NHL players return to the Olympic stageFor the first time since 2014, NHL players will compete at the Winter Olympics [4]. An agreement was finalized between the NHL, NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committeein July 2025 [5]. Team USA women’s hockey history-making storylinesThe U.S. women’s hockey team features a blend of Olympic champions and exciting newcomers. Twenty-one-year-old University of Wisconsin senior Laila Edwards will become the first Black woman to represent the U.S. in Olympic women’s hockey [26]. The most decorated U.S. cross-country skier in history, with three Olympic medals, arrives fresh off her third Tour de Ski title [37].

Source: New York Times February 01, 2026 13:07 UTC