We now know the primary six gamers who will symbolize the USA Hockey staff on the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The listing was introduced on June 16 and consists of Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Charlie McAvoy. Newly-hired New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan will coach the staff, and the Minnesota Wild’s GM Invoice Guerin will function the final supervisor for the 2026 Olympic staff.
Past these first six, who can we count on to fill out the remainder of the lineup for USA in Italy? Right here’s a projected first line, first defensive pairing, and beginning goaltender for Workforce USA.
Middle – Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs
Whereas he does face some competitors from Vegas heart Eichel, Matthews probably fills the identical function he did within the 4 Nations event as Workforce USA’s starter down the center.
It’s additionally attainable that Matthews retains the captaincy he had within the midseason event.
Matthews had three assists within the February event, the place Workforce USA completed second. He was additionally a +1 on the ice.
Whereas Matthews has competed in worldwide play for Workforce USA earlier than, 2026 will probably be his first time within the Olympics. He gained Gold with Workforce USA within the IIHF U18 Match in 2015 and in addition competed within the World Juniors twice, in addition to within the World Championship and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
This previous common season, Matthews had 33 objectives and 45 assists with a +11 on the ice.
Left Wing – Jake Guentzel, Lightning
Whereas Guentzel was not introduced among the many preliminary six gamers introduced, he’ll probably nonetheless be on Workforce USA within the Olympics this upcoming winter.
The 30-year-old skated on the primary line for the People within the 4 Nations Match, the place he had three objectives and an help. He was additionally a +2 on plus/minus.
Guentzel presently performs for Tampa after being traded by the Carolina Hurricanes on June 30, 2024. This previous common season, he had 41 objectives and 39 assists for the Lightning. He additionally contributed three objectives in Tampa’s brief five-game playoff run.
Earlier than Carolina, Guentzel was a part of the 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup staff.
The 4 Nations Match was the primary expertise in worldwide play for the Omaha, Nebraska native.
Proper Wing – Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers
Tkachuk, alongside his brother Brady, grew to become the center and soul of the Workforce USA roster within the 4 Nations Match.
It’s no shock, then, that each Tkachuks have been named as a part of the preliminary batch of picks for the Olympic staff. Nonetheless, they’re in all probability the most definitely gamers to trigger a global incident on the complete US Olympic Workforce.
The brothers shortly achieved folk-hero standing once they fought members of Workforce Canada 9 seconds into their 4 Nations round-robin assembly. Though combating just isn’t allowed in Olympic hockey — any participant who engages in a combat will obtain an ejection and a five-minute penalty — they’ll nonetheless have a major impression on the identification of Workforce USA.
Tkachuk sustained an damage whereas enjoying within the 4 Nations that saved him off the ice till Florida’s playoff run started, which resulted in a second-straight Stanley Cup win.
Tkachuk competed beforehand for Workforce USA within the IIHF U18 and U20 World Championships, incomes gold and bronze medals, respectively.
Left Defenseman – Quinn Hughes, Canucks
Hughes’ absence from Workforce USA within the 4 Nations brought on a stir and a few allegations of nationalist-spurred collusion by Vancouver’s entrance workplace.
The Canucks didn’t clear Hughes off the injured listing, which might have allowed him to journey to Boston for the 4 Nations Finals. This led Brady Tkachuk to subsequently accuse Vancouver’s entrance workplace of doing this on objective, calling it “shady enterprise” on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast.
“Everyone knows who they have been cheering for,” he mentioned.
Hughes will now have the chance to skate on the highest defensive pairing for Workforce USA within the Olympics.
In 68 video games performed this common season, Hughes had 16 objectives and 60 assists and a plus/minus of +2. He additionally gained the Norris Memorial Trophy within the 2023-24 season.
He’s already competed in worldwide play for Workforce USA six occasions in his profession, together with within the 2017 IIHF U18 Match, the place he gained gold.
Proper Defenseman – Charlie McAvoy, Bruins
McAvoy will probably be the right-shot defenseman on Workforce USA’s first defensive pairing. Like Hughes, he was sidelined from the 4 Nations Finals attributable to medical points, and there was a good quantity of murkiness surrounding his damage as nicely.
He sustained an damage to his shoulder on February 13 in a sport towards Finland within the event in Montreal. However when he returned to Boston for the Finals, his situation worsened, and it was found by employees at Mass Normal Hospital that he had developed a uncommon staph an infection.
McAvoy didn’t play for the remainder of the season.
Based on a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Bruins higher-ups have been “extraordinarily sad” with the therapy he acquired on the preliminary shoulder damage from Workforce USA’s medical employees, which can be the Minnesota Wild’s medical employees.
Nonetheless, the previous gained’t cease McAvoy from making his return to worldwide play with Workforce USA on the 2026 Olympics.
McAvoy has competed for Workforce USA 5 occasions in his profession, together with of their bronze-medal effort on the 2018 World Championships.
Goalie – Jeremy Swayman, Bruins
This can be my most controversial choose right here, however I consider Swayman will get the beginning goaltender job over Connor Hellebuyck on the 2026 Olympics.
The 26-year-old Alaska native had a return to type with Workforce USA at this yr’s IIHF World Championships, serving to the People win gold.
Swayman went undefeated within the event with a 1.69 GAA and a .920 save share. An astonishing enchancment over the lackluster numbers he had with Boston this common season, a 3.11 GAA and a .892 save share.
He was one of many goaltenders out there for Workforce USA within the 4 Nations event, however didn’t obtain any time in internet.
Whereas Hellebuyck had a powerful efficiency within the 4 Nations, his document in large video games is fairly horrible, as evidenced by his near-meltdown within the playoffs this yr with Winnipeg.
Workforce USA ought to journey the recent hand and hold Swayman in internet.
