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Team USA enters the 2026 Olympics with its best chance in decades to win gold in the men’s hockey tournament. The roster is well-assembled and experienced. There are a numbers of NHL veterans returning to play. Additionally, there are a number of veterans of the 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025 World Junior Championship title teams in tow.
While the NHL was absent from the Olympics, the U.S. has become a power in the WJCs, and this is the first real chance those players get a chance at Olympic gold.
The U.S. hasn’t won Olympic gold since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, but picked up a pair of silvers in 2002 and 2010. However, the Americans haven’t won a medal of any kind since winning silver in Sapporo, Japan back in 1972, including the three tournaments with NHL skaters.
Last year, this group of U.S. players showed their mettle at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, winning their first two games in impressive fashion before injuries to Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy helped tip the scales against them in an overtime loss to Canada for the championship trophy.
From 4 Nations Face-Off to 2026 Olympics
Twenty-one of those players from last year’s runners-up return to the American team, while 23 of 25 are making the Olympic debuts in Milan, including such key players as Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews, McAvoy, Jake Oettinger and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, all of whom entered the NHL after the 2014 Sochi tournament.
Offensively, while the stars are whom many are familiar with, Minnesota Wild Matt Boldy leads all U.S. Olympians with 32 goals, having won gold in 2021 at the WJC and being on last year’s 4 Nations club. Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson has 30 goals this season, and after being an omission from last year’s 4 Nations team, is on the U.S. roster after winning gold at the World Championship last spring, and was part of the 2017 gold-medalists at the U20 tournament.
Nelson a veteran surprise
The surprise goal-scorer in the Top 20 this season is the Colorado Avalanche’s Brock Nelson, who has recorded 29 goals this season, 21 of them coming after December 1, and while Nelson doesn’t have a gold in international play, his uncle, Dave Christian, was part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that won gold.
Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights forward Eichel leads the Americans in the NHL at the break with 68 points. He aims for his first international gold since 2013 at the U18s. Eichel led all American forwards last February with four points. Meanwhile, the Tkachuk brothers came in second at 3 points apiece, and adding some physical edge that was needed against Canada.
Milan is also the Olympic debut for Toronto Maple Leafs star Matthews, who has struggled a bit this season, but still with 26 goals in 51 games and the former No. 1 overall pick, Hart and Calder winner getting the first chance to wear the red-white-and-blue on the Olympic stage.
Defensively, Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski led all players in scoring at 4 Nations, recording six points in for games, and he is second among defensemen in points this season with 62. Team USA inexplicably left Quinn Hughes off last year’s 4 Nations roster. This year, he’s on the Olympic team. Hughes tied for fourth in points with 57 following the blockbuster trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the Wild.
Injured at the 4 Nations last year, Boston Bruins star McAvoy has had some rough luck staying healthy. Nevertheless,he certainly can be a top point-producer if healthy. Defensively the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin will help balance out some of the puck-rushing.
Goaltending is top-notch but…
Goaltending-wise, while the U.S. has some solid veterans to choose from, although the three have struggled this season in the NHL. Last year, Connor Hellebuyck won both the Hart and Vezina. This year, he missed time while battling injury. Hellebuyck owns a .900 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets have sunk down in the standings this season. Hellebuyck started last year’s 4 Nations final. He should get a chance to start again in Milan.
Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger, has also been off this season with an .897 save percentage, but also may get his shot to start after winning the gold in 2017 and playing one contest for the U.S. last February. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman has perhaps been the best goaltender down the stretch, going 7-2-1 in his last 10 decisions, but would seem more likely he may play a backup role in Italy barring injury.
One of the advantages the U.S. will have coming in is a soft schedule in the three-game preliminary round before the playoff round starts, starting Thursday against Latvia, then Saturday against Denmark and Sunday against Germany, allowing the team to gel before getting to the much more complex single-game elimination portion of the tournament.
The preliminary play will allow the U.S. to get an advantageous placement when the knockout portion begins, and give the Americans a better path to a potential medal.
Not the favorites but legitimate contenders
This team, while not as deep as the likely gold-medal favorites, can certainly go toe-to-toe with the Canadians and has proven that in recent tournaments. The big question is can this team stay healthy through the longer track of the Olympics, as their 4 Nations tournament was largely undone with the injuries to key players.
Certainly, many of the U.S. players have had off seasons, but the Olympics will be a fresh slate for some to see if they can end the United States’ long Olympic gold drought and win their first tournament of NHL players since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
And, while not being a miracle if they win gold, would certainly put American hockey in a spot it hasn’t been in decades to finally get over the hump in international play.
