Which non-NHLers stood out at the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament?
The NHLers weren’t the only ones who had all the fun.
Prior to the 2026 Winter Games, we looked at 10 players outside of the world’s strongest league whom you needed to keep a close eye on. For the most part, we focused on guys with NHL ties. But in some cases, players who have primarily built their careers in the top European leagues have shown the world what they’re capable of.
It was nice having NHL superstars back in action. But for so many teams, they can’t rely on future Hall of Famers to get the job done. So today, we’re looking at 10 players who impressed on the world’s biggest stage – and one of them might have a case to return to the NHL in the coming years. For this exercise, players on NHL deals but not active in the NHL were not included, such as Slovakia’s Samuel Hlavaj (Minnesota Wild) and Italy’s Damian Clara (Anaheim Ducks):
Roman Červenka, LW (Czechia)
It took way, way too long for the Czech coaching staff to pair Červenka with his good buddy David Pastrnak. Once they did, they started thriving – Červenka had one point in his first three games and four in his final two. The 40-year-old former NHL player proved he still has a lot left to offer, even if his skating has taken a dip over the past two years. The Czech captain is always a leader for his nation internationally, as shown by his IIHF Male Player of the Year award two years ago when the Czechs won gold at the World Championship. The Olympics didn’t go the way Červenka was hoping, but, hey, who knows? Maybe we’ll see him back as a 44-year-old in 2030.
Filip Chlapík, LW (Czechia)
Chlapík was once a promising prospect with good hockey sense and impressive numbers. But it just never worked in the NHL, and he ultimately left to become a major contributor in his native Czechia. So it wasn’t surprising that he played so well for the Czechs, registering two goals and three points in a bottom-six role. He didn’t play in the opening game against Canada but scored despite playing less than five minutes against France. The Czechs began to deploy him a bit more as the tournament wore on, where he served as a solid secondary scorer. Despite playing for only 11:37, Chlapík had a successful showing overall.
Nick Olesen, LW (Denmark)
Olesen was one of the non-NHLers we zeroed in on heading into the Olympics and he delivered. The 30-year-old had a breakthrough performance at the World Championship, scoring 12 points in 10 games last year. For reference, he has nine points in his other 27 WC games. But Olesen proved that it wasn’t a fluke, scoring four goals and adding an assist for five points before Denmark was eliminated. The Danes needed much more from their NHLers, but Olesen helped pick up the slack to keep things tight. Olesen likely will never make it over to the NHL, but he has been excellent for his country (and the Czech league) over the past few years.
Frederik Tiffels, LW (Germany)
Freddy T had a chance to reunite with his good buddy Leon Draisaitl, and the pair made some magic. Tiffels finished with two goals and four points, with his lone point-less outing coming against the United States. The 30-year-old is a skilled forward who has been very productive with Eisbaren Berlin in the DEL but has often struggled to score internationally. But the playmaker didn’t look out of place on Germany’s top line in what was his best senior men’s hockey event to date.
Jānis Jaks, D (Latvia)
Latvia really missed Jaks in the qualification game against Sweden, as the veteran blueliner was out due to illness. He had a pair of assists against Germany and Denmark and played around 18 minutes a night throughout the tournament. There isn’t much flash to his game, but he’s a solid puck-moving defender who’s typically used for his ability to get pucks on net. A productive blueliner overall, Jaks also isn’t afraid to lay the body while breaking up plays with ease in his own zone. Jaks also served as someone to lean on for top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Alberts Smits, who made the team as an 18-year-old.
Martin Gernát, D (Slovakia)
Gernat was Slovakia’s best offensive defender throughout the tournament, which isn’t surprising given his productivity in the KHL over the past few years. The 32-year-old kicked off his pro career as more of a shutdown defender who used his size to his advantage. But he started to really figure out his offensive game around 2019-20, and has quickly established himself as a consistent scoring threat in the KHL. He had five shots against Germany and three against Sweden, registering at least one point in each of his round-robin games in the process. Gernát wasn’t leaned on as heavily as some of Slovakia’s NHL defenders, but he was arguably the team’s most impactful blueliner.
Adam Ružička, C (Slovakia)
Ružička’s NHL career came to an abrupt end two years ago today. Ružička has since become a consistent contributor with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, and then played as Slovakia’s No. 1 center on its senior national team in Italy. He had two goals and four points while also providing a solid physical presence with his huge 6-foot-4 frame. Ružička has a great shot, and he plays a well-rounded power-forward game. Of all the players on this list, it wouldn’t be surprising if an NHL team took a chance on Ružička again once his KHL debut comes to a close in the spring of 2027. He’s still a quality hockey player, and if teams think the off-ice concerns are over and done with, he could be a decent depth asset.
Leonardo Genoni, G (Switzerland)
It was a tournament to remember for the 38-year-old Genoni. Known for some absolutely dominant performances throughout his international career, he recorded two shutouts and nearly led the team to the medal round on his own after a strong quarterfinal showing. We’ve talked about him plenty over the past few weeks, and that’s because he is one of the most accomplished goaltenders to have not played in the NHL in recent memory. Entering the playoffs, he had allowed just five goals in his nine previous starts between the 2025 World Championship and the Olympics. Nobody has come close to those types of performances, but Genoni – a six-foot goaltender with tremendous athleticism – proved he could hang with the best.
Dean Kukan, D (Switzerland)
While Switzerland mostly leaned on its NHL defenders, Kukan looked good in more of a secondary role. He had three points in his opening three games and mostly did a good job of shutting down attackers at speed. The 6-foot-2 blueliner struggled in the quarterfinal against Finland but still showed he can be a decent two-way defenseman with a strong work ethic. The former Columbus Blue Jackets defender had a breakout World Championship with nine points last year, primarily filling the puck-moving role Roman Josi would have otherwise occupied. Even though Switzerland fell short in Italy, Kukan will be remembered for his game-winning goal in overtime against the Czechs.
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