Team USA announces 2026 Olympic roster

USA Hockey has officially announced its 25-man roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. 

The roster was contested until the final days and features a few players who didn’t appear with the U.S. at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. The full roster is as follows:

Forwards

• LW Matt Boldy (Wild)
• LW Kyle Connor (Jets)
• C Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)
• RW Jake Guentzel (Lightning)
• C Jack Hughes (Devils
• LW Clayton Keller (Mammoth)
• C Dylan Larkin (Red Wings)
• C Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs)
• C J.T. Miller (Rangers)
• LW Brock Nelson (Avalanche)
• C Tage Thompson (Sabres)
• LW Brady Tkachuk (Senators)
• LW Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)
• C Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)

Defense

• RD Brock Faber (Wild)
• LD Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights)
• LD Quinn Hughes (Wild)
• RD Seth Jones (Panthers)
• RD Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
• LD Jake Sanderson (Senators)
• RD Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes)
• LD Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets

Goaltenders

• G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
• G Jake Oettinger (Stars)
• G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)

What can be expected from Team USA?

As expected, Team USA is bringing a star-studded front to what’s sure to be a closely contested Olympic Games. Its strongest pillar stands in the net, where reigning NHL MVP Hellebuyck will be making his Olympic debut. 

Hellebuyck has fallen to a .907 save percentage in 22 games this season — but his track record of dominant play stretches back years. He has recorded a save percentage north of .910 in each of the last eight seasons, including five years north of a .920. He’s held onto those routinely league-topping numbers while playing upward of 60 games a season.

Hellebuyck could back a potentially explosive offense. The States tied for the most goals at the 4 Nations tournament while leaning on Guentzel, Eichel and the Tkachuk brothers to strong-arm the offense, while smooth-moving Werenski led the tourney in scoring with six assists. Boldy and Matthews were also key pieces of the 4 Nations offense, each netting three points.

Notably, the United States did not have former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes at the 4 Nations tournament. Hughes missed the tournament due to injury and was replaced by Sanderson, who did enough to now be named an Olympian. But the impact that Hughes may bring could be a tourney-winning X factor. 

The 26-year-old has 30 points in 27 games this season and is only two years removed from a 92-point campaign with the Vancouver Canucks. He is among the — or perhaps the — best offensive defensemen in hockey and should gel well in his first return to international play since 2019.

Speaking of 2019 — USA Hockey will finally see the fruits of the historic 2019 USNTDP class with this tournament. Jack Hughes and Boldy were stars on that lineup and have only emerged further since breaking into the NHL. Both players offer unwavering offensive impact — but the question will be whether the States feel cheeky enough to play the two together. 

Their chemistry in junior hockey was unrivaled in the few games they played alongside each other, though Hughes would end up taking on Cole Caufield as his de facto linemate. Still, Hughes and Boldy were the keys to the NTDP offense that season, and have now earned the right to wear the crest at the top level.

The rest of the roster is, generally, rounded out by USA mainstays like the hard-nosed McAvoy, top-end goaltenders Oettinger and Swayman and — surely to some fans’ dismay — the winning veteran presence of Nelson. All four players were a part of USA’s 4 Nations squad and will return to their depth roles in this tournament.

There are some new faces in the mix, though. Rather than bring Chris Kreider, USA has opted to bring high-scoring Sabres forward Tage Thompson and a reliable front-man in Utah's Clayton Keller. The two undoubtedly earned their stay during USA’s 2025 World Championship Gold Medal run that saw Keller score 10 points and Thompson score nine in 10 games. They were two heartbeats of the lineup and should continue to offer versatile impact without the need for top minutes.

With this lineup in place, Team USA will take its stand as a true medal favorite for the 2026 Olympic Games. Its toughest test will come at the hands of Canadian and Swedish offenses capable of pouring on the scoring. Team USA found as much out at the 4 Nations, where Canada emerged with the tourney win. But with a robust goaltending room and multiple additions to fortify its scoring, the American side should bring an explosive boost to the Winter Games.