The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner and for the first time in 12 years, the best hockey players in the world will be participating in the tournament.
The NHL opted against sending players in 2018 and 2022, meaning Americans weren't able to see the USA's elite talent on the ice. That's changed now, with a true best-on-best competition set to take place in Italy.
Coming off a second-place finish at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the United States is gunning for gold, hoping to win the country its second Olympic gold medal. Players such as the Tkachuk brothers, Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes will be tasked with bringing the country a championship performance.
But who are the biggest names not on the roster? With the USA's Olympic roster announced on Friday, here’s a look at the most notable snubs.
MORE: Complete Olympic hockey roster for USA in 2026
USA Olympic hockey snubs
Jason Robertson
No American has more points this NHL season than Jason Robertson. In fact, no American has more points than Robertson since the 2022-23 season. You'd think taking that kind of player would be a no-brainer, but apparently, that's not the case. I don't know what Robertson has done to tick off USA GM Bill Guerin (other than playing for a division rival), but the USA offense better be firing on all cylinders if you're leaving that kind of production at home.
Adam Fox
Adam Fox didn't have a great 4 Nations Face-Off, and he hasn't been as productive on the Rangers as in years past. Still, Fox's two-way excellence on the blue line makes him one of the best defensemen in the NHL. It can't be a good sign that a national team with a player's NHL head coach (Mike Sullivan) and general manager (Chris Drury) on the staff opted out of taking said player, but that's the case with Fox.
Matthew Knies
The United States is going to miss some snarl by leaving Matthew Knies off the roster. The Maple Leafs forward would have fit in a bottom-six role perfectly, mixing physicality and skill. The most interesting part of the Knies' snub? He actually has Olympic experience. He represented the red, white and blue at the 2022 Olympics when it was a mixed bag of non-NHL pros and college kids.
MORE: Complete Olympic hockey roster for Canada in 2026
Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield has emerged as one of the league's top pure goal scorers. Unfortunately for him, there are a number of other Americans who not only possess the same scoring prowess, but also can contribute more effectively in other areas. The Montreal winger's defensive game has never been his strong suit, and his diminutive size (5-foot-8, 175 lbs) doesn't allow him to play physical.
Alex DeBrincat
What can be said about Caufield applies to Alex DeBrincat as well. The playmaking winger has all the offensive tools necessary to contribute to a national team, but the USA already has enough of that. The Red Wings winger's size (5-foot-8, 180 lbs) doesn't hurt him in the NHL, but it hurts his case to make a national team.
John Carlson
Older players like John Carlson had their Olympic careers hurt by the NHL not sending players to the previous two Winter Games. After he was named to the 2014 roster, the Capitals star should have been a key cog for the Americans at multiple Olympics. Instead, 2014 is the lone time Carlson will play at the Olympics, with the 35-year-old being past his prime. He still can get the job done as a top-four defenseman in the NHL, but a number of his peers have passed him.
Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch was always viewed as a bubble candidate for the Olympics, but there were a number of people who believed his speedy, two-way game would be a good addition to the USA roster. Ultimately, the USA opted for more defensively-focused forwards to round out the group, going with the likes of Brock Nelson and J.T. Miller over someone like Tuch.
Lane Hutson
There were plenty of fans clamoring for Lane Hutson to be on the USA team, as he has the second-most points of a defenseman among the Americans this season. However, his defense is nowhere near the level it needs to be to compete at the Olympics. With Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski capable of running power plays, there was simply no role for Hutson to fill.
MORE: Breaking down Canada's biggest Olympic hockey snubs