The NHL is seeing players in the Olympic games for the first time since 2014, with a powerhouse of talent on the Team USA squad.
NHL players are returning to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, and they can be found across several international squads, including the US Men’s Hockey Team, who took down Latvia in an overwhelming 5-1 victory on Thursday as they made their debut on the second day of the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Colorado Avalanche's Brock Nelson notched in two goals, Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk and Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson had one apiece, while captain Auston Matthews from the Toronto Maple Leafs had his first Olympic goal on a power play that sealed the win. Team USA outshot Latvia 38-18.
Winnipeg Jets star goalie Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves to secure the opening win of the tournament, though Team USA controlled most of the play in the second and third periods. But in his Olympic debut, Hellebuyck was poised on the quiet night. His Jets teammate, Kyle Connor, also had a quiet outing, logging just 11:20 minutes on the ice without a shot on goal. It was a bit of a surprise despite his scoring prowess in the NHL. Despite a 5-1 result, the Americans may look to get more production out of their offensive weapons moving forward in the tournament.
Here is the full story from Winnipeg Jets Roundtable writer Jake Tye on the pair of teammates’ debuts in the Olympic games.
It was a sluggish start for the Americans, though they found their stride, and the stage may settle in for several who are making their first Olympic appearances, which makes sense with a 12-year drought of NHL players at the games. The USA boasts a lot of talent with Matthews and Jack Eichel at center, defensive utility men like Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy, and arguably the top goaltending room in Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.