Team USA Updates: Keller, Thompson, Jones In, Fox Out

Although the Team USA Olympic Roster will not be officially announced until Friday morning, Emily Kaplan of ESPN shared that Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Seth Jones were named to the team. Kaplan went on to update that Adam Fox will not make the cut for Milan. 

Each indicate a change relative from last season’s Four Nations tournament, as each of Keller, Thompson, and Jones are additions, while Fox is a subtraction. Final word is still in the air, but as noted by Kaplan, Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, Quinn Hughes, and Jack Eichel are all locks for the team. 

Keller, 27, took a major step in Utah’s inaugural season, reaching the 90 point mark. This season has been a step back, with 33 points in 40 games, but the Missouri native has dealt with the unexpected loss of his father, and he is still tied for the team lead in scoring.

Thompson, a 6’6″ sniper, was a questionable subtraction from last year’s Four Nations team, but the 28-year-old has helped resurrect the Sabres this season, as he leads the team in scoring along the way in their current nine game winning streak.

Both Keller and Thompson donned the red, white, and blue last summer in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, with Thompson burying the overtime winner to earn gold.

The implications from today’s news are that Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield’s statuses are unknown. Both young stars absolutely deserve a look on paper, but in terms of roster construction, it appears that Guerin will opt for more veteran presence from players such as Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck, both of whom are true centers who played on the Four Nations team.

American icon Patrick Kane has an outside shot at this point also, news which would have seemed unbelievable not long ago. the 37-year-old surely wanted one more chance at a gold, but may have been passed up in favor of veteran centers more capable of playing shutdown roles.

Speaking to the blue line, Jones has earned his spot in the midst of a great season with the Panthers. Facing decline over the past few seasons as a Blackhawk, Jones was brought over to Florida in a bit of a gamble, given his contract, but the Texas native has 24 points in 39 games, helping the club stay in contention despite their key absent stars.

Outside of an injury which Fox has just returned from, nothing has necessarily forced the New York hometown hero out. The 27-year-old has 28 points in as many games this season, playing at his usual elite level.

The decision from GM Bill Guerin was surely difficult, as Fox’s own Rangers GM Chris Drury, along with his coaches Mike Sullivan and David Quinn are all involved with the team, but it is a testament to the United States’ tremendous depth on defense. It has been speculated management was concerned about his play at times in last year’s international tournament, especially in the Finals, but eyes will be on Jones to play at a high level in place of Fox. Passing on a Norris-winning #1 defender in the prime of his career is a decision that will be scrutinized in February.

With the roster set to be officially announced Friday morning (8 a.m. ET) on NBC’s TODAY show, Guerin’s final choices will come to light as the United States looks for their first gold medal since 1980.