U.S. hockey announces initial 6 players for 2026 Milan Olympics - ESPN

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The U.S. named Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy as its first six players for the 2026 Olympics, avoiding goaltenders on the initial roster unveiled Monday.

Some assortment of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko figure to make the team when full rosters are submitted in early January.

«Our goalies played well for us, great seasons: Connor just got the Vezina and Hart, which is incredible,» U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said on a video call with reporters. «It was just kind of the thing we talked that about before we did it for 4 Nations: Do we add a goalie, do we not add a goalie? I felt it was best we stay consistent and just let the goalies play it out during the season.»

All 12 teams that qualified — with France replacing Russia because of the International Olympic Committee's ban on that country for team sports over the war in Ukraine — announced the start of their groups set to take part in Milan. This tournament marks the return of NHL participation and what should be the first Olympics for Canada's Connor McDavid and many other top players who have not yet gotten that opportunity.

«Incredibly honored to represent my country at the biggest sporting event in the world,» McDavid said after he and the Edmonton Oilers practiced during the Stanley Cup Final. «You think of the Canadian players that can be named to that team and to be selected again, it means a lot.»

McDavid would have been there had the NHL not pulled out of the 2022 Beijing Games because of pandemic-related scheduling issues. Along with McDavid, Canada picked Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart, the