Constructing the best Team USA Olympic hockey roster with players who didn't make the cut
We're in the midst of an American hockey golden age, and this B-Team wouldn’t be an easy out for anyone.
Ever since the NHL first sent its players to the Olympics in 1998, any proud Canadian would be happy to tell you that the Canadian B-Team would probably still contend for the gold medal. And given the depth of Canadian talent in the league, it’s been tough to argue against.
But the United States has since closed the gap with its neighbor to the north, taking Canada to overtime in the gold-medal game in Vancouver in 2010 and again in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. The Americans won the World Championships for the first time in 92 years this past summer, and have won the last two World Juniors titles. The playing field has leveled quite a bit. During that Nagano season, 84 American players played at least half of the NHL season. In 2024-25, 177 Americans did.
It begs the question: Can the American B-Team hang, too, now? Well, here’s what an all-America snub roster might look like.
Forwards
Extras: Patrick Kane, Bryan Rust
Next up: Will Smith, Frank Nazar
Leading with Dallas winger Jason Robertson, who was left off Bill Guerin’s Olympic roster, the American B-Team packs plenty of scoring punch. Robertson is second to Matt Boldy in goals by an American this season, while Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, Montreal’s Cole Caufield and Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier are all in the top seven, ahead of Jake Guentzel, Kyle Connor and Auston Matthews.
This team is heavy on youth, which is a tantalizing prospect for Team USA’s long-term future, but gets a veteran boost at the bottom of the lineup. Shane Pinto, at the ripe old age of 25, gives the Americans a true checking and penalty-killing center, while Chris Kreider and Patrick Kane bring a wealth of international experience.
Defensemen
Extras: Ryan McDonagh, Sam Malinski
Next up: Dylan Samberg, Shayne Gostisbehere, Alex Vlasic
Adam Fox’s loss is the B-Team’s gain, as the Norris Trophy winner immediately becomes this group’s No. 1 blueliner. Pairing him with Montreal’s dynamic Lane Hutson makes for a potentially elite top duo. The second pair is darn good, too, with Ducks rising star Jackson LaCombe joining the venerable Capitals stalwart John Carlson. The third pairing was a little trickier to pick, as Team USA has a glut of solid-but-unspectacular next-tier guys, but Miller can join LaCombe on the top penalty-killing unit, while Faulk provides some offense from the back end.
It was tempting to bring the next generation along for this imaginary trip to Milan, as Vancouver’s Zeev Buium (20 years old) and New Jersey’s Luke Hughes (22) could become fixtures on the American blue line in the not-too-distant future. But for now, we’ll lean toward the veterans and take along Tampa Bay’s Ryan McDonagh, now that he’s healthy again, and Colorado’s Sam Malinski.