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Auston Matthews remains with Jake Guentzel, Matt Boldy at USA’s practice

Originally posted on TheLeafsnation | By Arun Srinivasan | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 12:40 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews remained with Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy during USA men’s hockey practice Wednesday.

Matthews, who is captaining the United States, will be featuring in a top-six role to start the tournament. The 28-year-old has recorded 26 goals and 48 points in 51 games with the Maple Leafs this season. Matthews recorded three assists in three games for the United States during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

“It’s obviously a huge honour and privilege to be able to represent your country and go and compete in it,” Matthews said on January 26. “There are a lot of things you’re excited about. I’m looking forward to, first and foremost, the hockey and being able to compete like that. I think everything that else that goes into it, it’s definitely a really special experience.”

Guentzel-Matthews-Boldy could be one of the most potent scoring lines in the entire tournament. Boldy has registered 32 goals and 62 points in 54 games for the Minnesota Wild, tied for 15th in NHL scoring. Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning have caught fire entering the break, and the veteran forward has registered 26 goals and 60 points in 55 contests this season.

Ahead of Thursday’s game against Latvia, United States head coach Mike Sullivan will not name his starting goaltender. Connor Hellebuyck is the presumed starter ahead of the game.

It’s the first time Matthews will be representing the United States at the Olympics, as his team looks to win gold for the first time since 1980.

“I think we feel like we’re up there,” Matthews said. “We should be competing for gold. It’s first Olympics in a while since we’ve been able to consistently be up there. You want to be the best country in the world, and this is a great opportunity.”