Dorothée Durivage ’28

by Dorothée Durivage ’28 on February 5, 2026

This year’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games will see National Hockey League players return to the Olympics for the first time since Sochi 2014, after skipping the past two Games. With 12 countries sending a maximum of 25 players to the games, the coaches have had to carefully craft a team strong enough to come out on top. In picking who to leave home and who to bring to Italy, certain player choices have been controversial. Team USA, coached by Rangers’ head coach Mike Sullivan, has decided to leave Cole Caufield, Alex DeBrincat, Lane Hutson, and Jason Robertson behind. 

Caufield, a Wisconsin native, with his 60 goals in his last 122 NHL games, is a star for the Montréal Canadiens and could have been a high scorer for the team who has not included five of the 10 highest scoring Americans on its roster. He is a hard player to defend and an electrifying performer, but he did not attend the last world championship. It was his decision not to be a part of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, and coaches have said that not having a valid excuse has hurt his chances of participating in the Games. 

Michigan native and Detroit Red Wings player Alex DeBrincat is another scorer who is not traveling to Milano. Over the last three NHL seasons, there have only been five American players to score more goals than his 87 in 206 games. That was not enough for him to be on the team, and he was likely dismissed due to being relatively short for a professional hockey player at 5’8’ and having average defensive judging abilities, two important things to coaches who need the best players to secure the win. 

Last year’s Rookie of the Year and Michigan native, Lane Hutson, has 106 points in his last 122 NHL games and is a part of the crew of high scorers that the U.S. did not include on their roster for the Olympics. Although he is a dynamic player, his size has probably not helped his case, seeing as, like his Canadiens teammate Cole Caufield, Hutson did not play at the IIHF World Championship either. 

Another top 10 scorer that did not make the cut is Jason Robertson with his 64 points in 56 games, good statistics for No. 12 in the league. The California native is the kind of offensive player that the U.S. has lacked in the past, and having the player who has the sixth most goals in the NHL could have given the team an edge to fight in the games.

 With that said, Team USA is very strong overall, with power in the forwards, strong defensemen, and robust goaltenders. Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be the team’s captain, leading a team of talented players.