When Sweden and Finland unveiled their men’s hockey rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they didn’t do it on New Year’s Day. That was Canada.

They didn’t announce them on the “Today” show, either. That was the United States, on Friday.

So, yes, there was less fanfare surrounding the rosters for the top non-North American contenders at the Olympics (Feb. 6-22). That doesn’t mean there’s less to discuss.

Sweden

Roster

Snubs

Sweden’s defensive group might be on par with what we’ll see from Canada and the U.S., which necessitated some tough decisions. It was surprising, in some ways, not to see Mattias Ekholm on the roster, given that he has spent the better part of a decade as a top-pair staple for the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators. Ekholm is 35 years old, though, with some heavy mileage, and while his game has rounded into shape a bit lately, his first two months of this season were ugly.

Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins also failed to make the cut, another bit of tough news for a player who seemed like a lock for the 4 Nations Face-Off roster before breaking his kneecap on a blocked shot. That ended his 2024-25 season, and he’s since gotten off to a slow start. At his best, he’s a versatile, two-way defenseman who can play on the left side of a first pair.

This season, though, neither has come close to Simon Edvinsson’s impact. The 22-year-old isn’t just playing first-pair minutes for the Detroit Red Wings — he’s crushing them. When Edvinsson and Moritz Seider are on the ice together, Detroit is outscoring opponents 29-18 with an expected goal share of more than 60 percent.

Given the quality of the competition Edvinsson and Seider face nightly, that’s remarkable. Seider has long been viewed as a potential Norris Trophy candidate, and this season, he fully looks the part. Edvinsson deserves plenty of credit for that. His absence borders on egregious.

Among the forwards, Emil Heineman should’ve gotten some consideration. He has 12 goals for the New York Islanders this season, mainly from his time on a line with Bo Horvat, but is capable of playing up and down a lineup.

Marcus Johansson of the Minnesota Wild has more points than any other player left off the roster (32 in 39 games), but he’s 35. The most deserving player left off the roster, though, might be William Eklund, who’s scoring at a 23-goal, 60-point pace for the San Jose Sharks. If a winger is injured, he should be Sweden’s first call.

Surprises

Sweden’s decision to roster defenseman Philip Broberg came at the expense of Edvinsson, Ekholm and Lindholm. You could argue for any of the four, especially given that they’re all left shots. Ekholm and Lindholm are proven commodities; Broberg and Edvinsson are playing at a higher level right now and are bigger parts of Sweden’s international future. Either way, no Swedish decision will be second-guessed more frequently.