It was simply not possible to satisfy everyone, including players and fans, by revealing the different countries' squads for the Milan-Cortina Olympics. However, some exceptions are difficult to explain.
The four main competitors – Canada, the USA, Sweden and Finland – have shown their cards. The depth of these countries means there is material to build another very competitive team or two.
• Also read: Opening up of American preparation for the Olympic Games: there is nothing to support McDavid, MacKinnon and Crosby
• Also read: Sweden shuffles cards for the Olympics
• Also read: Oliver Kapanen goes to the Olympics
Here the best of the forgotten greats are gathered into a single team.
Attackers
The US is missing half of its top 10 scorers, which already provides plenty of material for a great offense. Jason Robertson, Cole Caufield, Matthew Nice, Alex Tuch and Alex DeBrincat had nothing to prove to anyone and were as worthy of the position as the rest of the team.
For Canada, the biggest exception is Connor Bedard, who has been on fire this season. He and Mark Scheifele did everything they could to get selected, but were unsuccessful. The Maple Leaf also lost energy players like Seth Jarvis and Sam Bennett. Oh yeah, 2025 leading scorer Morgan Geekie is here too.
Swedes William Eklund, Mikael Backlund and Marcus Johansson join this formation to complete this attack. The experience of the latter two would be a major advantage.
Jason Robertson – Connor Bedard – Cole Caufield
Matthew Nice – Mark Scheifele – Seth Jarvis
Wyatt Johnston – Sam Bennett – Alex Touch
William Eklund – Mikael Backlund – Morgan Geekie
Marcus Johansson, Alex DeBrincat
Defense
When the first pair of this defense can easily replace the defense of any country, questions arise. For Lane Hutson, it was a foregone conclusion due to his size, even if he maintains a one-point-per-game pace.
For Fox, it's even more surprising. Choosing Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones or Brock Faber ahead of him is certainly a choice. The New York Rangers defenseman is one of the best in the business, and his level hasn't dropped since the Four Nations…
Among the Swedes, we would really like to see Simon Edvinsson, who would be a pleasant surprise for the Detroit Red Wings. The 22-year-old defender is ready and his range would help neutralize the opposition's top strikers.
For Matthew Schaefer, it's just a reprieve. Everyone knows his qualities and his talent. It's also a shame for veterans like John Carlson, Mattias Ekholm and Jakob Chykrun, who had to deal with their respective countries' depth.
Lane Hutson – Adam Fox
Simon Edvinsson – Evan Bouchard
Matthew Schaefer – John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun, Mattias Ekholm
Guardians
What's even more interesting is that each of the three goalkeepers on this fictional team came from different countries. Canada's Mackenzie Blackwood leads the way after suffering just one first-team loss in the 2025-26 season.
Playing for the Colorado Avalanche certainly improves his stats, much like Scott Wedgwood's, but the Ontarian has become a very good goaltender in the NHL and would deserve to win over Jordan Binnington, Logan Thompson or Darcy Kuemper.
The Swedes don't have a ton of depth in goal, and it doesn't help that Jakob Markström and Linus Ullmark struggled in the first half of the campaign. The second one will not be at the Olympic Games and he does not seem to be in the best graces of his country.
On the United States side, the choice of Dustin Wolf could defend itself very well. The 24-year-old Californian is working small miracles for the struggling Calgary Flames. We'll definitely see him wearing a USA jersey in the near future.
Mackenzie Blackwood, Linus Ullmark, Dustin Wolf
