Five Months Away From the 2026 Winter Olympics: Heres A Look At Team USA
The Winter Olympics are five months away, which means men’s hockey and Team USA will be looking for Gold. The 4 Nations Tournament was a huge success last season, with the NHL replacing the All-Star Game for this tournament. This will be the first time in 12 years that the NHL and its players will be participating in the Winter Olympics.
Team USA Men’s Hockey
USA Head Coach Mike Sullivan said, “The stakes have never been higher” for the 12-team tournament. As Team USA gathered for an orientation camp last week in Plymouth, Michigan, the players and management did not shy away from the pressure. Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel said, “The expectation is to go to Milan and win the gold medal. I think anything short of that would be disappointing.”
The U.S. is looking to win its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team. According to players, the message was this: Team USA had a good showing at the 4 Nations but fell short. The Olympics are a bigger stage, with more tradition. The 2026 Games are a prime opportunity to make a statement on how far the United States has come as a hockey country.
All 23 Players From the 4 Nations Expected For the Olympics
The biggest question for Team USA is Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk sustained an injury during the 4 Nations Tournament and was unable to play at 100% in the tournament. Tkachuk also ended up missing the rest of the NHL season and came back for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. General Manager Bill Guerin is expecting Tkachuk to play in the Winter Olympics in February.
Tkachuk recently had surgery this offseason that will sideline him for the first 3-4 months of the NHL season. The 4 Nations Tournament was the first time the Tkachuk brothers were able to play together on the same team. Brady Tkachuk, who plays for the Ottawa Senators, always has to play against Matthew in the NHL.
Team USA Has Big Expectations
Team USA won Gold in the World Championships for the first time in 92 years. General Manager Bill Guerin said, “I am not afraid to say that we don’t look at that with the Olympics coming up. That’s the biggest stage. The world championships are huge. They might not be as popular in the United States, but in Europe, in Canada, it is, and it has to be important for us. … We need to know what you’re all about. We need to know that you want to help USA Hockey win.”
The biggest question for Team USA heading into the Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics is whether they will make it to the Finals and possibly have a rematch against Canada to win Gold? The last time both Canada and Team USA met in the Olympic finals was in 2010 in Vancouver. Canada took Gold and beat Team USA 3-2 in a heartbreaking close game.
The expectations are very high for Team USA, and they are also hoping and expect Matthew Tkachuk to lead the way for Team USA. The Olympic tournament will be exciting and tremendous if Team USA can win it all.
