Four former Colts will dress for their respective national teams in the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, two of them making their Olympic debuts
Rasmus Andersson (SWE); Artūrs Šilovs (LAT); and Greg DiTomaso (ITA) will appear at the Games for the first time, while Mathias Niederberger (GER) is making his second appearance in as many tournaments.
Alex Pietrangelo (CAN); Martin Skoula (CZE); and Jan Bulis (CZE) were the only other former Barrie Colts players to appear at the Games. Pietrangelo is the only former Colt to win Olympic gold, doing so at the 2014 tournament in Sochi, while Bulis was the first to medal, earning bronze at the 2006 tournament in Turin.
Two forwards picked by Barrie in previous CHL Import Drafts that didn't appear in the league will also play in the Games. JJ Peterka (GER, 71st overall in 2019) and Adrian Kempe (SWE, 107th overall in 2013) will both make their Olympic debuts, aided by the inclusion of current NHL players on rosters for the first time since 2014.
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RASMUS ANDERSSON
After watching his father, Peter, play for Sweden at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, it's a dream come true for the two-time OHL All-Star.
The defenceman captained the Swedish national team at the 2025 World Championships, months after his first senior-level international tournament at the 4 Nations Face-off. In those 11 total games, he scored two goals and assisted on four.
Taken 37th overall by Barrie in the 2014 CHL Import Draft, Andersson had back-to-back 60-point seasons with the Colts. In between those campaigns, he was drafted by Calgary 56th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
After nearly 10 years with the Flames, the 29-year-old was traded to Vegas on January 18, but didn't make his debut with the Golden Knights until five days later due to visa issues.
Between both clubs, he's logged 11 goals and 23 assists in 56 games in 2025-26.
ARTŪRS ŠILOVS
One of two NHL goalies and six total NHLers on the Latvian national team, the 2025 Calder Cup winner is likely the squad's biggest star.
While he couldn't appear in the final qualifying tournament due to a knee injury, his country managed to secure its spot, leading to the 24-year-old's third appearance at a major international tournament.
In 2019, Šilovs was taken 11th overall by the Colts in the CHL Import Draft and then 156th overall by Vancouver in the NHL Draft. The Canucks let him develop in Barrie, where he played until the season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing wit a 3.87 goals against average and .891 save percentage.
After being traded to Pittsburgh on July 13, he began the season as the team's top goaltending option, but is only boasting a 2.93 goals against average, .894 save percentage and one shutout in 26 games.
Historically, Šilovs has been exceptional in international play, particularly at World Championships. He's appeared in 14 games across two tournaments (2022-2023), the last at which he was named the tournament MVP after leading Latvia to a third-place finish.
MATHIAS NIEDERBERGER
The 33-year-old goalie will make his second Olympic appearance after helping Germany to the quarterfinals at the 2022 Games in Beijing, posting a 3.36 goals against average and .868 save percentage in three games, including a loss to Canada.
This time around, he isn't expected to be the country's top option with Phillip Grubauer likely to get the majority of the squad's minutes.
It's the German champion's ninth time being named to the national team for a major tournament, including appearances at seven World Championships (2018-2019, 2021-2025), the 2023 tournament culminating in a second-place finish.
During his two-season tenure with Barrie, Niederberger appeared in 105 games and posted a collective 2.50 goals against average, and helped the team to Central Division and Eastern Conference titles in 2013. In that span, he also backstopped Germany's national junior team to promotion from Division I A at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
This year with Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the two-time Goaltender of the Year has posted a 2.84 goals against average, with an .881 save percentage and two shutouts in 16 appearances.
However, he missed 20 games due to a lower-body injury. Since returning on January 18, he's played in two games, both losses.
GREG DITOMASO
Despite being born in Toronto, the 29-year-old defenceman holds dual citizenship due to his grandmother’s family's roots in Udine, Italy. It also won't be his first time on the Italian national team at a major event.
DiTomaso suited up for the Blues for five games at the 2025 World Championships in the Division I A level. His one goal and two assists contributed to Italy being promoted to the top division for the 2026 tournament.
Barrie was the third OHL team he played for following a midseason move from Saginaw. In 28 games he put up three goals and seven assists en route to a Central Division title. After junior hockey, he played at Ryerson for five seasons, which included an OUA Defenceman of the Year award honour in 2020.
Known for his offensive prowess, pro hockey has since brought him from the United States to Italy, where he's in his first year in the ICE Hockey League with HC Pustertal Wölfe. Entering the Olympics, DiTomaso has put up eight goals and 19 assists across 43 games in club play.
Italy's national team features only talent from European pro leagues, and includes 11 non-Italian born players, including DiTomaso. That's the same total from when the country hosted the 2006 games.
