USA Hockey revealed its Olympic roster on Friday, and there are some surprising omissions. New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson won’t be part of the team.
Even though Fox had a tough time during last year’s Four Nations Tournament, he’s still respected as one of the top defensemen in the NHL. He was awarded the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman for the 2020-21 season and has managed to score 28 points in just 24 games this season.
Fox had tallied four goals and 24 assists, but his recent shoulder injury kept him off the ice for 14 games. The Rangers definitely felt his absence, going 6-6-2 while he was out, and their power play struggled significantly.
“It’s disappointing, for sure,” Fox commented. “I think I played as well as I could. At some point, though, the decision isn’t yours to make. You just have to move on.” He expressed that he believed his performance this season warranted a spot on the Olympic team but understands it’s ultimately out of his control.
Robertson also missed out on the Four Nations squad previously due to a slower start to the last season. This year, however, he has bounced back strong with 24 goals and 24 assists in 41 games, leading many fans to feel he could make a significant contribution to Team USA.
The following players make up Team USA’s roster:
Forwards
- Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
- Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
- Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
- Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
- Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
- JT Miller, New York Rangers
- Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
- Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
- Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
- Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
- Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
Defensemen
- Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
- Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
- Noah Hanifin, Calgary Flames
- Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
- Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
- Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
- Jacob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
- Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Goalkeepers
- Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
- Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
- Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to kick off on February 4th and will run until February 22nd.
