USA Hockey announced its initial six players for the 2026 Winter Olympics and the most important name was the player who was sorely missed during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Auston Matthews, brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Jack Eichel and Charlie McAvoy are the first six players named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team. The core six, all age 28 and younger, will hope to lead the U.S. to its first Olympic men’s hockey title since the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.