From THN's Archive: Stars & Gripes

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Stars & Gripes - Jan. 23, 2026 - Jared Clinton

IT SPEAKS TO THE growth of USA Hockey that GM Bill Guerin assembled this Olympic roster facing the toughest decisions of any American team architect in history. Whereas past GMs concerned themselves with who’d fill bottom-six or special-teams roles, Guerin had to choose which of the top-end players he’d leave behind.

Make no mistake, either, that this group was constructed with the pain of their overtime defeat at the 4 Nations Face-Off still gnawing. Though the Americans captured the 2025 World Championship – their first victory at a major men’s tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey – having finished as runners-up to Canada at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics is still fresh in the mind. And as golden generations have taken hold in the women’s game and at the junior levels, Team USA is seeking to cement their first in the best-on-best men’s game.

The American attack presents one of the greatest paradoxes of any forward corps at the tournament.

Never before, not even in years in which the Olympics have had NHLers participating, has Team USA iced a collection of forwards as downright lethal as the group who will wear the Stars and Stripes in Milan. The stacked Americans will trot out five of the 20 highest per-game scoring players in the NHL over the past two-and-a-half seasons – a group led by Jack Eichel and a resurgent Auston Matthews and well-complemented by Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk and Kyle Connor. None of this is to mention the likes of Jake Guentzel or Tage Thompson, both of whom were, as of mid-January, among the NHL’s top 20 goal-scorers since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.

Even the depth forwards provide the Americans with firepower. Though he’s well off his career-best pace, J.T. Miller is a rugged, physical contributor who can spark the bottom six. Vincent Trocheck can work the net-front on the power play while playing a checking role. And Brock Nelson has proven to be one of the most quietly consistent scorers in the league.

But even with this cadre of top-flight scorers, nothing could haunt Guerin and the U.S. staff quite like the offense going quiet at an inopportune time. In fact, while medal hopes are exceedingly high, nearly any stumble other than scoring woes might be deemed acceptable. That’s solely due to the team brass’ choice to leave Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield at home.

It’s a decision Guerin defended following the roster announcement, noting that he wanted players who could fit different roles. However, the omissions of Robertson and Caufield are particularly glaring. From the beginning of 2023-24 until the end of the 2025 calendar year, Robertson was 15th and Caufield 44th in NHL scoring, and they were 19th and 24th, respectively, in goals. They are, objectively, among the best pure scoring talents in the world, yet neither received the call to represent Team USA at the tournament.

Will the Americans’ Olympic dreams truly hinge on two roster decisions? Likely not. And this attack, even without Robertson and Caufield, should be among the best in the competition. But should the offense dry up in Milan, the what-ifs will forever linger.

When Guerin, in his day job as Minnesota Wild GM, landed Quinn Hughes, Team USA’s Olympic blueline likely didn’t factor into the equation. At the time, it was a matter of acquiring one of the best defensemen in the world.

Call it a happy accident, then, that the majority of Hughes’ time in Minnesota has seen him staple-gunned to fellow American Olympian Brock Faber.

Across Hughes’ first 20 games with the Wild, he and Faber played more minutes alongside one another at even strength than all but one other defense pairing. During that time, Hughes and Faber were an ice-tilting, possession-dominant duo. That’s an act Hughes and Faber can bring to the world stage, where the balance and familiarity the duo has as a pairing gives the American blueline a readymade Olympic ‘D’ unit.

Even setting aside that partnership, simply having Hughes available will improve the United States’ gold medal chances. An injury prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off saw Hughes miss the entirety of the NHL-sanctioned competition. And while replacement Jake Sanderson, who will be part of Team USA’s Olympic blueline, is no slouch, Hughes is a marked upgrade.

Likewise hoping to help the Americans tip the scales will be Charlie McAvoy, who missed the 4 Nations finale with what was ultimately a season-ending injury suffered at the tournament. McAvoy’s combination of offensive acumen and defensive solidity will see him play major minutes in Milan – and if anyone is going to unseat Faber next to Hughes, it will be McAvoy. On paper, that is a formidable defensive pairing.

Not everything has gone to plan for the U.S in the health department, however. Projected top-four defenseman Seth Jones will miss the tournament, with Jackson Lacombe in as a replacement. But the Americans still have a wealth of defensive depth. Zach Werenski was the Norris runner-up last season and a likely, if not certain, top-five finisher this campaign. Jaccob Slavin has been top 10 in Norris voting three times in his career, receiving votes in all but his rookie campaign. And Sanderson and Noah Hanifin are tremendous distributors with attacking prowess.

Should no other significant injuries befall this group, it will be among the best D-corps at the Olympics.

Try as he might, Connor Hellebuyck cannot shake the accusations that he’s not a big-game goaltender.

In part, the statistics tell the story. Since leading the Winnipeg Jets to a Western Conference final in his third NHL season, Hellebuyck has a ghastly .895 save percentage in 41 post-season games. And those numbers have always been difficult to square when, across the same run of campaigns from 2018-19 to 2024-25, Hellebuyck ranks first in SP, saves and shutouts and second in wins. His playoff performances also stand in stark contrast to his remarkable trophy cabinet, which includes three Vezinas, two William M. Jennings Trophies and the 2025 Hart.

For all those playoff woes, though, Hellebuyck has consistently shone on the international stage. At the 2015 worlds, Hellebuyck was dominant, leading the tournament in SP and goals-against average (min. four GP) en route to an American bronze. And at 4 Nations, Hellebuyck, with a .932 SP and 1.59 GAA, was leagues better than any other keeper who played in more than a single game.

Even with all of that in mind, the creeping doubt about Hellebuyck – rightly or wrongly – remains. And as a result, there is the very real possibility that any slight misstep or sign of struggle will be met with a quick change in the crease. While not eager to see his creasemate’s downfall, Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger outduelled Hellebuyck in the 2025 playoffs and will be ready for his chance if it comes. The same goes for the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman.

Matt Boldy (MIN)

Kyle Connor (WPG)

Jack Eichel (VEG)

Jack Hughes (NJ)

Jake Guentzel (TB)

Clayton Keller (UTH)

Dylan Larkin (DET)

Auston Matthews (TOR)

J.T. Miller (NYR)

Brock Nelson (COL)

Brady Tkachuk (OTT)

Matthew Tkachuk (FLA)

Tage Thompson (BUF)

Vincent Trocheck (NYR)

Brock Faber (MIN)

Noah Hanifin (VEG)

Quinn Hughes (MIN)

Jackson LaCombe (ANA)

Charlie McAvoy (BOS)

Jake Sanderson (OTT)

Jaccob Slavin (CAR)

Zach Werenski (CLB)

Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)

Jake Oettinger (DAL)

Jeremy Swayman (BOS)

Up Next: Zach Werenski and Elvis Merzlikins start their respective tournaments next week in Milan.  

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