The 2026 Milano Olympics are going to be perfect. Best on best hockey rarely disappoints, and when you bake in the fact that it has been 12 years since the last time NHLers participated in the Olympic Games, this February is going to be particularly special.
The added bonus? We, as consumers, get a year reprieve from what has become a painful exercise in corporate compost and a league not being totally sure how to present its best.
Let’s face it: the NHL All-Star Weekend stinks. 3-on-3 stinks. Division vs. division stinks. The draft format worked for a couple years, but even that started to stink.
So, let’s fix it. Let’s go back 25 years to revive a format that existed from 1998 to 2002, and pit North America’s best against the top players from around the world. Maybe, just maybe, the players will compete with a little more juice and a little more pride? And maybe, just maybe, the fans will understand what they’re watching and being asked to root for.
And no, every NHL franchise does not automatically get a representative in the game. Why? Because not every NHL franchise has an All-Star. So, in a made-up world where the Olympics weren’t happening this season, let’s build our 2026 All-Star: North America vs The World rosters.
The other wrinkle is stolen from the NBA, who included a “Commissioner’s Pick” to honour aging stars Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade in the 2019 All-Star festivities. The NHL needs to do the same. Bring a couple veteran legends who have fallen below the typical all-star standard. Have them participate in the skills competition. Let them have a shift, and wear a letter. Give our old stars their flowers. Nostalgia rarely fails.
TEAM WORLD
FORWARDS
Sebastian Aho (FIN) - Carolina Hurricanes
The do-everything forward for the Metropolitan-leading Canes gets his due on Team World. Aho has been an elite contributor since he joined the league in 2016, for a Carolina team that has been knocking on the door for half a decade.
Leo Carlsson (SWE) - Anaheim Ducks
Talk about breaking out. Canadian youngsters Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard collect much of the oxygen in the conversation, but what the 20-year-old is doing in Anaheim has been sublime. Expect Carlsson to be in the “best forward on the planet” conversation in the near-future.
Leon Draisaitl (GER) - Edmonton Oilers
What more can be said about Draisaitl? In the past 15 seasons, no other player has had more than one year of 50 goals and 50 assists. KIng Leon has done it on four separate occasions. Plus, how fun would it be to see him going up against his Edmonton running mate (and decent player, himself) Connor McDavid?
Kirill Kaprizov (RUS) - Minnesota Wild
If the Minnesota Wild have aspirations for a deep playoff run, those hopes are tied directly to Kirill the Thrill. Since entering the league in 2020, Kaprizov has established himself as appointment viewing among fans in the National Hockey League.
Nikita Kucherov (RUS) - Tampa Bay Lightning
Ok, let’s not let Kucherov anywhere near a bizarre, overly-sponsored obstacle course at the skills competition. But let’s have one of the most talented players in league history suit up alongside other greats to take on North America. In his last three seasons, Kuch has put up 113, 144, and 121 points. Ew.
Evgeni Malkin (RUS) - Pittsburgh Penguins
Maybe Geno’s career wasn’t totally over, as many experts suggested headed into this season? The former Hart Trophy winner has lined up with Anthony Mantha (huh) and Justin Brazeau (HUH) to turn back the clock and help lead a resurgent Penguins team that was left for dead years ago. I have him wearing an ‘A’ on his jersey.
Martin Necas (CZE) - Colorado Avalanche
The “other guy” in the Mikko Rantanen trade from Colorado to Carolina, Necas has proven to be anything but a consolation prize for an Avalanche team that has rolled through the first quarter of the season. Flanking Nathan MacKinnon, Necas’s combination of size and speed are rare, and should be fun in an All-Star format.
William Nylander (SWE) - Toronto Maple Leafs
There isn’t much to like about Toronto’s season thus far. And, if you catch Nylander on the wrong night, it’s easy to fall out of love with him. But Willy Styles has scored 40 goals in three consecutive seasons, Willy Styles has been the Maple Leafs’ best player this year, and Willy Styles needs to go buckets off in the skills competition.
Alexander Ovechkin (RUS) - Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin. 900 goals. Backchecking not required. Give him the ‘C’ for Team World.
