96 Days Until The Winter Olympics: USA Hockey Set Sights on Gold

The last time USA Hockey won the Gold Medal, Al Michaels was a young man. His signature call ….”Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” made him a legend. We all hope Michaels does not mess up his legacy by saying something ridiculous on Thursday Night Football as he ages. 

But that is not what this article is about. The Michaels story points out that it has been a long, long time since the USA (Men’s) Hockey Team won the Gold Medal. It was 1980, in Lake Placid, when Michaels made his legendary announcement and the “Miracle on Ice” phrase was born. 

Now, here we are, preparing for the 2026 Winter Games with several gray hairs since we last heard an announcement that the USA Team won the gold. 

Mark Your Calendar: USA Hockey Starts February 12 

The men’s ice hockey tournament during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on February 11, 2026, with the USA Hockey team opening play against Latvia on February 12.  The Americans will also face Denmark on February 14 and Germany on February 15 in preliminary round action. The gold-medal game is scheduled for February 22.  

There is a lot to discuss before we get to that point. Heck, the ice arena is not even completely built yet. Neither is the USA Hockey team roster. But all of that is in motion. 

Six players have already secured their spots on the preliminary Olympic roster: Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers). Three of them, Hughes, Matthews, and Brady Tkachuk currently serve as captains of their NHL teams, bringing proven leadership to a squad hungry for the gold.

“We’re going over there to win gold,” declared  McAvoy.  His confidence reflects a team mentality that’s shifted dramatically in recent years. No longer content with simply participating, USA Hockey has made it clear: anything less than gold would be a disappointment.

Head coach Mike Sullivan added, “The expectation as an American is that we expect to win. We don’t expect to participate. There’s a difference. And I think that’s what’s changed.

The Players: A Roster Built for Glory

Of the six already picked for the squad, Matthews has been a dominant force. His ability to score in clutch moments was on full display recently when he notched his 64th career game-winning goal for the Maple Leafs, moving him to second on Toronto’s all-time list.

Eichel has also been lights-out this season The Vegas Golden Knights center was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for October after racking up 19 points in 11 games. He even celebrated his 29th birthday in style with a three-point performance.

Rising stars like Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, Brady Skjei, Clayton Keller, Matty Beniers, Shane Pinto, Conor Garland, Frank Nazar, Tage Thompson, and Will Smith are also hoping to earn a spot on the Olympic team when the rosters are announced by the end of the year.   

The Past Fuels the 2026 Quest 

This marks the first time NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014 and only the sixth time the League has allowed its stars to compete (nhl.com). The 2022 Beijing Games saw the USA Hockey team win all three preliminary round games, including a victory over Canada, but heartbreak struck in the quarterfinals with a loss to Slovakia that left them in fifth place.

That disappointment still stings, but it’s also fueled a fire within this group.

The road won’t be easy. The USA Hockey team’s Olympic history is filled with near-misses and what-ifs. Canada defeated them 5-2 in the 2002 Salt Lake City gold-medal game. Finland knocked them out in the quarterfinals in 2006. And perhaps most painfully, Canada edged them 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 gold-medal game in Vancouver, the last time the U.S. medaled at the Olympics.

Is this time different? The talent is undeniable. The confidence is palpable. And the determination to end a 46-year gold-medal drought is driving every decision. 

Although it will not be a “miracle” …a win will be very satisfying to USA hockey fans that never heard, barely remember or don’t care to admit they remember the famous Al Michaels call in 1980.