With the 2026 Winter Olympics about to begin, we at Vogue are taking a wide view of the state of play in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Because it would be a true shame to reduce the athletes’ merits solely to their “ability” and whether they “win or lose,

Some of the best players in the world are just now experiencing the Olympics for the first time, and the reality is sinking in.

“NHLers haven’t been able to play in the Olympics in a really long time,” said New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who will represent the United States. “It is a dream come true.” NHL players have participated in five Olympics: Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake in 2002, Torino in 2006, Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.

Lukas Dostal was in a rush to get to the Olympics. Earlier this week, the Czech goaltender became the first NHL player to take the ice for practice with his national team.

Apart from concerns about the main arena’s construction delays, the ice itself must handle multiple games a day for weeks on end, with intense play.