- - Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews named Team USA captain for 2026 Olympics

Helene St. James, Detroit Free PressFebruary 9, 2026 at 2:10 AM

0

MILAN — Auston Matthews will wear the 'C' for the U.S. men's hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Matthews, a captain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, captained the USA at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, where the Americans placed second, behind Canada.

It is a safe choice that reflects Matthews' status as the best American player in hockey. But it is also one that will raise questions if the U.S. team - loaded with elite players at every position - comes away from these Winter Games with anything short of gold.

The team plays its first game on Feb. 12 against Latvia, faces Denmark on Feb. 14 and Germany on Feb. 15.

1 / 18NHL player Auston Matthews heads to the Winter Games looking for goldAuston Matthews Team USA skates during the second period against Team Finland in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on Feb. 13, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team USA defeated Team Finland 6-1.

Red-eyed, white and blue : Exclusive: US men's hockey GM Bill Guerin talks 2026 Olympics roster

Bill Guerin, the USA men's team general manager, had a number of choices.

There are several players on the roster who serve as captains of their respective NHL clubs, including Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), J.T. Miller (New York Rangers), Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings).

There's also Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild), who was captain of his former club, the Vancouver Canucks.

Auston Matthews of Team USA takes the faceoff during the third period against Team Canada in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team USA defeated Team Canada 3-1.

Matthew Tkachuk does not captain the Florida Panthers, but he had led them to two consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

Matthews, 28, is an enormously skilled player. He twice has reached 60 goals in a season and fell one goal shy of 70 in 2023-24.

What he does not have is a record of leadership in the playoffs when games are on the line. In career Game 7s - and once out of the preliminary group stage, every Olympic game is an elimination game - Matthews has not scored a goal in six showdowns, producing just three assists and a minus-4 rating.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk were named alternate captains.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Auston Matthews named Team USA captain for 2026 Olympics

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”