David Pastrnak (CZE) - Boston Bruins
The All-Star game should elicit joy, and few players in the league exhibit joyfulness quite like Pasta, who has gone over 100 points in each of the past three seasons, and done so with his signature flair and moxie. Why does he still feel 21-years-old? Somewhere along the line, Pastrnak has already scored 400 career goals.
Mikko Rantanen (FIN) - Dallas Stars
His nickname, “The Moose,” is fitting, because he just looks bigger and more powerful than everyone around him. But, combine that with speed and a shot like the one Rantanen terrorizes goalies with? You get one of the best forwards in hockey. Playoff Rantanen is a real, scary thing. All-Star Rantanen might be fun, too.
Tim Stutzle (GER) - Ottawa Senators
The Sens look very much like a team serious about making the NHL playoffs, and their German star is front and center in that effort. Stutzle has paced Ottawa in points in four of the last five seasons, and is poised to use his quickness and nose for the net to continue that trend. Put him on a line with fellow German Leon Draisaitl.
Honourable Mention - Lucas Raymond, Pavel Dorofeyev, Kirill Marchenko, Jesper Bratt
DEFENSE
Rasmus Dahlin (SWE) - Buffalo Sabres
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Buffalo Sabres aren’t a very good hockey team. Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Rasmus Dahlin is one of the better all-around defenders in hockey. The captain in Buffalo’s point totals in the last four seasons? 53, 73, 59, 68. Let the Swede have some fun and play with some good players, just for one night?
Victor Hedman (SWE) - Tampa Bay Lightning
Ok, so Hedman was just placed on IR, so he would be unlikely to make our make-believe All-Star Game, but he is still one of the most impactful blueliners in the NHL. Tampa is great when he is great. Plus, we want to see him compete in the hardest shot event in the skills competition.
Miro Heiskanen (FIN) - Dallas Stars
The All-Star Game should be a showcase for the players who make you turn to your friends and say “did you see that?” and Miro Heiskanen is that type of talent. Somehow, despite Dallas’s deep playoff runs, the Finnish defender feels a little underappreciated, when he has been a top-10 blueliner in the league for a number of years.
Simon Nemec (SVK) - New Jersey Devils
Maybe a bit of a headscratcher on this list, but maybe you just haven’t watched enough New Jersey hockey. The #2 pick in the 2022 draft is really, freaking good. This is the worst he will be, too, and it is a chance to get a Devil on the roster after Jack Hughes joined the list of most bizarre off-ice injuries in hockey history.
Moritz Seider (GER) - Detroit Red Wings
Red Wing hockey is back! Please refer back to this proclamation only if Detroit continues its strong play and returns to the playoffs. While his propensity for heavy hits might have to be reeled in for an All-Star format, Mo Seider has continued to progress into the type of two-way defenders that good teams are built on. The German has never missed a game, either, and how do you not love that?
Mikhail Sergachev (RUS) - Utah Mammoth
The first All-Star in Mammoth history? Why not make it the hulking Sergachev, who has looked the part of a top-tier defenseman since his acquisition in a trade from Tampa Bay in 2024. Keller is a star, Cooley is the future, Guenther is a stud, but the big Russian logs big minutes and big assignments for a franchise on the rise.
Honourable Mention - Rasmus Andersson, Gustav Forsling, Roman Josi
GOALTENDERS
Yaroslav Askarov (RUS) - San Jose Sharks
Askarov was the “just wait until he gets his shot” guy for a number of years in Nashville, before the Preds traded him to San Jose in 2024. This year, his first as the starter, he has proven to be worth the wait. The Sharks netminder is among the statistical leaders in the league, playing behind a still-young SJ team.
Lukas Dostal (CZE) - Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have been one of the better stories in hockey, and Dostal has played a major role in the team taking a step forward this campaign. His strong play made John Gibson expendable over the summer, and he has rewarded Pat Verbeek with elite play between the pipes in Southern California.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (RUS) - Tampa Bay Lightning
Old faithful. The Tampa Bay Lightning are good and Andrei Vasilevskiy is great. Death and taxes. Vasi became the quickest NHL goalie to 300 wins earlier this season, and his numbers again warrant an appearance in the NHL All-Star Game.
