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Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Canucks’ Hughes & Garland Named to U.S. Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Matthew Zator | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 7:12 PM ET

On Tuesday (Aug. 19), USA Hockey announced that 44 players will attend the U.S. Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp Aug. 26-27 in Plymouth, Michigan. Among those players were two Vancouver Canucks, Quinn Hughes and Conor Garland. Hughes is already on the Olympic roster that will be heading to Italy, as he was named as part of the “First Six” on June 16 alongside Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy. Garland, meanwhile, will hope to join him when the final roster is announced in January. The two-day camp is largely an administrative and team-building event and includes no formal on-ice activity or public component, so fans won’t be able to attend.

Garland Being Rewarded For Performance at World Championship

Garland has never represented Team USA at the Olympics before, but he has an extensive resume at the Men’s World Championship. Not only that, but he’s been a prominent figure on those teams, scoring 13 goals and 31 points in 30 games, including a standout performance at the 2025 World Championship, where he had five goals and 10 points. He was a big reason why they won gold for the first time in 92 years, and was named a top three player at the end of the tournament.

Since being selected in the fifth round by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, Garland has defied the odds and become one of the top undersized players in the NHL. He’s not an elite goalscorer like some of the other names invited to the camp, but he always brings the energy and work ethic to every shift he plays. Without a doubt, his showing at the World Championship caught the brass’s attention, and they will be watching closely to see how he does with the Canucks early on in the season. If he hits the ground running and plays like he did last season, when he was often the Canucks’ best and most consistent forward, I wouldn’t be surprised if he squeezes his way onto the team.

Hughes Will Lead USA’s Blue Line

Hughes won’t have to worry about making the team; he’s already on it. He missed his chance to lead Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, so I’m sure he’s chomping at the bit to make an impact at his first Olympics. He just has to stay healthy. The 2024 Norris Trophy winner missed 14 games last season due to injury and had to miss the 4 Nations because of it. He still put up 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games, so if he can get back to his usual full-season availability, he should be pretty confident heading into the Olympics in February.

The last time Hughes wore Team USA colours was at the 2019 World Championship and World Juniors. All he’s done since then is get named captain of the Canucks, win a Norris Trophy, and put up an eye-popping 59 goals and 409 points in 433 games – one point away from becoming the franchise’s leading scorer among defencemen. Will he add an Olympic gold to that impressive history? We will find out in a few short months.

Demko & Boeser Notably Absent

It’s worth noting that Thatcher Demko, a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2024, and Brock Boeser, a 40-goal scorer and perennial 20-goal guy, weren’t invited. While Demko’s health has been questionable over the last couple of seasons, I think his resume deserves at least an invitation. As for Boeser, he’s only one season removed from 40 goals and still scored 25 goals last season. I’m a little surprised he wasn’t on their radar as well.