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Olympic Hockey: Expectations for each Canuck’s role for their country
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Photo credit: @Canucks on X/Twitter
Jeff Paterson
Feb 6, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 5, 2026, 21:57 EST
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The Vancouver Canucks are now into the Olympic break, but there’s no break in the action for five members of the active roster who will be representing their countries in Milano-Cortina, Italy, over the next two weeks. Forwards Elias Pettersson, Teddy Blueger, and David Kämpf, along with defenceman Filip Hronek and goaltender Kevin Lankinen, will all participate in the men’s Olympic hockey tournament. The following is a look at the role each of those players are likely to play for their respective national teams.

Elias Pettersson – Sweden

The mercurial centre hardly heads overseas on any kind of roll. Pettersson has gone 11 NHL games without a goal and in those games has managed just 12 shots on goal. More than that, however,  the Canucks have controlled just 37.7% of all 5-on-5 shot attempts over those 11 games, they have been outshot 82-56, outchanced 99-48 and outscored 9-4. In other words, the ice has been tilted heavily by opponents with Pettersson on the ice of late. Now he’s entering the realm of a best on best tournament where intensity will surely ramp up. There was hope that the lure of last season’s 4-Nations Tournament might stoke Pettersson’s competitive fire. It did not.
In three games for Team Sweden, Pettersson didn’t register a point, managed two shots on goal, averaged 13:32 of ice time and won just 26.1% of his face-offs. With Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson injured and unavailable for the Olympics, the Swedes could use an inspired effort from Pettersson who looks to be slotted in as one of his country’s top three centremen. Based on his play over the past 24 months and especially over the last 11 games, it’s hard to imagine Pettersson morphing into something more at the Olympics. He’ll likely give Sweden a solid defensive game and perhaps some penalty killing utility. But at this stage, he looks like he’ll be a depth piece on a team that has legitimate medal aspirations.

Teddy Blueger – Latvia

There should be genuine excitement to see if Teddy Blueger’s recent run of form for the Canucks can translate to international competition. He’s one of only a handful of Latvian skaters to play in the NHL this season so it’s not a team that is stacked with skill. But the Latvians generally find a way to lean into their underdog role and have a knack for making life difficult on heavily favoured opponents. Blueger looks like he’ll be a top line centre on this team. He should also find himself as a key penalty killer and guy the Latvians will look to for experience and leadership.
Blueger and his countrymen will be put to the test right away as Latvia opens its Olympics against Team USA on Thursday, February 12th, and follow that up with a game against Germany two days later. It’s conceivable that Blueger will draw match-ups against Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl in his first two games. Blueger will certainly give it his all, but any expectations that he will score at the rate he has for the Canucks over the past two weeks must be tempered given the environment he’ll find himself in. One thing Lativa can count on, though, is an honest effort from Blueger every time out.

David Kämpf – Czechia

You wouldn’t know it by watching him in the NHL this season, but David Kämpf is a highly decorated international hockey veteran. The 30-year-old captured gold at the 2024 IIHF Worlds and bronze in 2022. Kampf also appeared in a pair of World Junior tournaments (2014 and 2015), the U-18 Worlds (2013) and the 2012 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He will certainly draw on all of those experiences as he returns to the world stage. Kämpf is likely to hold down a bottom six role in this competition and can provide some defensive utility for Czechia. However, as he’s shown with the Canucks this season, there is very little offence to his game.
The Czechs feature a lineup headlined by David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, Tomas Hertl and Pavel Zacha and will round out their roster with NHL veterans like Kämpf, along with several European league players. It’s an accomplishment for Kämpf to be a part of the Czech program for these Olympics, and it was with that goal in mind that he sought NHL employment rather than return to play in his homeland when he terminated his contract in Toronto. He’ll play for Czechia, but he’s not likely to leave his mark on the competition.

Filip Hronek – Czechia

Where Kämpf may be a bit part on the team, Filip Hronek has the opportunity to be a true leader for the Czechs. Along with Anaheim’s Radko Gudas, Hronek is the only other NHL defenceman on the roster. The Czechs have a handful of other blueliners that have spent time in the NHL, but Hronek looks like he’ll be counted on to log big minutes and play in all situations on the game’s grandest stage. And based on the season he’s having in Vancouver, he should be ready for the moment.
Hronek is no stranger to the international game, appearing at the Worlds on five occasions. He won a bronze medal at the 2022 competition and was named the tournament’s best defenseman in 2019 after recording 11 points in 10 games. He also represented his homeland at a pair of World Junior championships. Hronek will give the Czechs exactly what he has brought to the Canucks this season – a hard-nosed style with an ability to contribute at both ends of the ice. Based on the Czech roster, Hronek should see power play time and, connecting with the likes of finishers Pastrnak and Necas, he could well be a point producer in this tournament. In fact, it’s quite conceivable that Hronek will finish the Olympics as the highest-scoring Canucks taking part in these games.

Kevin Lankinen – Finland

Much like Elias Pettersson, it’s hard to have high expectations for Kevin Lankinen as he heads to the Olympics. At best, he’ll be Finland’s second-string goaltender. But based on recent form, he may drop to number three on the depth chart behind both Juuse Saros and recent replacement Joonas Korpisalo. Finland opens against Slovakia and then faces fierce rival Sweden. Those both feel like Saros starts. If there is a game to be had for one of the back-ups, it’s likely the team’s third contest against the host Italians on Valentine’s Day.
Lankinen heads overseas with one victory in his last 11 NHL starts. He has a 4.12 GAA and an .859 save percentage over that span. The hope has to be that if Lankinen sees game action at the Olympics, he will find himself in a much better defensive environment behind a roster that boasts the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen rather than the situation he’s found himself in with the Canucks this season. A terrific teammate, Lankinen likely understands his role on Team Finland and will find a way to be supportive regardless of how much – or how little – he is used. Lankinen appeared in a pair of games and posted a win over Sweden in last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

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