COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -  Four alumni of National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams have been named to the 2026 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team roster that will represent the Stars and Stripes at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
 
Former Omaha forward Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), former North Dakota forward Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche), former UND defenseman Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators) and former Colorado College defenseman Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) will all suit up for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games. NHL players are participating in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
 
Sanderson is one of only two players on the U.S. squad (along with fellow blueliner Brock Faber) with previous Olympic experience, as he played in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing while at North Dakota. All four alumni on the Olympic team were also on the U.S. 4 Nations Face-Off roster that took second at the NHL showcase tournament last February.
 
The 2026 Winter Olympics run from February 6-22, with the Men’s Hockey Tournament set for Feb. 11-22. Team USA opens pool play in Group B against Latvia on Thursday, Feb. 12, and will also face Denmark (Feb. 14) and Germany (Feb. 15) in preliminary round play. The playoff rounds begin Feb. 17, with semifinals and medal games from Feb. 20-22.
 
The 2026 Olympics will mark the third straight Olympics with either a current or former NCHC player on Team USA. In 2018 in South Korea, forward Troy Terry (Denver) and defenseman Will Borgen (St. Cloud State) were on the U.S. Olympic Team, while in 2022, five NCHC players (four current, one alumnus) represented the Stars and Stripes, including Sanderson.
 
Guentzel was a three-year standout for the Mavericks from 2013-2016, also collecting NCHC accolades all three seasons. The Woodbury, Minn. native earned All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2013-14, was tabbed Honorable Mention All-NCHC as a sophomore and climbed to Second-Team All-NCHC as a junior in his final year with Omaha, when he recorded career highs of 19 goals and 46 points. The former UNO captain compiled 119 career points in 108 games with the Mavs, including 40 goals and 79 assists, landing a spot on the NCHC’s All-Decade Second Team.
 
Guentzel is in his second season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he’s racked up 41 points in 40 games this season, including 18 goals and 23 assists. He played his first seven and a half NHL seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the 2017 Stanley Cup and twice being named an NHL All-Star. For his career, Guentzel has 612 points (286g/326a) in 640 NHL regular-season games. The 4 Nations Face-Off was his first time donning a U.S. sweater.
 
Nelson was a star at North Dakota for two seasons from 2010-2012, playing in the WCHA before the NCHC existed. The Warroad, Minn. native helped UND win a trio of titles in his time in Grand Forks, including the 2010-11 WCHA regular-season title as a freshman and back-to-back Broadmoor Trophies as WCHA Tournament champions. Nelson tallied 68 points (36g/32a) in 84 career games at North Dakota, including 28 goals and 47 points as a sophomore to earn Third-Team All-WCHA.
 
Nelson played the first 12 and a half years of his NHL career for the New York Islanders, serving as an assistant captain for five seasons, before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche last March. In his first full season with the Avalanche, Nelson has 30 points (16g/14a) in 39 games this season. He’s racked up 617 career points (317g/300a) in 959 career NHL games. Nelson was named an NHL All-Star in 2023 when he finished with a career-high 75 points. He has sported the Stars and Stripes seven times previously, including winning bronze at the 2011 World Junior Championship and 2015 Men’s World Championship, along with the 4 Nations Face-Off.
 
Sanderson dazzled in his two seasons at North Dakota from 2020-2022, while battling through injuries to play in 45 career games. He totaled 41 points on 10 goals and 31 assists, finishing with a +25 plus/minus. The Whitefish, Mont. native was named to the NCHC All-Rookie team in 2020-21 and garnered Second-Team All-NCHC as a sophomore in 2021-22. He was also tabbed a First-Team All-American as a sophomore, when he scored eight goals and tallied 26 points in 23 games from the blue line. Sanderson won a pair of Penrose Cups in his time at UND and was also selected to the NCHC’s All-Decade Second Team.
 
Now a staple on the Ottawa Senators blue line, Sanderson previously represented the U.S. at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China and won a gold medal with the 2021 U.S. National Junior Team, while also playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’s now in his fourth season with the Senators, where he has played 275 career games with 155 points, including 33 goals and 122 assists. This year Sanderson has 28 points (8g/20a) in 39 games so far, with a +6 plus/minus. Last season, he finished with a career-high 57 points (11g/46a) in 80 games, after being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2023.
 
Slavin was a two-year standout for the Tigers from 2013-2015, earning inaugural NCHC Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, as well as Second-Team All-NCHC. The Erie, Colo. native served as an assistant captain at Colorado College as a sophomore when he picked up First-Team All-NCHC accolades. In 66 career games with the Tigers, Slavin racked up 42 points from the blue line on 10 goals and 32 assists, which earned him NCHC All-Decade Team Honorable Mention.
 
Slavin is now in his 11th season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he’s worn an ‘A’ for the past seven years. The NHL veteran was tabbed an All-Star in 2020 and has twice won the Lady Byng Trophy (2021, 2024), recognizing his skill and sportsmanship. He has 299 career NHL points (55g/244a) in 750 games with the Hurricanes, including 27 points in 80 games last season. This year, injuries have limited Slavin to only five games with the Hurricanes. Slavin’s only other experience with Team USA came at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
 
The full 25-player U.S. roster for the 2026 Olympics can be viewed HERE, while the Olympic hockey schedule can be seen HERE.
 
PAST NCHC OLYMPIANS ON TEAM USA

• 2018 – Will Borgen, D, St. Cloud State
• 2018 – Troy Terry, F, Denver
• 2022 – Noah Cates, F, Minnesota Duluth
• 2022 – Brian Cooper, D, Omaha
• 2022 – Sam Hentges, F, St. Cloud State
• 2022 – Nick Perbix, D, St. Cloud State
• 2022 – Jake Sanderson, D, North Dakota