Making the Olympic Team

We're two months away from the gold medal game of the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan.  That would be a big deal regardless, but it's made even bigger by the fact that this'll be the first Olympics with NHL participation since 2014.  Anticipation is obviously high for NHL players at the Olympics for the first time in a dozen years, especially after the success of the Four Nations Face-Off last season. 

The Four Nations Face-Off was designed to be a little bit of a preview who we might see representing their countries in Milan.  The Olympic tournament will obviously have more teams, though, so this time we'll see all of the NHL's best players (minus the Russians) representing their countries.  And they'll be doing in pretty soon.  The Olympics are right around the corner, and so is the announcement of each team's roster.  They all announced six players over the summer, but we'll be finding out the full rosters soon enough.

In the past, they've announced the U.S. Olympic roster at one of the intermissions during the Winter Classic.  This worked well since NBC broadcast both the Winter Classic and the Olympics, but NBC obviously isn't one of the NHL's TV partners anymore.  So, I don't know if they're planning on doing it again this time or not.  It would seem to make the most sense to do that, though.  Especially since the Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk has already been named to the team and Rangers coach Mike Sullivan will be the coach of Team USA.

While the Four Nations provided a preview of what we'll see in Milan, the roster that we saw at that tournament will not be the same.  The players understood that better than anybody.  Making the team for the Four Nations didn't guarantee you a place on the Olympic team and vice versa.  In fact, being snubbed from the Four Nations roster served as a great motivator for so many players.  And some of them have almost certainly earned a spot on the Olympic team.

Two players who come to mind are Clayton Keller of the Mammoth and the Sabres' Tage Thompson.  Neither was on the team for the Four Nations (although, Thompson was an alternate), but they both represented the United States at the World Championships...and led the U.S. to its first gold medal since 1933.  Keller was the team captain and had 10 points in 10 games.  Thompson scored the winning goal in the final.  They both did everything they needed to do and then some.  It would be a surprise if they aren't on the Olympic team.

So, if they're in, who's out?  My guess would be Chris Kreider and Josh Bailey.  Kreider was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the Four Nations, while Bailey was the last guy to make the team, and a bit of a surprise at that.  Vincent Trocheck could also be vulnerable, but he might stay on for his ability to win faceoffs.  Should a third forward (Logan Cooley?  Matty Beiners?  Jason Robertson?) be added, Trocheck would be the next guy to go.

Quinn Hughes didn't play at the Four Nations, either.  He was on the original roster, but had to withdraw due to injury.  He tried to return for the championship game, but ultimately wasn't added (partly because traveling from Vancouver to Boston for only one game wasn't practical).  Hughes is healthy now, though, and arguably the best American-born defenseman in the NHL.  He'll obviously be on the Olympic team.  Which means at least one of the seven defensemen who did play at the Four Nations won't.

Jake Sanderson was the defenseman added to the Four Nations roster as the replacement.  So, it would stand to reason that he'd be the one to come off with a healthy Quinn Hughes reclaiming his spot.  Although, I think the American defense could look very different.  Because Seth Jones and John Carlson weren't on the Four Nations roster, either, and I can also see one or both of them making the team this time (Carlson was on the 2014 Olympic team...the last with NHL players).

Of the six players who were named to the Olympic roster over the summer, none were goalies.  Which is kind of interesting.  Since goalie is the one position that's pretty locked in.  Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets will be the starter.  Jake Oettinger of the Stars will be the backup.  It's really a question of whether the Bruins' Jeremy Swayman on the Canucks' Thatcher Demko will be the third goalie.  Except that's not really a question, either.  Swayman was the third goalie at the Four Nations and the starter at Worlds.  It would be shocking if he doesn't get that spot.

United States General Manager Bill Guerin basically admitted that when he was asked why there were no goalies among the initial six names.  Everyone already knows who at least two of the three goalies will be, but he didn't want it to look like he was committing to Hellebuyck as the starter.  It also allowed Guerin to name six skaters on the initial roster (Auston Mathews, Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy).

There are also several players who would otherwise be locks, but are currently injured.  Matthew Tkachuk has missed most of the season.  J.T Miller and Adam Fox are both out.  Will they be selected anyway, counting on their being back in time for the Olympics?  (Tkachuk was one of those original six chosen over the summer.)  Or will their injuries keep them out and give someone else who wouldn't necessarily have been on the team otherwise a spot on the Olympic roster?

Teams had 23-player rosters at the Four Nations.  At the Olympics, it'll 25-man rosters.  So, assuming they do an even split, that'll be 14 forwards and eight defensemen plus the three goalies.  With that in mind, here are my choices for the 2026 U.S. Olympic men's hockey roster (*-already named to preliminary roster):

Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Jake Oettinger (Stars), Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
Defensemen: *Quinn Hughes (Wild), *Charlie McAvoy (Bruins), Brock Faber (Wild), Adam Fox (Rangers), Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights), Seth Jones (Panthers), Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes), Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
Forwards: *Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), *Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), *Brady Tkachuk (Senators), *Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers), Matt Boldy (Wild), Cole Caufield (Canadiens), Kyle Connor (Jets), Jake Guentzel (Lightning), Jack Hughes (Devils), Clayton Keller (Mammoth), Dylan Larkin (Red Wings), J.T. Miller (Rangers), Jason Robertson (Stars), Tage Thompson (Sabres)

Whether it's announced at the Winter Classic or not, we'll know the actual U.S. Olympic hockey roster soon enough.  And, regardless of who's on it, the pressure will be on.  After silver at the Four Nations and gold at Worlds, the United States will be one of the favorites for Olympic gold in Milan.