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Jack Eichel of United States. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jack Eichel establishing himself as Team USA's leader, go-to star

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 7:39 PM ET

When the 2026 men's Olympic hockey rosters were set, there was just as much talk about the players not on the United States roster as there was about the players actually on it. While there were some obvious snubs, and some they may still come back to haunt them later in the tournament, it is important to remember this is still a wildly talented roster.

It was one of the best collections the United States has ever been able to assemble, is one of the best teams in the tournament and one that should be competing for gold.

While they were not flawless in Saturday's 6-3 win over Denmark, they took care of business, did what was expected and put themselves in a great position to earn a bye into the quarterfinals as long as they avoid a regulation loss to Germany on Sunday.

The biggest star of the tournament so far for the Americans has clearly been forward Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights). He was fantastic on Saturday and continued to establish himself as not only one of Team USA's go-to offensive stars, but also one of its biggest leaders.

Jack Eichel helped turn the game for Team USA

It is not just the fact that Eichel had two points in Saturday's win; it was also the timing of them that was significant.

With the United States off to a sluggish start and looking like they were going to be in for a surprisingly tough game against Denmark, Eichel won a key faceoff early in the second period to set up Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) for a game-tying goal. It was a huge faceoff win in a big moment and helped wrestle some momentum away from Denmark after it went in to the second period with the lead.

Less than a minute later, Eichel won another big offensive zone faceoff, and then this time took care of business on his own by ripping a shot into the back of the net to give the United States its first lead of the day.

TWO GOALS IN 57 SECONDS. USA TAKES THE LEAD. #WinterOlympics on Peacock and USA pic.twitter.com/cpX398Pvjs
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 14, 2026

They never slowed down after that and took over the game.

That one-minute stretch took the United States from being on potential upset watch to playing like the team everybody expected them to be.

Eichel helped make it happen.

He might not be the captain of this team (that honor belongs to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews), but his presence on the top line alongside the Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk) has clearly made him one of the go-to offensive forces.

It continues what has been a rapid rise for him leaguewide over the past few years.

During the early part of his career with the Buffalo Sabres, Eichel was a talented and productive young player stuck in a bad situation. He also had some flaws to his game away from the puck and had not yet been able to blossom into the superstar he was hoped to be when he entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

But from the moment he arrived in Vegas, everything has changed for him.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, his 296 points are the 22nd most in the NHL among all players and sixth-most among American-born players.

In the four years prior to that, his 203 total points were only 66th in the NHL and only 15th among American-born players.

He has clearly taken a big step offensively and climbed the league's overall leaderboard.

Just as important, he has also seen his defensive game evolve into a place where he is a legitimate Selke Trophy candidate as the league's best defensive forward. That sort of two-way dominance is invaluable and a key part of any championship-winning team.

He already has the honor of being one of the best players on a Stanley Cup-winning team thanks to his 2022-23 championship with the Golden Knights.

Now he has a chance to add an Olympic medal — also as one of the best players on the team — to that list of accomplishments.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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