'Human nature to think ahead': NHL stars focused on 4 Nations with Olympics looming
Players see tournament as key test to prove themselves for Milan-Cortina 2026
Jon Cooper hasn't heard any Olympic chatter from his players.
Canada's head coach is confident the team's focus is solely on the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
"It has never been mentioned in the room," Cooper said of the 2026 Games. "It's never been talked about."
That might indeed be the case. NHL players, however, are human. And they also know what's just over the horizon.
The 4 Nations — the United States, Sweden and Finland are also in the field — is the closest thing men's hockey has come to best-on-best since the 2016 World Cup.
The event that marks NHL players' return to high-level international hockey is also clearly an Olympic audition.
"I'm sure that this is part of the evaluation process," Canadian defenceman Josh Morrissey said. "The best thing any one of us could do is to win and play great. That's really what it comes down to."
WATCH | Marner's OT marker helps Canada edge Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off opener:
The Winnipeg Jets blueliner added having one eye on the next tournament would be a mistake.
"I don't think you can be thinking about it too much," Morrissey said. "We want to go out there and play great hockey and win this event. That's the best thing you can do as a player."
The NHL went to five straight Olympics from 1998 through 2014 before skipping the 2018 Games for financial reasons. COVID-19 worries then scuttled plans for 2022 tournament.
The league announced Wednesday it will hold a World Cup in 2028 in hopes of having best-on-best events every two years moving forward from 2026.
U.S. forward Jack Eichel said the Olympics are hard to ignore.
"When you are in this environment again, with the guys, wearing the red white and blue again, it's human nature to think ahead," said the Vegas Golden Knights centre. "It's been a while since we've been in an Olympic format. I'm sure it has crossed people's minds, but it's important for us to stay in the present and focus on the task at hand.
"We'll worry about that in the future."
The Olympic future for talents like Morrissey and Eichel is probably fairly straightforward as long as they're healthy. It's a lot less clear for players further down the lineups.
"Every game you play could be an audition for [2026]," said Canadian depth forward Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes. "You get a chance to wear the Maple Leaf, you want to represent. To have an opportunity like this, I want to definitely come out here, especially in front of the executives, and put a good foot forward."
There are also star players in the twilight of their careers hoping to get one last Olympic crack.
Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson was a youngster when the NHL last went to Games in 2014.
"Thought I was going to have many opportunities to do so and we missed the last two ... now you're going into maybe your last one," said the 34-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner. "You've got to be healthy and be at the right place at the right time to just be fortunate to play one. Nice to finally have that opportunity again.
Canadian defenceman Colton Parayko said players know the country's brain trust will be splicing each and every shift against top competition.
"There's a lot of people here," said the St. Louis Blues blueliner. "But you just think about yourself as making sure that you come to the rink prepared. That's where you're gonna play your best."
Swedish head coach Sam Hallam, much like Cooper, said the emphasis is on the 4 Nations.
"Of course, in the analysis of it, things are going to be noted," he said. "Hopefully the guys have a really good tournament and we can pretty much have our [same] team next year."
Canadian winger Brandon Hagel, a sixth-round draft choice by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016, took the long road to the NHL. He's used to being under a microscope every time he steps on the ice.
The round-robin showcase that continues through the weekend in Montreal before shifting to Boston ahead of Thursday's final is no different.
"This tournament's great," said the Tampa Bay Lightning forward. "I get the opportunity to go out there and prove myself potentially for [the Olympics]. There's 23 of us that get that opportunity.
