Olympics, Men

Sidney Crosby has played in two Olympics and won gold both times. He has been named to the roster already for Canada for Milano Cortina, and if he wins gold a third time he will be the first non-Soviet to win three gold. Currently, six URS players have won as many.

Men’s World Championship

Last year, the WM welcomed Roman Cervenka to the 100-game club (he finished the tournament with 103). He will likely add to that total in 2026, but one other player might also hit the century mark. Germany’s Moritz Muller will be 39 by the time next May rolls around, but the Kolner Haie captain is likely to be on the roster. He has 93 WM games to his credit and would reach 100 on the last day of the preliminary round.

Speaking of Cervenka, he currently ranks 7th all time in WM assists with 58. He trails Vyacheslav Fetisov by just one and is seven behind Boris Mikhailov, two very attainable targets to move the Czechia captain up the all-time table.

Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni has his sights set on one of goaltending’s greatest records. He is currently tied with Jiri Holecek of Czechoslovakia with 12 career shutouts. One more, and the all-time record will belong to the underappreciated netminder.

Olympics, Women

The record for most Olympics played in is five, currently held by five players. That number is likely to increase significantly. Several players with four to their credit are almost certain to be in Milano, including Jenni Hiirikoski (FIN), Hilary Knight (USA), Michelle Karvinen (FIN), Emma Nordin (SWE), and Marie-Philip Poulin (CAN). 

Poulin can also tie the record for the most gold medals (four) with a top-place finish in Italy, and the North Americans—Poulin and Knight—are certain to tie the record for most Olympic medals (five—both currently have four). 

The tournament format in 2026 will require the teams playing for medals to play in seven games. This then gives Hiirikoski and Karvinen the chance to equal, or surpass, the record for most games played at the Olympics. They both have 24 to their credit, and the record, held by Switzerland’s Nicole Bullo, is 29.

Poulin is also in a class of her own in chasing down records for most points, most goals, and most assists in Olympic play. And in all instances, the player she is chasing is former teammate Hayley Wickenheiser, and in two instances, there is a decent chance that Poulin will break the record. For points, “Wick” has 51 and MPP is second with 35. For goals, Wickenheiser has 18 and Poulin is right behind with 17. And for assists, Wickenheiser has 33, retired American Jenny Potter (-Schmidgall) is second with 21, and Poulin third with 18.

Goalies Nicole Hensley (USA) and Ann-Renee Desbiens (CAN) are also very likely to join three Canadians—Charline Labonte, Kim St. Pierre, and Shannon Szabados—for most medals by a goalie, with three. Hensley and Desbiens both have a gold and silver in their basement museum.

Women’s World Championship

This is what we know about American forward Hilary Knight. She has said Milano Cortina will be her last Olympics. She has also said she can envision playing in the PWHL after her international career with USA Hockey is over. And when we look at the record book, her name dominates: most medals (15), most gold medals (10), most points (120), most goals (67), most assists (53). Every time she contributes to a U.S. goal, she betters one of her records. Every time she wins a medal, she sets a record. You can be sure at the 2026 WW, if she is healthy and in the lineup, she will add to these incredible totals.

For most of the last decade, Klara Peslarova has been Czechia’s go-to goalie. The result is that she has now played 40 career Women’s Worlds games and will likely surpass Switzerland’s Florence Schelling for the all-time record (44). In tandem, Schelling and Peslarova are 1-2 in minutes played (2,578:35 to 2,347:22), another great chance for the Czech to take top spot. And all-time wins? Ann-Renee Desbiens is at 22 and Peslarova and the retired Schelling one behind. This poses a double threat. Desbiens is still very much active, so every time she wins a game with Canada, she betters her own mark. And Peslarova can surpass Schelling while staying close to Desbiens for the all-time mark.

Women’s U18

We already know the name Nela Lopusanova, and we are quite likely to be celebrating her accomplishments even more at the next WW18 in Nova Scotia. The Slovak forward already has 26 career points in this event, fourth-most all time behind leader Kendall Coyne Schofield (33). Lopusanova is a good bet to pass the American for the all-time scoring record, which would be an extraordinary achievement for the 17-year-old (she’ll be 18 next February).