Get ready, hockey fans! The anticipation is building as the USA Hockey Olympic roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games is taking shape. While the official announcement is just around the corner, whispers are already swirling, and they're exciting! It looks like Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Seth Jones are set to join Team USA, according to reports.
This trio will be joining the previously announced stars, including Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy, and the dynamic duo of brothers, Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk. These six were the first to be named to the preliminary roster back in June, setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying team.
The full rosters for the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams, as well as the Paralympic sled team, are scheduled to be revealed on Friday during the TODAY show on NBC. Wednesday was the deadline for all federations to submit their 25-player rosters, adding to the excitement.
Canada, for instance, already unveiled its full squad, with an impressive 19 players returning from their 2025 4 Nations Face-Off championship team. But here's where it gets interesting: Keller, Thompson, and Jones are new additions to the American roster, having not participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. However, Keller and Thompson did play in the IIHF Men's World Championship in May, helping Team USA secure a gold medal – their first since 1933! What a comeback!
USA Hockey is clearly aiming high, hoping for a much better performance at the 2026 Games than they had four years prior. Although Team USA dominated group play with a 3-0-0 record and a remarkable plus-11 goal differential, they were unexpectedly knocked out in the quarterfinals by Slovakia in a shootout.
And this is the part most people miss: Team USA hasn't advanced past the quarterfinals at the Olympics since 2014. Their last medal came in 2010, where they took home the silver after a tough loss to Canada in the final.
The men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics kicks off on February 11th, with the gold medal game scheduled for February 22nd.
What do you think of the reported roster so far? Do you think this team has what it takes to bring home the gold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Is there anyone you think should have been included? Let's discuss!
