Apparently NHL is willing to allow players Italian descent to represent Italy in the 2026 Olympics, let's make rosters for other countries

[SoundAndFury]

Because it’s fun and players want to

Imagine Italian players playing for Italy and Canadian players for Canada. What a wild concept.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Misa

Spanish I think

 

[Kuracmugger]

Yikes. Wasn't "Team China" the last time stupid enough?

All those players played 16 months in China and were able to represent them in the following IIHF rules, they were all naturalized but legally

 

[WayTooCold]

How about Team Africa since human started migrating from Africa 125000 years ago?
They could claim ancestry of the best team.

Team Africa forwards:

Auston Matthews
Toronto Maple Leafs

Connor McDavid
Edmonton Oilers

Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado Avalanche

Leon Draisaitl
Edmonton Oilers

Cale Makar
Colorado Avalanche

Nikita Kucherov
Tampa Bay Lightning

 

[Lambo]

Then the USA and Canada would not exist at all. Because North America originally belongs to the Indian peoples. Bye bye Canada and USA!

 

[93LEAFS]

Can't wait for team Woodbridge jks.

 

[GKJ]

I guess they want to to make it similar to soccer, or even what baseball has been doing. Some of these countries have real ambitions but don’t have the infrastructure to develop high enough level of talent, and when they can it takes decades.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Team France would look strong with all Québec born players

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If they make Italy competitive from a bunch of dudes that can’t speak a word of Italian, that’s pathetic.

 

[jj cale]

Then the USA and Canada would not exist at all. Because North America originally belongs to the Indian peoples. Bye bye Canada and USA!

You will finally be able to win a Best on best. ah shit.......there's still Sweden to beat.

Still out of luck.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Hockey (and Canada in particular) throws huge temper tantrums over this, with the whole must have played there 2 years after turning 12 (or whatever the specifics are) rule. I don't think IIHF (which is basically controlled by Canada) will allow it.

 

[swissdude]

Imagine if Canadians and Americans of German descent, along with actual German born players were allowed to represent Germany:

Germany:
Brandon Hagel-Jack Eichel-Leon Draisaitl
Jake Guentzel-Tim Stützle-Sam Reinhart
JJ Peterka-Dylan Strome-Mitch Marner
Nico Sturm-Casey Mittelstadt-Nick Schmaltz

Devon Toews-Moritz Seider
Travis Sanheim-Brock Faber
Owen Zellweger-Michael Kesselring

Oettinger
Grubauer

Who would you choose for countries like Spain, Norway, France, etc.?

I'm pretty sure that Zellweger is swiss descent and not german and as somenone else stated with those standards everybody could play for team ethiopia

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Pretty sure that anyone who’s played for another country at the senior level wouldn’t be eligible. Rules out a ton of guys, I think iihf currently counts the jr level aswell.

 

[Albatros]

Pretty sure that anyone who’s played for another country at the senior level wouldn’t be eligible. Rules out a ton of guys, I think iihf currently counts the jr level aswell.

Four years instead of two to switch then.

 

[theslatcher]

Hockey (and Canada in particular) throws huge temper tantrums over this, with the whole must have played there 2 years after turning 12 (or whatever the specifics are) rule. I don't think IIHF (which is basically controlled by Canada) will allow it.

 

[jj cale]

Hockey (and Canada in particular) throws huge temper tantrums over this, with the whole must have played there 2 years after turning 12 (or whatever the specifics are) rule. I don't think IIHF (which is basically controlled by Canada) will allow it.

Nah, It's only me that throws the tantrums over it.

 

[Czechboy]

Czechs want the sons of fisher, pivonka, hejduk, Stefan and bonk back. We will also take Ludwig and xhekaj.

In tennis we want mandlikova and kordas kid too.

Outraged

 

[Czechboy]

On a more serious note.. who is the country that didn't qualify for Olympics because home country Italy got a spot?

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

Actual Italian players might also want to play at the Olympics.

They aren’t good enough to do so

 

[Albatros]

They aren’t good enough to do so

Wasn't a problem 2006 in Turin.

 

[WarriorofTime]

On a more serious note.. who is the country that didn't qualify for Olympics because home country Italy got a spot?

Can’t really say based on how the qualification tournaments work. Everyone is essentially moved up a spot as far as qualification groups would go if host nation didn’t get an auto-bid.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Has anyone asked the Italian Federation what they want?