The return of hockey's biggest stars to the Winter Games could spark a resurgence of the sport on the world stage as gold medal favorites the United States and Canada select top NHL talent for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The National Hockey League has not allowed its athletes to compete in the Games since 2014, making the men's Olympic hockey tournament difficult as the world's best players were forced to stay home in 2018 and 2022.
This year, however, celebrity glitter and top talent return to the Olympic hockey tournament, with Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes leading the 25-man Team USA, while Team Canada includes Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
“NHL players bring star power that elevates everything. It's not just hockey – it's hockey with the best players in the world,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and NBC president of Olympic and Paralympic production.
Players from North America make up the majority of the NHL roster. Hockey-mad Canada is in the lead with their old foes the USA in second, offering a chance to renew one of hockey's biggest Olympic rivalries in Milan.
Broadcasters are hoping to make the most of the opportunity after the politically charged 4 Nations final between the US and Canada drew a record 9.3 million viewers on ESPN last year.
“The medal match between the United States and Canada? It's a viewing match,” Solomon told Reuters.
“With the return of NHL players and the excitement from the Four Nations, hockey is one of those highlights that everyone is talking about.”
The U.S. men haven't won gold since the 1980 tournament, which marked their “Miracle on Ice” triumph over the Soviet Union and which predated the NHL's participation in the Games by 18 years.
Canada last won the tournament in 2010 and 2014.
The United States has bolstered its 2022 team with collegiate talent and players from international leagues after the NHL abruptly withdrew weeks before the Beijing Games.
But having American players in the NHL will be a game-changer, said USA Hockey executive Pat Kelleher, who boldly predicted the U.S. winning gold medals in men's, women's and Paralympic competitions.
“It means we're getting our best players,” Kelleher told reporters during Aggregate Sports' recent Inside Edge media summit.
“We don’t back down to anyone in hockey anymore.” The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee hosted 44 players from 24 different NHL teams at camp in August after the U.S. men's team won its first world championship gold medal in 92 years in May.
Although the U.S. has only two returnees from the 2022 Beijing Games, the NHL's long hiatus has forced the USOPC to take a “hands-off approach” to the men's team, according to Rocky Harris, director of sports and athlete services for the National Hockey League (NGB).
“We're very excited to have the NHL back at the Games. We think it will do a lot of good not only for hockey, but for our country, and there will be a level of enthusiasm for the Games that we haven't seen in quite some time,” Harris said at the recent USOPC Press Summit.
“Now it's about the right coaching and the right game plan. And USA Hockey already has that.”
The US men's team selects its top four nations for the Olympics.
Tage Thompson and Clayton Keller helped the United States win the World Cup of Hockey for the first time since 1933while Seth Jones played a key role in the Florida Panthers' second consecutive Stanley Cup run.
This contribution earned them a place in the S team at Milan's Cortina. Winter Olympics as the only three participants in the 4 Nations tournament held early last year.
USA Hockey revealed its roster Friday on the Today show. The vast majority of it was made up of players who took part in the NHL's international tournament in February, when the Americans reached the final and then lost to Canada in overtime. The only ones not returning from the Four Nations are forward Chris Kreider and former New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox.
“It was incredibly difficult for our management team to make the final roster, and that is a credit to so many in our country, including all those at the grassroots level who help make our sport so strong,” said general manager Bill Geren. “There is nothing like the Olympic Games and I know our players and staff will represent our country well and work hard to achieve our ultimate goal.”
Keller, captain of the Utah Mammoth and tied for the team lead in scoring, wore the “C” at the world championships. Thompson, who plays for the Buffalo Sabers, was the scoring producer.
The US followed Canada's lead after its northern neighbor also opted for a four-nation lineup. But while Canada made some changes in goal beyond starter Jordan Binnington, the Americans went with the same three goalies: Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
Left on the sidelines are the Dallas Stars' Jason Robertson, who leads U.S. players in points this season, and a pair of other elite scorers, Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat.
Guerin and his management, along with coach Mike Sullivan, prioritized experience and players they knew well. That meant sticking with forward depth Vincent Trocheck and Brock Nelson rather than Robertson and others.
Teams are allowed up to 25 players in the Olympics, up from 23 in the Four Nations, and can dress 20 skaters – typically 13 forwards and seven defensemen, as well as two goalies. The first U.S. men's game is Feb. 12 against Latvia.
Knight leads US women's Olympic hockey team
Olympic veteran Hilary Knight leads the U.S. women's hockey team, which was also introduced Friday for the Cortina Games in Milan.
Knight, 36, will set an American record in her sport as she competes for the fifth time at the Winter Olympics after winning gold in 2018 and three silver medals.
The 23-member Team USA roster includes only 11 members returning from the silver medal-winning team in 2022 in Beijing. The roster includes 16 current PWHL players.
Among the newcomers is 21-year-old Wisconsin high school senior Layla Edwards, who will become the first black female player to represent the United States at the Winter Games.
“It hasn't worked out yet. Getting that call is like a dream come true,” Edwards said, according to the Associated Press. “I always dreamed of playing professionally, but my biggest dream was, of course, to go to the Olympic Games.”
The USA, coached by John Wroblewski, are considered favorites for gold. The Americans open play against the Czech Republic on Feb. 5, with the championship game scheduled for Feb. 19.
This is the first Olympic Games since the PWHL began in 2024. The league, which now includes eight teams, is expected to have an impact by increasing the level of international competition and closing the gap between countries lagging behind the two world powers, the United States and Canada.
The USA has 16 PWHL players on its roster.
