NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Monday he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts for his weekly notes column, “Zizing ‘Em Up,” to preview the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

TORONTO — When Drew Doughty left Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa in a walking boot Saturday, it continued an alarming trend of big name players being felled by injuries.

And for general managers at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, like Team USA’s Bill Guerin and Team Canada’s Doug Armstrong, it makes potential contingency plans to fill out their rosters that much more vital.

Just two days after saying that making Canada’s Olympic team “is always on my mind,” the 35-year-old defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings left a 1-0 victory against the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot with his foot.

Doughty has eight points (two goals, six assists) and is plus-six in 19 games, and Kings coach Jim Hiller has praised him for his solid defensive play.

“I’m not making the team because of my offense anyway,” Doughty said last Thursday. “It’s my defense that’s important.”

The extent of Doughty’s injury remains to be seen, although he’s initially being listed as day to day. What we do know is that his name gets added to a long list of walking wounded among NHL players who’ve either already been named to their countries’ rosters or are fighting for a spot.

Guerin and his staff certainly have their hands full given the number of Americans who are battered and bruised right now. Among them are forwards Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils (finger, injured reserve), Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers (groin, IR) and Brady Tkachuk of the Senators (thumb, IR); defensemen Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins (upper body, day to day) and Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes (lower body, IR); and goalies Thatcher Demko of the Canucks (lower body, week to week) and Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken (upper body, IR).

Then again, there may be signs of optimism when it comes to Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk.

Hughes returned to the Canucks lineup with authority on Sunday, collecting four assists in Vancouver’s 6-2 win against the Lightning. In the case of Brady, the Senators captain skated on Friday and is slated to join the team on its upcoming seven-game road trip.

Canada, meanwhile, has its own injury issues with forwards Anthony Cirelli (upper body, day to day) of the Lightning and Mark Stone (wrist, IR) of the Vegas Golden Knights; defenseman Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars (lower body, week to week); and goalie Adin Hill of the Golden Knights (lower body, IR). Lightning forward Brandon Hagel played against the Canucks after missing one game with an upper-body injury.

For Guerin, the volatility of injuries throughout the League makes it that much more important that countries have until around Jan. 1 to fill out their rosters, about a month later than they did for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.

“The additional time is so important, not only to see who’s playing well at the time but because you have the chance to see and gauge who’s healthy and who’s not,” Guerin told NHL.com last week.

Of most concern has to be the Jack Hughes situation. In what the Devils described as a non-hockey injury, Hughes had surgery over the weekend and will be reevaluated in six weeks. If he can return in eight weeks, he would be back in time to possibly play for Team USA at the Olympics in February.

That’s a big if.

At this point, USA Hockey has every right to feel snakebit. The only player of the original six named to its roster in June who is relatively healthy is Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel. The other five: Quinn Hughes, McAvoy, Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers.

Then again, there may be signs of optimism when it comes to the latter two.

In the case of Brady Tkachuk, the Senators captain skated Friday and is slated to join the team on its upcoming seven-game road trip.

Matthew, meanwhile, is progressing from his offseason surgery and could begin on-ice training in two weeks, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. The forward had surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia in August.

To be fair, Matthew is far better off than his teammate Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers captain who will miss the Olympics for Team Finland with a serious knee injury sustained in training camp.

It was the first of an alarming rash of injuries that will have Olympic roster selections in a state of fluidity right up until the new year.

MIC’D UP

In the next two weeks, we’ll be picking the brains of play-by-play men Chris Cuthbert and Kenny Albert, who will be handling the calls of the Olympic hockey competition for Canadian and American television, respectively. This week, we chat with Sportsnet’s Cuthbert.

First off, Chris, what’s your best Olympic memory or moment? Guessing it would be your call of Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal at the 2010 Vancouver Games that gave Canada a 3-2 overtime win against the United States in the championship game?

“Ya, it’s clearly the highlight of my career. If there’s something else out there I’ll gladly sign up for it. I do have to say that Connor McDavid‘s OT winner that gave Canada the win in the 4 Nations championship game last winter was cool too, just because everything that surrounded that game, that tournament, and just the fact that we had guys playing best on best again. And now, I’m so looking forward to seeing if we can match the Sid moment.”