Honourable Mention - Igor Shesterkin, Akira Schmid
COMMISSIONER’S PICK: Anze Kopitar (SVN) - Kings
Set to retire at season’s end, Kopitar is universally respected around the National Hockey League. Nearly 1300 points, two Cups, three Lady Byngs, two Selkes. First ballot Hall of Famer. His pace has slowed in his final season, but he deserves to participate in the ASG. Commissioner Bettman, make it happen.
TEAM NORTH AMERICA
FORWARDS
Connor Bedard (CAN) - Chicago Blackhawks
Year three has been special for the kid from North Vancouver, as the wunderkind has made good on the significant excitement leading into his professional career. And who wouldn’t want to see his world-class release in the shooting accuracy competition?
Macklin Celebrini (CAN) - San Jose Sharks
In his rookie season, Celebrini looked every part of a future star in the NHL. Year two, and he has already reached those lofty heights. Still a teenager, but with the skill, poise, and approach to make him one of the best in the world. Can we get Bedard and Celebrini on a line with our next player listed?
Sidney Crosby (CAN) - Pittsburgh Penguins
A living legend. A Mount Rushmore member. Does it pain us a little that “Sid the Kid” has grey hair? Sure. But it has been a blast watching him put up point per game numbers for the 21st consecutive season. Team North America’s captain.
Jack Eichel (USA) - Vegas Golden Knights
The best American player on the planet? Jack Eichel went from a consolation prize in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes to one of the best centres in hockey, a Stanley Cup champion, and perennial all-star. Vegas has brought out the best in Eichel, who looks like a threat to win the Art Ross.
Cutter Gauthier (USA) - Anaheim Ducks
2025 has been a coming out party for Gauthier, who is still just 21 years old. A nasty release, plenty of size, and oh ya…his name is CUTTER. We are at the stage of life where kids named Cutter have grown up to be NHL All-Stars.
Bo Horvat (CAN) - New York Islanders
I know, I know. The All-Star festivities aren’t for defensively responsible players who thrive on body position and puck control. But, somewhere along the line, Bo Horvat has emerged as a go-to offensive threat for the burgeoning Islanders, who are…scoring? Plus it begs the question no one is asking; can there be a board battle competition in the skills comp?
Dylan Larkin (USA) - Detroit Red Wings
Larkin deserves a lot of credit for helping lead the Red Wings out of the doldrums and into playoff contention. Universally respected, he has already notched 600 points in his Wings career. Plus, maybe he would dust off the jets and challenge McDavid for the fastest skater title, an event he won with a staggering 13.1 back in 2016.
Nathan MacKinnon (CAN) - Colorado Avalanche
MacKinnon is the winner of the “who makes you say ‘holy $*!&’ every time he takes off with the puck” award. It isn’t an official NHL honour, yet. But one of the best players of his generation has been the motor of a red-hot Avs team, and the more hockey with the Nate Dogg, the better.
Connor McDavid (CAN) - Edmonton Oilers
If fans regularly refer to you as ‘McJesus,’ you are doing something right. The Oilers have had a rocky season thus far, but if you polled the players about who the best player in the world is, you might get a unanimous result. Sorry, All-Star defensemen and goaltenders; you get no respite, just because it’s a fun event. Throw the ‘A’ on his sweater, sit back, and enjoy.
Jason Robertson (USA) - Dallas Stars
We would ask, ‘what has gotten into Jason Robertson this season?’ but that would suggest he hasn’t been elite for years. His last four seasons’s goal output: 41, 46, 29, 35. And he is pacing the Stars again this year. He is often omitted from the list of the most dangerous snipers in hockey, but he shouldn’t be.
Mark Scheifele (CAN) - Winnipeg Jets
It’s hard to explain his career with the Jets without a few expletives to stress the point, but the famously polite Scheifele would never approve. He has been freaking great for a long time, and this year he has been freaking better than ever. The hockey junkie deserves to be on the ice at the All-Star Game, as another feather is a great freaking career.
