The initial members of the United States men`s Olympic hockey team for the 2026 Games have been revealed.
On Monday, the U.S. confirmed the first six athletes who will represent the team at the upcoming Winter Olympics. This announcement was part of a planned unveiling for all 12 qualified nations.
The first six players named to the roster are:
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
- Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
- Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
- Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
- Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Leading the team will be General Manager Bill Guerin and Head Coach Mike Sullivan. They previously held these roles for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, where the U.S. was defeated by Canada in the championship game.
Auston Matthews captained the U.S. team at the 4 Nations event. In his three tournament appearances, he recorded three assists while averaging 20:26 of ice time per game.
As NHL players are set to participate in the Olympics again for the first time since 2014, these initial six selections will all be making their Olympic debut. At the Sochi 2014 Games, Team USA`s roster included prominent players such as Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, and Joe Pavelski.
Quinn Hughes was unable to play for the U.S. at the 4 Nations tournament due to a regular-season injury. He has represented the U.S. previously at the World Championship, where he tallied five points in 18 games.
Matthew Tkachuk remains a crucial player for the Florida Panthers as they aim for their second consecutive Stanley Cup, having scored seven goals and accumulating 22 points in 22 playoff contests. While serving as an assistant captain for the U.S. at the 4 Nations, he contributed two goals and three assists in three games.
Brady Tkachuk recorded 29 goals and 55 points in 72 games for the Ottawa Senators during the regular season. He also added four goals and seven points in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the U.S. team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, he scored three goals in four games.
Jack Eichel played alongside the Tkachuk siblings during the 4 Nations tournament, registering four assists in four games. He has also represented the U.S. in 26 World Championship games, where he scored four goals and totaled 20 points.
Charlie McAvoy participated in only two games at the 4 Nations Face-Off due to a significant shoulder injury sustained before the final match against Canada. The Boston Bruins defenseman has also played for the U.S. national team at the World Championship on two occasions, in 2017 and 2018.
