What I'm seeing from Winter Classic: Adam Fox on Olympic exclusion, Miami ice quality, more
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Peter Baugh
Though the U.S. Olympic roster won't be formally announced until Friday, defenseman Adam Fox already knows he won't be on it.
MIAMI — Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, who holds the same position for the U.S. men’s Olympic team, called Adam Fox on Wednesday with a decision: The defenseman did not make the American Olympic roster, marking a precipitous fall from when he was one of the first six players named to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
“I thought my play this year was worthy of it and my track record as well,” Fox said Thursday after practice at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. “But it’s out of my hands at a certain point.”
Fox’s resume includes the 2021 Norris Trophy, as well as three other top-five Norris finishes, and his play this season has indeed been excellent. The 27-year-old has four goals and 28 points in 28 games with sterling underlying numbers, all while taking on some of the team’s hardest defensive matchups. He missed a month with a shoulder injury but returned to the lineup against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday — logging a goal and an assist — and is set to have his second game back Friday against the Florida Panthers in the Winter Classic.
The 4 Nations tournament wasn’t Fox’s best performance — he was on the ice and at least partially responsible for Connor McDavid’s overtime goal in the gold medal game — and that likely played into Team USA’s decision. Colleague Michael Russo wrote in his recent roster projection that “there’s no doubt the brass was concerned about pace of play being an issue for Fox at the 4 Nations. … (W)e just think that the lasting impression of that tournament and specifically McDavid’s winning goal is embedded in the minds of the key decision-makers.” The Vegas Golden Knights’ Noah Hanafin and Florida’s Seth Jones presumably edged Fox out for the final defensive spot. The full roster will be announced Friday morning.
New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan will coach the American team, and assistant David Quinn is on his staff. Rangers president Chris Drury is one of Guerin’s assistant general managers. A league source said they advocated for Fox to make the team. Guerin, though, had the ultimate decision.
Discussing conversations with Sullivan, Quinn or Drury about the Olympic decision, Fox said, “They let me know their thoughts. It’s a conversation I’ll keep between us.” Asked directly whether his relationship with Sullivan and Drury is OK, Fox said, “Yeah. Like I said, my focus from the start of the year has been with the Rangers. … We’ve got a lot of games until that (Olympic) break.”
“Adam and I have had a number of conversations around this, and I will keep that conversation between Adam and (me),” Sullivan said. “What I will tell you is these teams that are being picked are the best of the best. And there’s so many good players, and there are very, very difficult decisions that have to be made. It is a collaborative effort on everybody’s part. And that’s just the reality of these circumstances.”
Given that Florida is a warm-weather state, Sullivan found himself pleasantly surprised when he stepped onto the ice, which is thicker than the usual indoor surface.
“It was in pretty good condition given the circumstances,” he said. “It’s always a challenge in this type of an event, and I thought it was pretty good today.”
The stadium’s retractable dome was up throughout the day Thursday, but the NHL tested it Tuesday with no issues. It’s set to be open for Friday’s game.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “The ice was fantastic. … That’s a big job. I don’t know how they pull it off.”
“It’s pretty good,” Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin said of the conditions. “But a little bit warmer than usual.”
Mika Zibanejad said the ice was pretty good, especially because Florida practiced and had a family skate before the Rangers took the ice.
Matt Rempe’s second outdoor game comes with considerably more NHL experience under his belt. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
Matt Rempe reflects on past outdoor experience
Walking into LoanDepot Park, Matt Rempe found himself thinking back on a different outdoor venue. He remembered how nervous he felt entering MetLife Stadium in 2024 ahead of his NHL debut. He was 21 then, filled with nerves and excitement when he took the ice for both his first NHL practice and game.
Now he’s 76 games into his career. The nerves aren’t fully gone, but they’ve certainly diminished.
“Now it’s much more relaxed, but it’s still a big stage,” he said. “Those are games I remember always being excited to watch as a kid. … You’re taking it in — there’s 80,000 in the crowd, jets are flying overhead, and you’re like ‘what is going on right now?’”
Rempe will have a difficult time having as memorable an outdoor game as his first one. When he took the ice for his first shift, New York Islanders veteran Matt Martin congratulated him and asked whether he wanted to fight to add to the memory. The two dropped the gloves, and Rempe pumped the fans up as he skated to the penalty box. Last season, Martin’s last in the NHL, Rempe thanked the Islanders forward in a late-season matchup.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for him,” Rempe said.
Martin responded kindly, the Rangers forward remembers. He told Rempe he’s doing the right things and encouraged him to keep it up. Now he’s a lineup regular for the Rangers, though he has only one goal in 17 games this season and missed time with a broken thumb.
Rangers call on injury reinforcements
The Rangers suffered two injuries during the Washington game — Conor Sheary and Noah Laba — and neither will be back any time soon. Sheary went on long-term injured reserve Thursday and attended practice on crutches. Laba is out week to week, per the team. He was also at the practice, watching from the first-base dugout with injured winger Adam Edström.
“It’s a tough loss,” Sullivan said of Laba. “The one element that he brings to our group is a speed game and just a conscientious game on both sides of the puck. He’s not going to be an easy guy to replace.”
J.T. Miller, out with an upper-body injury, went through practice in a red noncontact jersey.
The Rangers made a flurry of roster moves to account for their injuries. Justin Dowling, Brett Berard and Anton Blidh all were recalled, and the Rangers sent Brennan Othmann to the AHL. The Othmann decision was at least partially cap related; because of his bonus structure, the Rangers would not have had space to keep him up and recall two other players. New York wanted the flexibility to have 13 forwards because an illness has been going through the team.
Dowling and Berard looked likely to slot in. Dowling centered Jonny Brodzinski and Taylor Raddysh on the third line Thursday. The 35-year-old journeyman played 52 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils last season, plus five more in the playoffs, and had 7 total points. He’s set to make his Rangers debut on outdoor ice — the first to do so since Rempe at the 2024 Stadium Series.
Dowling was on the Dallas Stars when they played an outdoor game at the Cotton Bowl, but he was a scratch that game.
“Just being a part of the whole experience was awesome,” he said. “Now being able to actually play and skate in one, it’ll be a little different. I’m excited.”
