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Team USA will begin its journey at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday when the team takes on Latvia in the tournament’s preliminary rounds. After arriving in Italy for the Games, Team USA announced who would be representing the nation as team captains.
Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews was named the captain for the U.S., and as such will wear the “C” on his chest throughout the Olympics. The team’s two alternate captains are Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Matthews, 28, was also the captain for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, when the United States placed second after losing to Canada in overtime in the tournament final.
“Auston, Charlie and Matthew did a great job in leading our team a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off and it’s great to have them back in those roles for the Olympics,” Team USA hockey GM Bill Guerin said in a statement Sunday. “They all bring different leadership traits to the table and I know all three are excited, as is our whole team, about representing our country as part of Team USA.”
The 2026 Games are the first time since 2014 that NHL players have participated in the Olympics. At the ‘14 Olympics, which were held in Sochi, Russia, Wild forward Zach Parise was the team’s captain. 12 years later, not a single player from that team is returning in ‘26.
Matthews & Co. will look to get off to a strong start to the tournament on Thursday, and they’ll take on a Latvia side that features six NHL players in its own right.
Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.
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