Announcement: Two Chicago Blackhawks players will be taking a leave from the organization: It's temporary

The 2026 Olympic Games will mark the return of NHLers to a tournament featuring all countries of the world. Teams are currently starting to prepare ahead of that long-awaited event.

Earlier today, Team USA released a list of players invited to the Orientation Camp, set to run on August 26 and 27 in Michigan.

Two Chicago Blackhawks players were included.

44 players from 24 NHL teams were selected by GM Bill Guerin and his staff, including notable names such as Quinn, Jack, and Luke Hughes, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Cole Caufield, Jack Eichel, Adam Fox, Zach Werenski, and many other NHL elites.

Two members of the Blackhawks also made the cut: Alex Vlasic and Frank Nazar.

Participation in the Olympic Orientation Camp is not mandatory to make the final 25-man roster, which is expected to be announced in early January.

However, this event gives players like Nazar and Vlasic a chance to integrate with Team USA, meet coaches, show their enthusiasm, and prepare for the journey to the 2026 Winter Games.

For the Blackhawks, this doesn't change much, as the two players will return to Chicago in time for the start of the official training camp.

Nazar, 21, scored 27 points in 56 games in the NHL.

The Hawks' 13th overall pick in 2022 also spent time in the AHL last season, tallying 24 points, including 11 goals, in 21 games with the Rockford IceHogs. The player impressed a lot of people at the Men's World Championship last May by scoring 12 points in 10 games.

As for Vlasic, the 6-foot-6 defenseman scored 49 points in 179 career games with the Blackhawks.

Although both players haven't reached their full potential yet and there's a lot of depth on Team USA's roster, inviting them to that event makes sense, especially if they are considered as replacement options in case of injuries.