Nick Suzuki (CAN) - Montreal Canadiens
This team needs a third or fourth line right? Well, he is overqualified, as Montreal’s best overall player, but “perennial all-star” should be the label applied to Suzuki as he and the Canadiens get better and better. Nick Suzuki seems to make every player around him better, and imagine the uproar, or “tumulte” in Montreal if the captain wasn’t included.
Honourable Mention- Tom Wilson, John Tavares, Cole Caufield, Morgan Geekie, Trevor Zegras
DEFENSE
Jakob Chychrun (USA) - Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals version of Jakob Chychrun seems to be what so many were anticipating in the hockey world. Size, speed, minute-eating production. And a jawline you need a ruler to draw. Since coming over in a trade from the Sens, the American blueliner has been better than advertised, and deserves to add All-Star to his resume.
Quinn Hughes (USA) - Vancouver Canucks
Poor Quinn Hughes. In 2024-2025, he missed 14 games and led the Vancouver Canucks in scoring. By 25 points. As a defenseman. One of the most captivating on-puck composers in our game, he is the lone bright spot for a struggling Canucks team that seems poised to sell. Maybe that will include the former Norris trophy winner. Until then, put him on North America’s back-end and let him cook.
Cale Makar (CAN) - Colorado Avalanche
There are only a handful of players who one could plausibly suggest are the best player in the NHL. Makar is on that very short list. We don’t need to write out his resume. Let’s just say he is carving out a career as one of the best defensemen in the history of hockey, and should compete in every event in the skills competition. Just do it, Cale.
Brandon Montour (CAN) - Seattle Kraken
The All-Star game is about having fun. That means inviting fun players. Brandon Montour is a fun player. With a little extra time and space on the ice, Seattle’s best defenseman will be a great addition to our make-believe extravaganza. The Kraken look like a threat to make the Western Conference playoffs, and the 31-year-old will be a major reason.
Josh Morrissey (CAN) - Winnipeg Jets
Josh Morrissey used to feel boring. Never made a mistake. Smart, quick decisions with the puck. Good spatial awareness. And then we, the collective hockey world, blinked. Morrissey is a stud. Top-five in the NHL is points by a blueliner over the last four years. Point-per-game again this season for a Jets team that has Cup aspirations. The best kind of boring.
Zach Werenski (USA) - Columbus Blue Jackets
Is there a more underappreciated player in the league than Zach Werenski? It will be a slog, yet again, for the Jackets to emerge from the 40 grit sandpaper that is the Metro Division, but what the 28-year-old has done for CBJ is remarkable. Just free him from Ohio for a weekend. Put him in a room of all-stars. We want to see Zach smile.
Honourable Mention - John Carlson, Matthew Schaefer, Jake Sanderson
GOALTENDERS
Connor Hellebuyck (USA) - Winnipeg Jets
Not a ton to say here. Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the reigning league Most Valuable Player. He is, again, putting up elite numbers in Manitoba, and deserves his flowers.
Logan Thompson (CAN) - Washington Capitals
Shoutout to the Brock Badgers of U SPORTS, the Canadian university system, where Logan Thompson spent a season back in 2018. Since then? Step-by-step, establishing himself as, perhaps, the best Canadian goalie in the NHL. His numbers are eye-popping, and he has the personality to thrive in the All-Star festivities.
Scott Wedgewood (CAN) - Colorado Avalanche
Sometimes, it takes landing in the right spot for a guy to thrive. For Scott Wedgewood, it was years in the minors, stops in New Jersey(x2), Arizona(x2), Dallas, and Nashville, before a trade to Colorado where he has elevated his game to new heights. Plus, we could only take one of the Wedgewood-Blackwood tandem and the former is 33. The old fella (if you’re over 33, you can chuckle with me) deserves it.
Honourable Mention- Jake Oettinger, Darcy Kuemper
COMMISSIONER’S PICK - Brent Burns (CAN) - Colorado Avalanche
Brent Burns is 40 years old. He is still logging big minutes for the Avs, and producing at a good rate, but Commissioner Bettman is including the best beard in hockey because he is a veteran of more than 1500 games and 900 points. The former Norris Trophy winner will be a Hall of Famer, and it is a chance to bring him, and his legendary backpack, to one final ASG.