The first six players set to represent USA Hockey at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics were officially announced.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, and Charlie McAvoy will play for Team USA.
A player notably absent from that list of players was Adam Fox.
Fox was one of the six players selected for the Americans to play at the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, after a lackluster performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off and going through some struggles during the 2024-25 season with the New York Rangers, Fox was replaced by Brady Tkachuk on this elite list of six players.
Team USA general manager Bill Guerin explained his reasoning behind leaving Fox out and not naming him to the Olympic roster just yet.
“The impact that Brady had on the team and his role in how we play, that was a big part of it,” Guerin said. “Adam, his tournament was fine. It wasn’t as well as he could’ve played. His season wasn’t up to his standards, but he’s very much in the mix. This is just a list we had to come out with, and I just felt more comfortable with Brady on it this time around.”
There’s still a high likelihood that Fox ultimately cracks Team USA’s roster and plays at the Olympics, but this decision by Guerin shows he’s no longer a shoo-in.
