kristians Rubins intimidated opponents with his 6-foot-5 frame over two seasons with Medicine Hat. He nabbed 27 points (10G-41A) in 109 regular-season outings and another 11 points (1G-10A) over two trips to the WHL postseason. Rubins made the jump to the pro ranks in the Toronto Maple Leafs system with the AHL Marlies and won an ECHL Championship in his first year as a pro. Now playing in Czechia, Rubins is another member of the 2023 bronze-medal group and was named a Top-Three Player for Latvia at the 2025 World Championship.
TEAM SLOVAKIA
Oliver Okuliar left the QMJHL for a fresh start with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2019-20. He got it in spades with a 68-point (33G-35A) run in 55 games. He represented Slovakia at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and now competes in the Swedish SHL.
Another big blueliner, 6-foot-5 Martin Gernat played for two seasons in Edmonton in the early 2010s, bagging 68 points (12G-56A) in 83 regular-season games. His rookie year saw history made in Alberta’s capital, with Gernat adding 13 points (7G-6A) in 20 games to help the Oil Kings lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history. A 2022 Olympic bronze medalist, Gernat thrived with a pair of titles in the Czech Extraliga and now flashes his skill in the KHL, where he won the Gagarin Cup in 2025.
Just like Slovak legend Zdeno Chara, defenceman Martin Marincin landed in Prince George to kickstart his WHL career. He put up 56 points (14G-42A) in his rookie season and made his AHL debut with Oklahoma City that spring. The 2011-12 season saw Marincin traded to the Regina Pats at the midway point of the campaign. He’d wrap up his time in the Dub with 96 points (25G-71A) in 125 games. Marincin played seven NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs before returning to Czechia, where he won three straight league titles from 2022-24. He also won an Olympic bronze in 2022.
TEAM SWITZERLAND
Twenty-three-year-old forward Simon Knak is gearing up for his first trip to the Winter Games. He amassed 63 points (25G-38A) in 73 games over two pandemic-shortened seasons with the Portland Winterhawks. The 2021 Nashville Predators pick has returned to Europe and has won two Spengler Cups in addition to a World Championship silver in 2025.
Nino Niederreiter, 33, impressed over two seasons in the Rose City, picking up 130 points (77G-53A) in 120 regular-season games, while advancing to the WHL Championship Series twice. He led Portland in goals in 2010-11 (41) and 2009-10 (35) and earned a berth on the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team in 2010. The Winnipeg Jets winger is the first Swiss-born NHL player to surpass 1,000 games and sits third in all-time Swiss scoring with 497 points. On the international stage, Niederreiter has won four silver medals at the IIHF World Championship and was named one of Switzerland’s Top Three Players at the tournament on three occasions.
Calvin Thurkauf enjoyed two long playoff runs with the Kelowna Rockets, collecting 115 points (51G-64A) in 121 regular-season games. He added another 29 playoff points (10G-19A) in 35 playoff matches, helping the Rockets reach the Western Conference Championship for two straight years. Now 28, the former Columbus Blue Jackets pick is preparing for his second Olympics and has a Swiss championship and World Championship silver medal under his belt.
Blueliner Michael Fora suited up for the Kamloops Blazers in 2014-15, putting together a 32-point (6G-26A) campaign in 60 games. 2026 will mark his second trip to the Olympics. Fora has won three silver medals for Switzerland at Worlds and two Spengler Cups.
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid had a cup of coffee with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2017-18, appearing in one game, an 8-4 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Schmid’s unlucky pit stop didn’t halt his trajectory, as he’s gone on to a five-year NHL career with Vegas and the New Jersey Devils for a 30-22-9 career record, a 2.63 GAA, a .900 save percentage and three shutouts.
TEAM UNITED STATES
Florida Panthers rearguard Seth Jones, 31, has excelled at every level of the game. The Texas native’s lone season with the Portland Winterhawks was an impressive one, tallying 56 points (14G-42A) in 61 games before scoring another 15 points (5G-10) in 21 contests to win the 2013 WHL Championship. Jones was dubbed the top CHL Draft prospect of the season and won WHL Rookie of the Year. The five-time NHL All-Star won the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2025 in his second season with the Florida Panthers.
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