A poster of the first six players named to the U.S.’s roster. From left to right: Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy, and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk. Amidst the backdrop of popular media and increasing men’s hockey viewership, the NHL has allowed its players to compete in the first Olympic Games since 2014 in Sochi. The highly anticipated games will include a notable absence of Russia from the ice, in response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that ha

Hilary Knight, Captain of the U.S. National Team, nicknamed “Captain America” holding her gold medal from the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. Photo Credit: Milano Cortina Olympics / olympics.com For the first installment in our Olympic Spotlight series, I’ve chosen to focus on arguably the most well-known sport in the Winter Olympics: hockey. Both women’s and men’s ice hockey will be held at the 2026 Olympics. For this article, we’ll discuss t