Sanderson secures his Olympic spot, but Pinto's injury probably derailed his chance for Team USA's 2026 squad.
Another Ottawa Senator has officially been named to play at the 2026 Winter Olympics next month. Team USA announced its roster on Friday morning, and Jake Sanderson was one of the eight defensemen selected, along with Brock Faber, Noah Hanifan, Quinn Hughes, Seth Jones, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, and Zach Werenski.
Sanderson played at the 4 Nations Face-off last February, which the Americans used as a strong template for Milan. The only players not returning for the Americans are New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Chris Kreider of the Anaheim Ducks.
Sanderson was a late 4 Nations replacement for an injured Quinn Hughes, and this time he was late in getting the Olympic news. When GM Bill Guerin tried to call him, his call went right to voicemail. As USA Hockey captured the call back, Sanderson admitted he was shaking over the news.
Up front, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had already been named to the team as part of the six-man preliminary roster each team announced earlier this year. Both Tkachuk and Sanderson had been campaigning for Shane Pinto to be on the team, but he failed to make it, despite helping the U.S. win the world hockey championship for the first time since 1933.
Two members of that World Championship team, Clayton Keller and Tage Thompson, did make the Olympic squad today, and they were not on the 4 Nations team. Neither of them outscored Pinto at the Worlds. Pinto and Keller each had 10 points while Thompson had 9.
Pinto was also invited to the Olympic orientation camp over the summer. That alone put him firmly in the conversation, but he needed to continue his scorching start. Pinto came out of the gate strong, but then a cold stretch, followed by an injury that cost him most of December, derailed his chances. Keller (36 points) and Thompson (37 points) both stayed healthy and productive during the decision-making period.
Pinto has 20 points in 29 games and should at least be near the front of the line if America needs an injury replacement, but it would all depend on the kind of forward they need. If it's an all-offence type of player, Jason Robertson would be the easy choice. With 48 points for Dallas, and point totals of 109, 80, and 80 the past three seasons, he's a surprising omission.
Team Canada announced its roster on New Year's Eve and, as expected, no Ottawa Senators were selected. We recently compiled a list of Senators we believe are in the Olympic mix for other nations.
The 12-nation, 12-day Olympic hockey tournament runs from February 11 to 22. The NHL will take a 19-day break for the Games, pausing after regular-season games on Thursday, February 5, and then returning to action with games on Wednesday, February 25.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa