Erie, Colorado native and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman, Jaccob Slavin, has been named to the USA Hockey 2026 Olympic roster. The official announcement came Friday morning, naming the 25-man roster that will compete in the Winter Olympics held in Milano and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from February 6-22, 2026.
Slavin is currently in his 11th season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Before joining the Hurricanes, Slavin played two seasons at Colorado College, where he earned NCHC Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 and First-Team All-NCHC honors in 2015.
"We're excited about our team and congratulate everyone named today,” said Bill Guerin, general manager of the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Guerin is also the general manager and president of hockey operations for the Minnesota Wild. "It was incredibly difficult for our management group to get to the final roster and that's a credit to so many in our country, including all those at the grassroots level who help make our sport so strong. There's nothing like the Olympics and I know our players and staff will represent our country well and work hard to achieve our ultimate goal”.
Slavin is a two-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner, an award given annually to the NHL player who exhibits the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. He was also named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2020. Slavin previously represented Team USA in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off.
The U.S. Olympic team will include a mix of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers. Two players with previous Olympic experience, Jake Sanderson and Brock Faber, will return, while 23 players are set to make their Olympic debut. The roster also includes two sets of brothers: Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and Quinn and Jack Hughes.
Team USA's roster includes top NHL talent such as Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets goaltender, is coming off a season where he won both the Vezina and Hart Trophies.
The team selected largely mirrors the one that competed at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with a few adjustments. Quinn Hughes and Tage Thompson are new additions, while Seth Jones replaces Adam Fox, and Clayton Keller takes Chris Kreider's spot.
Team USA will face Latvia in their opening game of the competition on February 12. The Americans have a rich Olympic history, with two gold medals, eight silver medals, and one bronze. Their last gold medal came at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics in the famous "Miracle on Ice" game. The U.S. last medaled at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, where they won silver.
