The Athletic Hockey Show

Olympic Men’s Hockey Preview, Part 2

Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Sean Gentili, Frankie Corrado, Sean McIndoo

Episode Overview

This episode provides an in-depth preview of key men’s hockey teams ahead of the 2026 Olympic Games. The panel focuses on Canada, Finland, Slovakia, Germany, France, and Italy—covering projected rosters, expected line combinations, potential X-factors, and medal predictions. The tone is analytical yet conversational, blending anecdotes and strong opinions about individual players and team strategies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Team Canada: Stacked Talent, Intriguing Chemistry

(Starts: 02:30)

• Projected Canadian Lines:

  • Connor McDavid between Macklin Celebrini and Tom Wilson
  • Nathan MacKinnon between Brad Marchand and Nick Suzuki
  • Sidney Crosby with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone
  • Bo Horvat centering Sam Reinhart and Brandon Hagel
  • Extras: Seth Jarvis, Sam Bennett

• Tom Wilson on the Top Line

  • Panel intrigued by his “meat and bite”—he’s no longer just an enforcer but a “point-per-game player” (08:38, Sean Gentili).
  • His past success with elite linemates (Ovechkin/Backstrom) makes the experiment plausible.
  • Expect heavy line “mixing and matching” due to coach John Cooper’s history and the tournament format ([07:07], McIndoo: "Cooper switches lines up all the time…in a tournament…he's not going to mess around.").

  "If Tom Wilson works with Connor McDavid, that's really good news for Canada … I'm not convinced it's going to happen, but I don't mind rolling the dice right out of the gate." — Sean McIndoo, 07:41

• Macklin Celebrini's Role

  • Celebrini’s first-line spot marks a meteoric rise: “We went from, wow, could this kid actually make Team Canada to…he’s on the first line with McDavid and everyone’s just like, yeah, that’s about right.” — Sean McIndoo, 12:23
  • Celebrini praised for his puck-hounding and “Datsyuk-like” stick work ([16:46], Corrado).

• Flexibility at Center

  • Deep center group (McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Horvat). Intentional to keep natural centers at center, forcing skilled players like Suzuki and Marner to adapt to wing where needed.
  • Suzuki pegged as having the technical skills to excel at wing due to his "micro touches" (10:17, Corrado).

• Defensive Pairings

  • Top pair: Devon Toews – Cale Makar
    Others: Morrissey-Pareko, Harley-Doughty, Theodore-Sanheim
  • Makar expected to log major minutes; the rest of the D viewed as “safe, trusted, maybe not spectacular” ([22:54], Corrado: "The Team Canada D core feels safe...you get the warm and fuzzies...").
  • Debate over Evan Bouchard snub; Morrissey seen as PP fallback.

  "When it comes to Canada, [depth is] not there on the back end to the same extent…there's nothing close to [the forward depth] on the blue line." — Sean McIndoo, 21:51

• Goaltending Dilemma

  • Jordan Binnington expected to start Game 1 versus Czechia, with a “short leash.” Logan Thompson likely to rotate in the round robin ([25:55], McIndoo: “The hook is Mike Keenan-esque…”).

2. Team Finland: Strong, But Barkov Absence Looms

(32:11)

• Rosters and Centers:

  • Rupe Hintz, Mikael Granlund, Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Artturi Lehkonen, Teuvo Teravainen.
  • Notable Absence: Alexander Barkov (injury).
  • Despite Barkov's absence, strong up the middle; Lindell as third-line center replicates his Cup-winning role with Florida.

  "If Barkov was on this team, you'd be looking at this roster going, you're going to need 25, 30 minutes a night from Barkov... he’s hurt and...they’re not done, but it's going to have to be a really good night for Finland to be able to trade with a Canada or a USA." — Sean McIndoo, 35:51

• Defense & Goaltending

  • Top defenders: Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen (projected to play 30 minutes per game).
  • Netted by Juuse Saros, though he’s having a down NHL season.
  • Need big performances from Saros and top-pair D to keep up with the big guns.

3. Slovakia: Youthful Rebuild with Some Exciting Names

(39:12)

• Roster Features:

  • Star: Juraj Slafkovský, supported by NHLers Pavel Regenda, Martin Fehervary, Erik Černák, Simon Nemec.
  • Thomas Tatar brings leadership and international experience.

• Assessment:

  • Young, skillful, but lack a proven “hot” goaltender (no modern equivalent to Halak).
  • Considered a rebuilding group, unlikely to medal.

