The NHL is officially on pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, so of course the Carolina Hurricanes have no NHL games scheduled this week. Instead, the focus shifts entirely to the international stage, where several Hurricanes stars have arrived in Italy to represent their countries.
The Seth Jarvis Shock: From Snub to Olympian
The biggest breaking news for the Hurricanes heading into the break is Seth Jarvis joining Team Canada. Originally left off the roster, Jarvis was added as a late injury replacement for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brayden Point.
Jarvis has been having a career year (leading the Canes in goals) and now gets to showcase his high-energy game on the world’s biggest stage. He joins a stacked Canadian forward group and will look to bring his signature pest-meets-skill style to Milan.
Teammates Become Rivals: Group C Showdown
The most intriguing Olympic storyline for Canes fans is Group C, which features a direct clash between Hurricanes teammates.
Team USA (Jaccob Slavin) will face Team Denmark (Frederik Andersen & Nikolaj Ehlers) on Saturday, Feb. 14. Seeing Slavin trying to shut down Ehlers, or Ehlers trying to score on Andersen (his own NHL goalie), will be a highlight of the preliminary round.
Sebastian Aho a Leader for Team Finland
Hurricanes franchise center Sebastian Aho returns to the Olympics as an alternate captain and a primary leader for Team Finland. Finland enters the tournament as a medal contender, and Aho is expected to center their top line and play massive minutes in all situations.
Entering the Break on a High
The Hurricanes (36-15-6) entered the break sitting 1st in the Metropolitan Division.
In their last game, they closed the pre-Olympic schedule with a statement 2-0 shutout win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Related – Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
Hurricanes Players Olympic Schedule This Week
The Men’s Hockey preliminary round begins Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Players to Watch:
Canada: Seth Jarvis
Finland: Sebastian Aho
USA: Jaccob Slavin
Denmark: Frederik Andersen, Nikolaj Ehlers
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Canes Involved |
| Wed, Feb. 11 | 10:40 AM | Finland vs. Slovakia | Aho (FIN) |
| Thu, Feb. 12 | 10:40 AM | Canada vs. Czechia | Jarvis (CAN) |
| Thu, Feb. 12 | 3:10 PM | USA vs. Latvia | Slavin (USA) |
| Thu, Feb. 12 | 3:10 PM | Denmark vs. Germany | Andersen, Ehlers (DEN) |
| Fri, Feb. 13 | 6:10 AM | Finland vs. Sweden | Aho (FIN) |
| Fri, Feb. 13 | 3:10 PM | Canada vs. Switzerland | Jarvis (CAN) |
| Sat, Feb. 14 | 10:40 AM | Finland vs. Italy | Aho (FIN) |
| Sat, Feb. 14 | 3:10 PM | USA vs. Denmark | Slavin (USA) vs. Andersen, Ehlers (DEN) |
| Sun, Feb. 15 | 10:40 AM | Canada vs. France | Jarvis (CAN) |
| Sun, Feb. 15 | 3:10 PM | USA vs. Germany | Slavin (USA) |
| Sun, Feb. 15 | 1:10 PM | Denmark vs. Latvia | Andersen, Ehlers (DEN) |
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