Right now, the best available counts from major outlets agree that just over 150 NHL players are on 2026 Olympic men’s hockey rosters , out of the 300 total players in the tournament, so it’s a bit more than half the entire field.

The short version

  • Total players at the men’s Olympic tournament: 300 (12 teams × 25 players).
  • Various league breakdowns posted once all rosters were finalized show a little over 150 of those 300 come from the NHL , with the rest playing in European leagues (KHL, SHL, Liiga, etc.) and a handful from other North American leagues.
  • Every NHL team has at least one Olympian , and several contenders (like Tampa Bay and others) are sending large groups of players.

Because each outlet is maintaining its own live list and the final number can shift slightly with injury replacements, you’ll see phrasing like “more than 150 NHL players” rather than one hard, permanent number.

Why the number is so high in 2026

  • The NHL and NHLPA reached an agreement for players to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking their first Olympic appearance since 2014.
  • That opened the door for essentially every country with a strong hockey program (Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, etc.) to build NHL‑heavy rosters again.

A quick illustration: Canada’s early named core alone includes stars like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart , all NHLers, and they’re just part of a much larger NHL‑filled lineup.

Forum and “trending topic” angle

On hockey forums and team subreddits, fans are talking less about the exact total and more about:

  • Which NHL teams are sending the most Olympians (for example, the Lightning are often mentioned as having a double‑digit group heading to the Games).
  • Whether it’s good or bad for their NHL club that so many players are going—fans worry about fatigue or injuries , but also like that their guys stay in game shape on the big stage.
  • League‑by‑league breakdowns, where users share graphics showing NHL vs. KHL vs. European leagues among the 300 players.

In other words, if you’re wondering “how many NHL players are in the Olympics?” , the practical, up‑to‑date answer is:

A little over 150 NHL players are playing men’s hockey at the 2026 Olympics, making up more than half of all skaters and goalies in the tournament.

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