Team USA's Final Projected 2026 Olympic Men's Roster

Update: USA Hockey revealed the 25 players on the men's national team at the Olympics on Wednesday. Click here for the full roster. The original projected Olympic roster story follows.

Do you believe in miracles?

Maybe a better question is whether you believe in Mike Sullivan.

The U.S. coach has what looks to be the best-ever American talent at his disposal. The only question is whether Sullivan can piece it together and bring a gold medal to a country that last won in 1980.

On Wednesday, Canada released its final 24-man roster.

The Hockey News' senior digital correspondent Adam Proteau made his roster picks earlier this month, but here are managing editor of digital media Michael Traikos and editor in chief Ryan Kennedy's picks for who should make the team.

Players with asterisks were already named to the team, while players in italics are where our rosters are different.

*Auston Matthews
*Jack Eichel
*Brady Tkachuk
*Matthew Tkachuk
Matt Boldy
Kyle Connor
Jake Guentzel
Jack Hughes
Clayton Keller
Dylan Larkin
J.T. Miller
Brock Nelson
Jason Robertson
Tage Thompson

*Auston Matthews
*Jack Eichel
*Brady Tkachuk
*Matthew Tkachuk
Matt Boldy
Kyle Connor
Jake Guentzel
Jack Hughes
Clayton Keller
Chris Kreider
Dylan Larkin
Brock Nelson
Jason Robertson
Tage Thompson

Now that everyone is healthy (or, in the case of Matthew Tkachuk, sort of healthy), the U.S. has a forward corps as good as any other.

Down the middle, you've got Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes, a one-two-three punch that only Canada can match.

But it's on the wings where the U.S. really sets itself apart. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk will be a handful, especially if they're playing together on the same line. Matt Boldy has been the country's top scorer this season with 25 goals and 47 points, while Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson have each reached the 20-goal mark.

After ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported Thompson and Clayton Keller had reportedly made the team, Ryan dropped Cole Caufield and J.T. Miller from his roster, but I kept Miller, mostly because he plays for coach Mike Sullivan in New York, and instead removed Chris Kreider. Also, we've both got Jason Robertson, who is second among U.S. forwards with 23 goals and 46 points, but was left off the 4 Nations Face-Off. And despite reports to the contrary, we sincerely hope that the U.S. does, too.

*Quinn Hughes
*Charlie McAvoy
Brock Faber
Adam Fox
Seth Jones
Jake Sanderson
Jaccob Slavin
Zach Werenski

*Quinn Hughes
*Charlie McAvoy
Brock Faber
Noah Hanifin
Seth Jones
Jake Sanderson
Jaccob Slavin
Zach Werenski

The back-end is where the Americans' strength lies.

Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy, who weren't fully healthy at the 4 Nations Face-Off, were already named to the team. They will likely be joined by most of the same players who were at the 4 Nations Face-Off, although there is speculation that either Noah Hanifin or Adam Fox could be replaced with Seth Jones, whose physical presence could be an asset.

If so, Ryan has Hanifin, who is more of a two-way defenseman, ahead of Fox, who does a lot of the same things that Hughes and McAvoy do already. But I like Fox making it, mostly because he plays for Sullivan and he's a right-shot on a team that could use another one. 

Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Oettinger
Jeremy Swayman

Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Oettinger
Jeremy Swayman

There's not much surprise with the goalies.

Connor Hellebuyck, who won the Vezina and the Hart Trophy last season, is the No. 1. But it's not set in stone. If Hellebuyck, who hasn't performed well in the playoffs and is off to a rocky start this season, falters, then the team will have no issues turning things over to Jake Oettinger, who is 16-6-3 in Dallas.

At one point, Thatcher Demko was being considered. But he hasn't done enough to unseat Swayman, who has similar numbers and who was also at the 4 Nations.

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