Where would a Russian team finish in Olympic men’s hockey? NHL player poll
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/winter-olympics-2026-milano-cortina-opening-ceremony-live-updates/b8dmQx7GIrRm/).
Imagine a lineup featuring Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin, and Valeri Nichushkin. Add in Alex Ovechkin as a depth scorer, and you've got a team that could be a dark horse contender. But the real question is, who would be the starting goalie? With options like Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, and Sergei Bobrovsky, the goaltending is a strength that could propel Russia to the top. However, the team's center depth is a concern, with Evgeni Malkin as the sole big name in the middle. And the defense, while solid with players like Mikhail Sergachev and Ivan Provorov, lacks the star power of Canada, the United States, and Sweden.
Despite the ban on Russian participation in the Olympics due to the invasion of Ukraine, The Athletic conducted a player poll (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7016192/2026/02/04/nhl-player-poll-team-spending/) to gauge the opinions of 118 NHL players. The poll revealed a range of predictions, with gold being the most popular choice for those who voted. One voter emphasized the team's strong goaltending, stating that it doesn't matter as much as the rest of the players.
Another gold voter commented on the team's potential lineup, describing it as a 'pretty big machine.' Silver voters also highlighted the goaltending as a key factor, with one stating that Russia's chances hinge on Sergei Bobrovsky's performance. Another silver voter predicted that the team would finish first or second in a smaller tournament, solely based on their goaltending.
Bronze was the most common vote, reflecting the belief that Canada and the United States remain the favorites. A bronze voter expressed the view that Russia would be very competitive, lamenting the loss of competition without them. Another bronze voter described the team as 'f---ing nasty,' while another predicted that they would be up there with the best, citing their depth of talent.
However, not everyone was convinced that Russia would make the podium. One player pointed out the lack of centermen, while another preferred other countries but acknowledged that Russia would be fun to watch. Another voter emphasized the team's threat due to their goaltending but noted that they aren't on the same level as Canada or the United States.
Reporting for this story was a collaborative effort by Arpon Basu, Peter Baugh, Max Bultman, Thomas Drance, Matthew Fairburn, Jesse Granger, Joshua Kloke, Kevin Kurz, Mark Lazerus, Julian McKenzie, Vincent Z. Mercogliano, Aaron Portzline, Scott Powers, Michael Russo, Jeremy Rutherford, Fluto Shinzawa, Joe Smith, Eric Stephens, and Josh Yohe. The article was written by Mark Lazerus.
Feb 6, 2026
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