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By Eric Forga –
The 2026 U.S. men’s ice hockey team has stormed into the Milan-Cortina Olympics with the kind of start that makes a gold-medal run feel realistic, and Minnesota’s fingerprints are all over it. From the crease out, this roster looks and feels like a modern “State of Hockey” showcase on the world stage.
Team USA landed in Group C and took full advantage of a favorable draw, rolling through Latvia, Denmark, and Germany to punch a direct ticket to the quarterfinals. A convincing opening win over Latvia set the tone, with the Americans overwhelming their opponent in puck possession, shot volume, and special teams execution. By the time they closed group play with a 5-1 win over Germany, they had secured the No. 2 overall seed and a bye, underscoring how clearly they handled business in the preliminary round.
What makes this start impressive is not just the scores, but the way the team has asserted its identity. The U.S. has attacked off the rush, used its mobile defense to jump into plays, and shown enough depth that different lines have taken turns driving games. Even in stretches where the offense briefly stalled, like the early part of the Germany game, the Americans stayed patient, tightened up defensively, and eventually broke things open with their skill up front. It’s the kind of mature tournament game that past U.S. teams sometimes struggled to find early.
Milan-Cortana is the first men’s Olympic tournament in 12 years to feature a full slate of NHL players, and the U.S. roster looks like an All-Star team. Auston Matthews wears the “C” and centers the top line, giving Team USA a true franchise cornerstone who can tilt the ice every shift. Behind him, wave after wave of scoring talent come over the boards: Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, the Tkachuk brothers, and more.
On the back end, Bill Guerin has built USA’s blue line around puck-moving defensemen who can skate and create, led by Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy, with strong two-way pieces like Jaccob Slavin, Zach Werenski, Jake Sanderson, Noah Hanifin, Brock Faber, and Jackson LaCombe rounding out the group. In net, a three-headed monster of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman gives the Americans as much security as any team in the tournament. That depth in goal has allowed the coaching staff to manage workloads and still get elite play from the crease in the early games.
For all the national star power, this team has a core that feels distinctly Minnesotan. Four players hail from the State of Hockey: defenseman Brock Faber (Maple Grove), goaltender Jake Oettinger (Lakeville), and forwards Brock Nelson (Warroad) and Jake Guentzel (Woodbury). The Minnesota Wild are also one of the most heavily represented NHL clubs on the roster. Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Quinn Hughes have exchanged Forest Green and Iron Range Red for the Red, White, and Blue.
Those Minnesota ties run deeper than birthplace or current NHL sweaters. Faber, Oettinger, Guentzel, and Nelson all came up through Minnesota’s high-end developmental pipeline, from high school rinks to college programs that have long fed the national team. Guentzel and Nelson bring that classic northern Minnesota scoring touch. Oettinger embodies the calm, technical goaltending the state is known for, and Faber looks every bit like the next great shutdown-meets-modern puck mover forged in local rinks. When you look at how much responsibility they carry in key roles, it’s clear Minnesota isn’t just represented – it’s helping drive winning.
The Wild’s trio of Olympians has already left a clear mark on how this team plays. Matt Boldy slides naturally into a top-six scoring role, using his size and skill to win battles on the wall and create offense in tight areas, exactly the way Wild fans see him do at Grand Casino Arena. Quinn Hughes quarterbacks the power play and drives transition, turning defensive stops into quick-strike chances the moment he touches the puck.
Then, there’s Brock Faber, whose presence might be the most quintessentially Minnesotan story of the bunch. He came into the tournament as one of only two players with prior Olympic experience, and Team USA has leaned on him for tough defensive minutes and penalty-kill work. His steady game has freed up more offensive-minded partners to attack, knowing there’s a reliable safety valve behind them. Put it together, and you have three Wild players, all in different roles, helping define this team’s identity: creative, mobile, and hard to play against.
International tournaments often come down to chemistry and trust, and that’s where the Minnesota connection really shows its value. Several of these players share long histories, from high school battles to college seasons to NHL familiarity, which shortens the adjustment curve when games start to matter. When Boldy works a give-and-go with Hughes up top, or Faber and Oettinger team up on a big kill, you can feel that shared hockey language built over the years in the same culture.
For fans back in Minnesota, these Olympics feel like more than just watching the flag; they feel like watching the state’s hockey identity exported to the biggest stage. The early results are a perfect group stage, a top playoff seed, and standout performances from those with Minnesota roots. That suggests that this influence isn’t just sentimental; it’s a competitive edge. If the Americans do finish this run with gold around their necks, there will be a strong case that the path ran straight through the State of Hockey.
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By Justin Hein
By Thomas Williams
Posted
The MN boys sure looked good against Germany. Faber looks a bit more conservative next to Slavin…that duo has been rock solid….well….the whole team has been.
Posted
Sure is fun watching the Tkachuk brothers play.
Posted
Sure is fun watching the Tkachuk brothers play.
Overrated! (Sarcasm)
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