Red Wings forward, Jets forward among those expected to represent nation in Milano Cortina
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 begin 100 days from today, with Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6.
The men’s ice hockey tournament will start with preliminary games on Feb. 11, with the gold-medal game scheduled for Feb. 22.
This is the first time NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014.
In the Olympics, each team carries 25 players — traditionally 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies.
NHL.com is predicting the Olympic rosters, which will be officially named around Jan. 1.
Today, senior writer Dan Rosen and columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika reveal their combined picks for Team USA.
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights*
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs*
J.T. Miller, New York Rangers
Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators*
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers*
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
The United States doesn’t need to make many changes after taking Canada to overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. The core will remain the same. But the U.S. needs to find an edge to get over the hump, and it has two more roster spots than it had at 4 Nations, giving us another forward to include. Using the 4 Nations roster as a starting point, Chris Kreider (Anaheim Ducks), Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche) and Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers) are out up front. Connor was a healthy scratch in the 4 Nations championship game, so we wonder what the brass thinks, but we feel he’s far too potent of a scorer to leave home when goals are at a premium. We’re adding Kane, Keller and Thompson, after debating whether include Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens). We’ll keep an eye on him over the next two months. Kane is the most interesting choice; he’s perhaps the greatest American player ever and a veteran of two Olympic Games. When he got off to a bad start last season and didn’t make the 4 Nations roster, general manager Bill Guerin flew to Detroit to tell him in person. But he had a strong second half last season and has looked sharp when healthy this season. The 37-year-old could add leadership and playmaking ability, especially on the power play. Maybe he can help the United States find that extra goal it needs. — Cotsonika
TOR@DET: Kane puts the Red Wings on top with a quick one-timer in front
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks*
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins*
Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Hughes is the obvious big addition on the U.S. back end. You can count McAvoy among the most important additions, too. Hughes didn’t play in the 4 Nations Face-Off because of an injury. McAvoy was injured during the tournament and did not play in the last two games. But if they remain healthy, they could make up the United States’ top defense pair in the Olympics. The remaining defensemen who made this projected roster all played in the 4 Nations Face-Off. In fact, all of them were on the 4 Nations roster at one point. Hughes was replaced by Sanderson before the tournament began. The notable omission is Lane Hutson (Canadiens), who won the Calder Trophy, voted as the NHL’s rookie of the year last season; Hutson was not invited to Team USA’s Olympic Orientation camp. He is an option to make the team, but with Hughes and McAvoy returning and the other six defensemen doing nothing to play their way off the roster, it’s hard to find space for Hutson. He is, however, on the radar and a player to watch. Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils) is also a strong option. — Rosen
VAN@CGY: Hughes goes to his backhand to extend the lead
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Hellebuyck allowed five goals in three games in the 4 Nations Face-Off before winning the Hart Trophy, voted as the NHL’s most valuable player and the Vezina Trophy, voted as the top goalie. The No. 1 job is his to lose. Oettinger and Swayman are the top contenders to take the job from Hellebuyck; each was on the 4 Nations roster. Oettinger played against Sweden; Swayman didn’t get in. Coach Mike Sullivan’s decision on who starts against Latvia on Feb. 12, Team USA’s tournament opener, will likely be at least partially based on who is playing best at the time. The U.S. also has an eye on Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken) and Thatcher Demko (Canucks). — Rosen
Hockey News