Territory Talk: 2026 Winter Olympics Preview (Ep. 386)

·59 min·5 clips

The Florida Panthers have 10 players at the Olympics, with Paul Maurice predicting a gold medal will come back to South Florida.

The episode begins by welcoming listeners to Territory Talk, the official podcast of the Florida Panthers. The hosts, Doug Plagens and Jameson Olive, note they are recording during the Olympic break, a day before the tournament starts. They emphasize the Panthers' heavy involvement, with 10 players and several staff members participating, and mention Paul Maurice's comment about a high chance of a gold medal returning to South Florida. The hosts express excitement for the return of NHL players to the Olympics since 2014. They discuss the historical significance of seeing Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid as teammates for Team Canada. The conversation shifts to Team USA's depth, illustrated by the omission of Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson. The hosts explain the Olympic format: 12 nations in three groups of four, with preliminary games leading to a single-elimination bracket. They analyze Group A, predicting Canada as the favorite over Czechia, Switzerland, and France, and note Panthers players on Canada. Group B is examined as a tight race between Finland and Sweden, with both missing key players (Barkov for Finland, Carlsson for Sweden), and Slovakia as a rising team. Group C is discussed, with USA favored over Germany, Latvia, and Denmark, though Germany's elite players like Leon Draisaitl are noted. The hosts debate Team USA's goaltending uncertainty with Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman. They compare Team Canada's stacked forward group, including 15 Stanley Cup winners, to Team USA's defensive strength. Predictions are made: Doug picks Canada for gold, USA for silver, Sweden for bronze; Jameson picks USA for gold, Canada for silver, Finland for bronze. The episode concludes with hopes for a USA-Canada gold medal game and its potential impact on hockey's popularity.

As heard by us

A Panthers-first Olympic preview that uses Slovakia and Oliver Alculea's NHL outlook as its sharpest throughline.

Territory Talk frames the Florida Panthers' Olympic footprint as a practical way into the men's hockey tournament in Milan. With 10 Panthers players involved and staff members serving in different roles for different teams, the discussion keeps the event rooted in South Florida.

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Why you'd press play

Want a Panthers-shaped route into Milan, with Slovakia and Oliver Alculea on your follow list?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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