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O F F THE D R AW T HE FIRST SIX PLAYERS named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team—Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy—will all bring a variety of skillsets to the red, white and blue this coming February in Milan, Italy. However, Bill Guerin, general manager of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and also the general manager and president of hockey operations of the NHL's Minnesota Wild, does see a unify- ing characteristic among the group of players who were named to the roster earlier this month by USA Hockey. The first six all have a 'high compete' level when they step foot on the ice, Guerin explained during a conference call with members of the media. "We look back at the 4 Nations tournament, and the one thing we all took away—I think everybody can take away—is that there's just no room out there. You have to be able to play in tight hockey games. You have to be highly competitive, and I think these six players rep- resent that." Guerin knows first-hand too. He was a three-time Olympian (1998, 2002 and 2006) during his 18-year playing career, winning a silver medal in 2002, and he also helped lead the U.S. to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship. The 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee knows the compete level at the 2026 Olympics will be another level of intensity for all 12 countries with current NHL players participating for the first time since the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Eichel, Matthews, Hughes, McAvoy and the Tkachuks will be play- ing in their first Olympics and were between the ages of 14-17 in 2014. "It's great that the NHL players are back in the Olympics," Guerin said. "Obviously, it's the biggest sports stage in the world. We're all really happy that we're back involved. Having the opportunity to be an Olympic athlete myself, there's nothing bigger and better than that. To be able to represent your country at the Olympic Games is one of the biggest honors you can have as an athlete, and now to be able to be the general manager, I never thought I'd be sitting in this seat, but funny things do happen along the way and I'm very honored to be doing it. It's a privilege." The men's Olympic hockey tournament begins Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan with the gold-medal game slated for Feb. 22. The United States will be in Group C along with Germany, Latvia and Denmark. The United States will be entering the 2026 Olympic Winter Games with plenty of momentum in its pursuit of its first men's Olympic gold medal since 1980. The U.S. Men's National Team won the IIHF Men's World Championship for the first time since 1933 last month, and all six players named to the U.S. Olympic squad Monday were members of the American team that finished in second place at the 4 Nations Face- Off this past February. The remainder of the 25-man U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team is expected to be announced early January 2026. USA Hockey will con- duct an Olympic orientation camp for candidates of its men's Olympic team in late August in Plymouth, Michigan, as part of its process. Guerin will also be keeping a close eye on potential players during the first few months of the NHL regular season. First Six Players Named To U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team /// By Justin Felisko Driven & Highly Competitive OLYMPICS p U S A H O C K E Y N E W S , P E O P L E & P R O G R A M S 4 // JUNE 2025 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTO BY Getty Images DATE GAME TIME (ET) Thurs., Feb. 12 Latvia (Preliminary) 3:10 PM Sat., Feb. 14 Denmark (Preliminary) 3:10 PM Sun., Feb. 15 Germany (Preliminary) 3:10 PM Tues., Feb. 17 TBD (Playoff Round) 3:10 PM Wed., Feb. 18 TBD (Quarterfinal) 3:10 PM Fri., Feb. 20 TBD (Semifinal) 3:10 PM Sat., Feb. 21 TBD (Bronze-Medal Game) 2:10 PM Sun., Feb. 22 TBD (Gold-Medal Game) 8:10 AM 2026 Men's Olympic Schedule