USA Hockey added an Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] defenseman to replace an injured player on the men's Olympic team. Jackson LaCombe replaces Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers] defenseman Seth Jones, who was placed on long-term injured reserve on Tuesday. Jones has an upper-body injury and hasn't played since Jan. 2. LaCombe, 25, has six goals and 25 assists for 31 points in 49 games this season. He had a breakout campaign last year, when his point totals increased from 17 in 2023-24 to 43 in 2024-25. He's in the final season of a two-year contract carrying a $925,000 cap hit, which will balloon to $9 million in July when his eight-year contract extension kicks in. Jackson LaCombe helped the Americans win the 2025 World Championship last May. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a5e46d38-a28e-4a89-b6ab-8f106c37a760.jpeg] Jackson LaCombe helped the Americans win the 2025 World Championship last May. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) The Eden Prairie, Minn., native recorded five points in 10 games at the 2025 World Championship, helping Team USA win its first gold medal at the tournament since 1933. He also played on the American world junior team in 2021. Jones, 31, has six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 40 games this season. He shoots right, while LaCombe shoots left. Right-handed American defensemen who weren't named a replacement include New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] blueliner Adam Fox, who is also on long-term injured reserve with a reported lower-body injury. Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] defenseman John Carlson, 36, also wasn't named, despite having 38 points in 46 games. And Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] defenseman Lane Hutson is left-handed but has 52 points in 50 games. 2026 Olympic Men's Hockey: Full Roster List For Every Team [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/41844ac1-e37a-4638-9f64-348d1518a337.jpeg] 2026 Olympic Men's Hockey: Full Roster List For Every Team Find all the men's rosters for the 2026 Olympics in Milan here as they get announced. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-olympic-men-s-hockey-full-roster-list-for-every-team] LaCombe does, however, somewhat resemble Jones as more of a two-way defenseman. LaCombe has 83 blocked shots and 42 hits, while Jones has 47 blocked shots and 38 hits. LaCombe is also a faster skater than Jones in terms of maximum speed (22.63 mph versus 21.99 mph) and speed bursts. Their shot speed is similar as well, with Jones' shots averaging 67.83 mph and LaCombe's averaging 66 mph. The Americans' first game at the Olympics in Milan is on Feb. 12 at 3:10 p.m. ET against Latvia. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/dcb7e50d-a844-4215-8425-a24d0c0958e6.webp] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
