Six of the Colorado Avalanche players returned home from the 2026 Winter Olympics with a medal, but what if it were 25?
It’s a question that is impossible to answer, but fun to contemplate: How would the Avs, the NHL’s top team at the Olympic break, fare against the top national teams if they had been allowed to enter the tournament?
We asked a handful of the Avs players. Here’s the scenario: the eight Olympians from Colorado play for the Avs, and those countries get to replace them with alternates. Let’s replace France, which wouldn’t have been in the tournament had Russia been allowed to compete, with the Avalanche.
How would they fare?
“I think we’d do pretty good,” said Avs captain Gabe Landeskog, one of the eight Olympians who competed in the tournament. “There’s some pretty good teams over there, no doubt about it. I think what this tournament has shown is that there’s no easy games. All of the teams are super competitive. Everybody is just very proud to go compete for their countries.
“But I think if the Avs showed up, we’d do alright. We’d hold our own.”
Sweden's Gabriel Landeskog (92) is challenged by Latvia's Alberts Smits (3) during a men's ice hockey qualification playoff game between Sweden and Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)Club teams playing against national teams can be a fun debate in soccer, another sport with a global talent pool. The general consensus is that top club teams like Arsenal, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona would likely defeat most, if not all, of the top national sides. Even a club like Tottenham, currently 16th in the Premier League standings, would likely be able to beat most of the teams at the 2026 World Cup that aren’t among the contenders to win the tournament.
One of the arguments is talent. The top club teams are filled with players who are the stars of their country’s national teams. But a big part of it is the continuity and chemistry that comes from practicing and playing together for nine months a year.
National teams in soccer play a fraction of the games together every year, and only the ones in tournaments actually replicate the speed and intensity of a critical league match. In hockey, the national teams spend even less time together.
Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States had the 4 Nations tournament last year, but those groups have only practiced a handful of times together over the past two years.
“I think we’d do pretty well, honestly,” Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. “I think we have the advantage of our team system. We have some top guys – eight guys that made the Olympics. There were teams that didn’t have that many NHL players, so that’s in your favor. I think we’d have a chance of medaling, for sure.”
Czechia's Martin Necas (98) skates ahead of Denmark's Oliver Bjorkstrand (27) during the second period of a men's ice hockey qualification playoff game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Canada would need to replace Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Finland would need replacements for Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta. Sweden would need a replacement for Landeskog, the United States for Brock Nelson and Czechia for Martin Necas.
All five of the top teams would be slightly weaker, though Canada and the U.S. have all-star level options at their disposal. The other three countries do not.
Necas was Czechia’s best player. Lehkonen scored two massive goals for the Finns, which is just what he does.
The Avs would have more NHL star power than the other six teams in the tournament.
“I think it would be kind of what we’ve seen — close games,” Wedgewood said. “I don’t think anyone runs away from us. I think we’d be like Sweden, be like Finland – be battling in a game and hockey is hockey.
“I think the top three teams in the league could probably do the same thing. I think each team might have a chance. I think the Olympic squads have star power throughout their lineups, but then the NHL teams get their go-to checking lines that can wreak havoc.”
Josh Manson pointed out two reasons why the Avs could do well — Valeri Nichushkin and the goaltenders. Russia is currently not allowed to compete in international tournaments because of the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, so Manson’s reasoning was that teams with great Russians would have an advantage. Mackenzie Blackwood and Wedgewood were two of the top candidates to be on Canada’s roster in net, and just missed out.
Tampa Bay would have Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Dallas would neuter Finland by taking back Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell, plus Jake Oettinger in net.
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Could the Avalanche defeat Canada or the United States in a seven-game series? Almost certainly not. But, as we saw during an incredible Olympic tournament, a good goaltending performance and some strong defensive work can turn any individual game.
“I feel like we’d do pretty well. It would be hard,” Avs forward Ross Colton said. “When you watch, all of those teams have so much skill but aren’t as structured. Obviously, Canada and the U.S. have the best players in the world, but I guess we’d probably be more structured. I would think they could be good games.
“I have no idea, but we’re not going to get dominated. I think we could compete for sure.”
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