BY: Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
Auston Matthews has been confirmed as right leader to take time into the US team in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games, marking the return of NHL stars to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Matthews, a prolific scorer since joining the league in 2016, will trade his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for the stars and stripes. He’ll be joined by Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who’ll play alongside his brother Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers. The National Hockey League’s decision to release its talent for the Olympics clears the way for the sport’s biggest stars to take the stage.
The US team wil unveil the rest of its roster in early January for the Olympic ice hockey tournament, which begins on February 11 in Milan. US Olympic men’s team general manager Bill Guerin said,
“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.” Notably, NHL executives had opted not to send players to the 2022 Beijing Games due to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions.