How surreal was that Sid moment?

“The focus was just getting the call right. Interestingly we always have great sightlines to call games at the Olympics. That far corner where (Jarome) Iginla passed the puck to Sid was the one area that it was a bit difficult to see. I’m a perfectionist so I’d been worried going into the game if a big play happened in that spot. And, of course, it did. But it all worked out. And I’m not going to complain about it, that’s for sure.”

What else do you remember about that day?

“Well, one thing you might find interesting: I’ve never watched that game in its entirety since then. I felt good about the broadcast, which was the biggest game of my career. I’ve heard my call of the goal when people post it on social media but never the whole game.”

Looking ahead, who is your pick to win the tournament in Italy?

“Until we’re beaten, I’ll pick Canada, but it’s no certainty by any means. I mean, the next wave is coming. I looked at my game sheet from 2010 and was reminded how young Crosby was. I think he was only 22. Now you have the Connor Bedards and Macklin Celebrinis pushing. It will be interesting to see if either, if not both, make it.”

The reality of 4 Nations is that the United States came one shot away from winning the tournament. Is this the deepest pool of American players you’ve ever seen?

“Well, I recently took part in a documentary that looked back at the 1996 U.S. team that won the World Cup. That was a pretty impressive group of players. Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, you can go down the list. I think that was the first time Team USA stepped up and said, ‘We’re here to beat Team Canada.’ And they did. And I think it ignited an entire new generation of players in the U.S. And I think that generation is now heading to Italy thinking the same thing. And they should. They’re that good.”

Finally, how do you think the tournament will be affected by the fact that it will be played on NHL-sized ice, not the bigger Olympic dimensions of the past?

“I think it’s big. It will make it an NHL tournament. Except, keep in mind, the rules are different. Guys like Tom Wilson, if selected, will have to be careful. There is much less leniency when it comes to physical play. In that regard, it will be different from, say, a Stanley Cup Playoff game.”

OLYMPICS STOCK WATCH

Each week we’ll look at a candidate who’s catching our attention in the push to make his respective national team.

Jason Robertson, F, United States (Dallas Stars)

Have a week, Jason Robertson! No NHL player has been on more of a heater than Robertson, who’s played a huge role in the Stars’ five-game winning streak. The coup de grace came Saturday when the 26-year-old’s natural hat trick helped the Stars defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 at American Airlines Center, his sixth three-goal game in the League (five in the regular season, one in the Stanley Cup Playoffs). Consider the impressive run he’s on, one that surely has caught the attention of the Team USA brass. Exhibit A: Robertson has nine points (six goals, three assists) in his past three games, a streak he’s had three points in each of those games, and least one point in seven of his past eight games, (six goals, eight assists). There was plenty of debate when Robertson was left off the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, an omission that fueled him even more to make the Olympic squad. He’s certainly making a solid case for himself to do just that these days.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

“Nice of him. Probably the biggest figure in hockey history. So, if he’s talking about you, that’s obviously a good thing. Feels good that he likes what he sees out of me.” — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, reacting to the comments of Wayne Gretzky during a recent TNT broadcast that the young forward is “playing his way onto Team Canada.”

THE LAST WORD

With the Hockey Hall of Fame’s induction ceremonies last week once again a resounding success, a look at the top candidates for the Class of 2026 reveals two players who certainly left their mark on the Olympics.

Leading the pack is former Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who was the backbone of Canada’s gold medal run at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. In one of the stingiest performances by a goalie in Olympic history, Price was 5-0-0 with an 0.59 goals-against average and two shutouts.

Also up for induction is Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, considered one of the best two-way players in the history of the sport. Given the job of smothering the other country’s top lines, the shutdown center had three assists and finished plus-2 for Canada in its gold-medal runs in 2010 and 2014.

Yes, Price and Bergeron deserve recognition for their prestigious accomplishments in the NHL. At the same time, their showing at the Olympics only adds to their respective legacies.