Team USA has opted not to add Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko to their 2026 Olympic roster.
Throughout the start of the 2025–26 season, talk began to spread of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko’s stellar play potentially earning him a spot on Team USA’s 2026 Olympic roster. However, with rosters being released today, Team USA has opted not to name Demko to their 2026 Olympic roster.
Up until the start of November, many likely wrote Demko in as a contender for one of the spots on the U.S.’s Olympic roster. However, his chances likely diminished the minute injury concerns came up for him one month into the regular season. Demko left Vancouver’s match against the Winnipeg Jets on November 11 and did not return until December 11 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite the injury concerns, when Demko did return after a month away, he proceeded to put up the best hockey of his 2025–26 season. He recorded his first shutout of the season against the New York Rangers and only surrendered two goals on a total of 73 shots faced against the New Jersey Devils, Rangers, and New York Islanders, contributing to Vancouver’s first four-game win streak of 2025–26.
The last time Demko represented Team USA was at the IIHF World Championship in 2019, in which he won both of his games and posted a 2.00 GAA and .920 SV%. He was also named to the U.S.’s U20 roster twice, playing in four games in 2015 and putting up a 1.74 GAA and .934 SV%.
With Demko not on Team USA’s roster, their goaltending cabinet will instead feature Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman. Team USA’s roster has been highly contested as of late, as many were surprised that Rangers defenceman Adam Fox did not make the lineup. Many were also shocked that former Canucks forward J.T. Miller made the team in place of players like Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield.
This will also be former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes’ first time representing the U.S. since 2019, when he played in both the IIHF World Junior Championship and World Championship. Hughes was named to Team USA’s 4 Nations Faceoff roster, but ultimately did not play due to injury.
Team USA’s first Olympic matchup will occur on February 12, as they’ll take on Latvia at 12:10 pm PT.
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