Forwards Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights/Boston University), Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz./Toronto Maple Leafs), Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Ottawa Senators/Boston University) and Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Florida Panthers), along with defensemen Quinn Hughes (Canton, Mich./Vancouver Canucks/University of Michigan) and Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y./Boston Bruins/Boston University) have been named the first six players to the 2026 25-player U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team it was announced today by USA Hockey. 

The remainder of the U.S. roster is expected to be announced by early January 2026. The men’s Olympic hockey tournament begins Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy, with the gold-medal game concluding play on Feb. 22. 

“We’ve seen the unprecedented success of our U.S. teams on the international stage this past season and we need to keep our foot on the gas,” said Bill Guerin, general manager of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and also the general manager and president of hockey operations of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. “We haven’t won an Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1980 and we’re out to change that. 

“The players we’ve named today represent excellence. They’re committed to the mission in front of us and excited about the opportunity to represent our country in the Olympics.” 

All six players named today were selected as part of the U.S. Men’s National Team that competed in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February where Team USA finished second. Additionally, all six are first-time Olympians. Jack Eichel represented the U.S. in the Youth Olympic Games in 2012. 

IN BRIEF 

• Jack Eichel was the second pick of the 2015 NHL Draft and currently serves as an alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights. He helped Vegas to its first Stanley Cup title in 2023 with a playoff-leading 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists). 
• Auston Matthews, selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, is the NHL’s most prolific goal scorer since he entered the league. Since 2016-17, the Leafs captain has 401 career regular-season goals in 629 games played. 
• Matthew Tkachuk, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers, is currently playing in the Stanley Cup Final. He was taken sixth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft and helped the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last season.
• Brady Tkachuk is the captain of the Ottawa Senators and was selected fourth overall by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft. 
• Quinn Hughes, the captain of the Vancouver Canucks, earned the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the NHL in 2023-24. He was the seventh pick in the 2018 NHL Draft by Vancouver. 
• Charlie McAvoy is an alternate captain for the Boston Bruins and was selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft (14th overall) by the Bruins.

NOTES: Bill Guerin (Wilbraham, Mass.), who is the general manager and president of hockey operations for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is the general manager of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. Mike Sullivan (Marshfield, Mass.), head coach of the NHL’s New York Rangers, will serve as the head coach of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. The remainder of the coaching and support staff will be announced later this summer … The Olympic men’s and women’s ice hockey schedules are expected to be released this week … USA Hockey will conduct an Olympic orientation camp for candidates of its men’s Olympic team in late August in Plymouth, Michigan. There will be no formal on-ice activity during the camp. Further details will be announced later this summer.

Competing For Team USA in Major International Competition

Jack Eichel

Note: Eichel also played for Team North America in 2016 World Cup of Hockey

Auston Matthews

Note: Matthews also played for Team North America in 2016 World Cup of Hockey

Brady Tkachuk

Matthew Tkachuk

Quinn Hughes

Charlie McAvoy

Key: YOG-Youth Olympic Games; U18 MWC-IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship; WJC-IIHF World Junior Championship; MWC-IIHF Men’s World Championship; 4 Nations-4 Nations Face-Off