Duluth, GA – It was announced on Tuesday that Gladiators forward Louis Boudon has been named to France’s Olympic National Team and will represent his county on the world’s biggest stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

Boudon, a native of Grenoble, France, has had an incredible start to his first season with the Gladiators and is well on pace for a career year, averaging over a point per game with 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 25 games. The 27-year-old forward leads all Gladiators skaters in points, is 4^th in ECHL scoring, and leads the league in game winning goals with 5. Prior to the holiday break, Boudon scored 5 goals in his last 3 games, including a hat trick against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Sunday.

Playing in his third full year of professional hockey, Boudon is no stranger to representing his country internationally, having played in two World Junior Championships and four IIHF World Hockey Championships. In 100 career international games with Team France, Boudon has scored 11 goals and 20 assists. He most recently played for Team France at the 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championship, in which he scored 1 goal in 7 games. Now, Boudon will represent his country at the biggest stage and pursue gold at the Winter Olympics in February. 

“Representing France at the Olympic Games is the greatest honor of my career,” said Boudon. “Wearing the national jersey and competing for my country on the world’s biggest stage is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. I’m very proud and grateful for the opportunity,” he said.

“As a team and an organization, we are thrilled for Louis,” said Gladiators head coach, Matt Ginn. “To be able to represent your country on the biggest stage in the Olympics is a tremendous honor and one that Louis is fully deserving of. He’s been a great player for us, along with being a great person, teammate, and leader for our group. We are excited to cheer Louis on (when they aren’t playing team Canada).” 

The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Milan, Italy, beginning on February 6 and ending on February 22. France’s first game of the preliminary round is against Switzerland on February 12. France will compete in Group A with Canada, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. The men’s team is playing at the Olympics for the first time since the games in Salt Lake City in 2002, where they finished 14th in the 16-team field. The XXV Olympic Games will be broadcast nationally in the United States on NBC and Peacock. 

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