Finland named its roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, and two-time Stanley Cup champion Aleksander Barkov is not on the team after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee from an injury he suffered during Panthers training camp.
Barkov did not participate in Thursday’s Panthers practice, but he did skate before practice, with getting on the ice representing another step toward his return.
The Milano Cortina Olympics begin Feb. 6, 2026.
The Panthers are well-represented on Finland’s team, even without Barkov. Niko Mikkola, Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell all made the cut.
When USA Hockey announced its Olympic roster on Friday, Panthers defenseman Seth Jones was on the list, joining forward Matthew Tkachuk, who was named to the preliminary roster in June 2025. Panthers general manager Bill Zito was named as assistant general manager for the team, and Panthers head equipment manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager.
Other Panthers who will be playing for their countries are Uvis Balinskis (Latvia), Sam Reinhart (Canada) and Brad Marchand (Canada).
Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the Panthers and also played on Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team, was not on Canada’s roster.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
