NHL All-Star Send-Off and Olympic Break: What to Expect When Hockey Returns

The NHL season pauses from February 5 through February 22 for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy — the first time NHL players have participated in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Games. The absence of NHL talent from the 2018 and 2022 Olympics frustrated players and fans who consider best-on-best competition the sport's highest form. This February, the world finally gets the hockey it has been waiting for.

Team Canada

Canada enters as the favorite. Their roster combines the world's best player — Connor McDavid, whose entire career narrative hinges on this opportunity — with legitimate star power at every position. McDavid has won everything the NHL offers except a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal. His pursuit of Olympic glory in his contract year, with his future in Edmonton already a topic of conversation, adds a storyline to every game Canada plays in Milan.

Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and a supporting cast that includes the best available Canadian NHL talent gives Canada a roster that has no obvious weakness. The pressure to win is real. Canada has not won Olympic gold since the 2014 Sochi Games. Twelve years is a long time for a country that defines its sports identity through hockey excellence.

Team USA

The United States has the talent to compete for gold and the roster construction to execute on that talent. Their best players at forward — a combination of skill, speed, and defensive commitment — are among the best in the world. Their goaltending situation will be the most scrutinized element of their preparation. In a short tournament where every game can end a team's medal hopes, goaltending quality is the difference between a gold medal podium and early elimination.

What Happens When the NHL Returns

When the season resumes February 23, the standings will have been unchanged for 19 days. The teams that enter the Olympic break with momentum will be at risk of losing it during the layoff. The teams that struggled before the break have an opportunity to reset physically and mentally. February Olympic breaks have historically produced unexpected shifts in team performance over the subsequent weeks. Watch the first two weeks of March closely.