  “If we talked about international hockey the way we talk about the NHL, we’d refer to this as a rebuilding [team]...” — Sean McIndoo, 41:41

4. Germany: Top-Heavy, But Dangerous

(44:05)

• Star Power:

  • Leon Draisaitl (noted family hockey history), Tim Stützle, Moritz Seider, Philipp Grubauer (in good form).
  • Depth drops quickly after top three, but some ex-NHLers (Dominik Kahun, Tobias Rieder, Lucas Reichel) add intrigue.

• X-Factor:

  • Draisaitl’s competitiveness could be affected by lack of star linemates.
  • Grubauer’s play could give them a puncher’s chance.

  "I like this team more than…the Slovak team, which…would be the first time that I would probably say that for a team outside the big six or the big seven..." — Sean McIndoo, 47:48

5. France & Italy: Host Team Stories

France

• Notable names: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, Alexandre Texier, Stéphane Da Costa, Yohann Auvitu.
• KHL and journeyman backgrounds, some “elite” white skate analysis for Auvitu (48:52, Corrado).

Italy

• All players with strong domestic/heritage ties.
• Key player: Goalie Damian Clara, 2nd round NHL pick (Anaheim), considered "the biggest name and prospect ever out of Italy" (53:35, Corrado).
• Insight into the construction of the Italian team via local leagues and eligibility rules.

6. Panel Medal and MVP Predictions

(57:10)

• Gold Medal Picks:

  • Frankie Corrado: Canada

    "There's too much firepower... I feel like it boils down to Canada versus US, and the US left too much at home to try to slow down Canada." — Corrado, 57:45

  • Sean McIndoo: Canada (with Sweden for Bronze)
  • Sean Gentili: United States (reluctantly, based on Conor Hellebuyck potentially standing on his head)

• MVP Picks:

  • Corrado: Sidney Crosby ("The send off for Sid." 60:40)
  • McIndoo: Cale Makar ("He's going to be playing a lot of minutes, wearing a lot of hats... I could see Cale Makar very near the top of the scoring chart." 61:15)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Celebrini’s Rise:
  "Can McDavid keep up with Celebrini?" — Sean McIndoo, 14:12

• On Canada’s Depth:
  "That third line is ridiculous. Marner, Stone, Crosby. Good luck touching the puck if you’re the other side." — Sean McIndoo, 07:41

• On McDavid’s Linemates:
  "There have definitely been times where McDavid didn’t have the right linemates… but it wasn’t like Crosby… Chris Kunitz was the only guy who had solved that Rubik’s Cube." — Sean McIndoo, 19:07

• On Slovakia:
  "If we talked about international hockey the way we talk about the NHL, we’d refer to this as a rebuilding [team]…" — Sean McIndoo, 41:41

• On Germany:
  "They got the stars that Slovakia used to have." — Frankie Corrado, 48:10

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:12] – Main show starts, discussing Canadian roster and lines
• [05:32] – Tom Wilson’s fit on top line
• [10:17] – Suzuki adapted to wing, “micro touches”
• [12:23] – Celebrini’s rapid rise up the lineup
• [16:46] – Celebrini’s “Datsyuk-like” stick skills
• [19:49] – Defensive pairings analysis
• [25:55] – Goaltending choices for Canada
• [32:11] – Finland roster rundown
• [35:51] – Barkov’s absence and Finnish depth
• [39:12] – Slovakia’s roster; youthful rebuild
• [44:05] – Germany: stars/role players, Draisaitl’s history & emotional state
• [48:52] – France: Auvitu, Da Costa
• [53:35] – Italy: Damian Clara profile
• [57:10] – Medal picks and MVP predictions
• [60:40] – Sidney Crosby as predicted MVP
• [61:15] – Cale Makar as predicted MVP

Overall Summary & Takeaways

The panel expects Canada and the U.S. to be the teams to beat, with Canada’s depth, flexibility, and defensive solidity (backstopped by potential quick goaltending changes) as main strengths. Team USA brings tailor-made firepower but risks goaltending variables. Finland is resilient but hurt by Barkov’s injury, while Slovakia and Germany are in different stages of transition—Germany boasting more top-tier talent than ever before. The hosts, France and Italy, provide compelling stories but are long shots.

While MVP favorites like Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar dominate predictions, the stage is set for compelling tournament narratives—a mixture of powerhouse depth, stud goalie performances, and breakout international stars.

Memorable Closing Moment
"The two Canadians took Canadians. The American took Americans. ...We need more Finnish representation on the podcast." — Sean Gentili, 61:50