Team USA Media Summit: Oshie, Farmer, Jones, Knight, & Coyne Schofield

T.J. Oshie (Hockey Analyst)

To remind everyone just how much one moment can define a legacy, Dave Fischer of USA Hockey cued up the highlight that turned T.J. Oshie into an Olympic icon. It was U.S. versus Russia—the game on the line, the shootout that silenced a nation before it roared.

As the highlight queued up, the room turned toward the screen. The crowd watched the replay unfold—the buildup to the shot, the breathless pause, and the eruption when Oshie scored.

As the video ended, the moderator smiled. “You saw him point to the other end there,” he said. “He was pointing at Jonathan Quick, our goaltender, and giving him credit. That’s the type of kid he is.”

Oshie smiled briefly as if reliving it all. “I remember the shootout,” he said. “But the first thing I did afterward was point to Quickie (Jonathan Quick).”

That small gesture—acknowledging his goalie during the most electrifying moment of his career—reminded everyone why Oshie’s legacy continues to resonate. More than a decade after that moment, Oshie has transitioned from making headlines to sharing the stories behind them. He now works as a hockey analyst for NBC Sports and also contributes to ESPN’s NHL coverage.

Oshie, now a 16-year NHL veteran (Washington Capitals) and 2018 Stanley Cup champion, reflected on what that Olympic experience meant. “Representing your country is such a high honor and it was a goal of mine,” he said. “I felt a little short in 2010 being injured earlier in the year and honestly probably being a little too immature at the time, but it was an amazing experience. It is different for the NHL because a week before Patrick Kane was my arch nemesis and then the next week he’s my teammate… It was an incredible honor and I definitely appreciate being there.”

Oshie Looks Ahead to Milan

Looking ahead to Milano–Cortina, Oshie reflected on what the return of NHL players means for this generation.

“Having the NHL players back is awesome,” he said. “I’ve been able to see this generation of American-born players come up and excel and win gold medals and win championships at the U18 teams, the U20s. And these kids got to maybe see the Sochi Olympics, but they haven’t got to play in the Olympics themselves. And I think this young era of U.S. men’s hockey players is better than it’s ever been. I think you saw that in the Four Nations and I’m so excited that they get a chance to showcase their skills on the world stage and the best-on-best tournament.”

Asked about facing Canada, Oshie didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I expect it to be very intense,” he said. “I think on the men’s side at least Canada’s had our number for a while here and I think you saw the emotion that Team USA brought to that Four Nations Cup and the intensity even for a tournament that people didn’t necessarily know how intense it was going to be because we were in the middle of the season and it wasn’t the Olympics. So I think you take that intensity and that emotion that went into that tournament… and you put it on the world stage in the Olympics—I mean, I think the rivalry is going to be stronger than ever.”

Declan Farmer (Sled Hockey)

At 27 years old, Declan Farmer has become the face of U.S. Sled Hockey dominance—and the model of steady excellence.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Farmer stands 6’2″ and was born a bilateral amputee. He was first introduced to sled hockey at age eight at a clinic in Florida, and by 14, made his first U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. At just 16, he made his Paralympic debut in Sochi and helped Team USA become the first sled hockey team to win back-to-back Paralympic titles.

Since then, Farmer has captured three Paralympic gold medals (Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022). He has a combined seven World Championship medals—four gold and three silver. He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in economics and became the first American sled hockey player to surpass 200 career goals. Farmer now holds the U.S. records for goals, assists, and points. In 2023, the International Paralympic Committee honored him with the Para Sport Award for Best Male Winter Athlete.

Recently, Farmer hit another milestone—400 career points—and used the moment to recognize those around him.

“Yeah, well I mean no one hits 400 points without being in some high-scoring games and having a good team around you,” Farmer said. “I mean, if we were only scoring one goal a game, it would be very far from that milestone. So I think it’s definitely a team milestone for sure.”

“When I first joined the squad in 2012, we were squeaking out 3–1 wins,” he continued. “I think my first career game was 2–1 versus Norway or something. And I think the skill level—the sport—has grown so much over the years, especially offensively. We can just do a lot more. It was such a new sport, so few players playing it back then, and now it’s really taken off like many Paralympic sports. So I think it credits everyone’s hard work and continuing to raise the bar and not settle for anything.”

Farmer also spoke about the growing game of sled hockey talent emerging across the world. “Russia’s so good, they have six club teams that could all beat our national team,” he said. “I think we could be going from a two-horse race quickly to a five-horse race in the next two years, which is really good for the sport.”

Malik Jones (Sled Hockey)

Beside Farmer sat Malik Jones, the 21-year-old rising star of Team USA Sled Hockey. Just months removed from scoring the shorthanded, game-winning goal against Canada in the IPH Cup, Jones’ mix of energy and confidence was impossible to miss.

“The way it started is just me growing up watching my dad cook all the time in the kitchen,” Jones said with a grin. “If I was cooking for all of you, I think it would have to be a good lasagna dish—some ricotta cheese, beef mixed with some spicy Italian sausage.”

The room laughed, but when the topic turned to competition, his focus sharpened. “It’s been U.S. and Canada for a long time, but Czech is coming up. China’s getting really good… it’s developing really well, on rapid rates.”

Farmer nodded in agreement beside him. Together, they represented both the foundation and the future of a program still raising its ceiling.

Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield (PWHL)

From sled dominance to the women redefining professional hockey, Team USA’s success is thriving across every surface. For Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield, Milano–Cortina marks their first Olympics in the PWHL era. It is a structural shift that’s elevated both competition and consistency.

“When we graduate college, you have the goal to play for the national team,” Coyne Schofield said. “Now we have a 30-plus game season… with coaches, skills coaches, athletic trainers, and doctors—everything it takes to be elite.”

Knight agreed, emphasizing the significance of long-term investment. “Now with more programming, the best-on-best that you see at the international level is only going to continue to deepen and grow,” she said. “And that’s so exciting.”

Both credited the PWHL for its ripple effect around the world. “I see Finland getting a lot better, Sweden, Czech,” Knight added. “All of us are elevating the game and excelling more than we have before just because we had absence of resources that we so strongly needed.”

Shared Moments, Shared Purpose

Before the panel ended, the athletes lightened the mood by sharing their goal songs.

Oshie laughed as he described how “Country Roads” by John Denver became his goal tune after a karaoke night during a team golf trip to Pinehurst. “We go to karaoke night, there’s almost no one there,” he said. “I tried to think of a song that would get everyone involved… and I went with Country Roads.” What started as a spontaneous singalong became his signature in Washington, where fans belted out the chorus every time he scored. It’s the perfect match for Oshie’s personality—equal parts competitive, unfiltered, and deeply connected to the crowd.

Farmer grinned and admitted that during some lopsided games, the team actually grows tired of hearing the same tune. “We tend to get sick of our goal song after a tournament like that,” he said.

Knight smiled and gave her answer without hesitation: “ABBA.”

The Road Ahead

Team USA’s path to Milano–Cortina 2026 reflects growth, connection, and pride. The return of NHL stars highlights this path, the rise of the PWHL, and the continued success of the national sled hockey program.

Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield continue to define the professional standard. Declan Farmer and Malik Jones keep raising the bar for sled hockey. And T.J. Oshie—once the face of Sochi—now helps shape the next chapter for Team USA.

Every athlete left the same impression: the standard has never been higher—and that’s exactly how Team USA wants it.