It’s been a long wait for Auston Matthews to wear the red, white, and blue on hockey’s biggest stage. The NHL’s absence from the 2018 and 2022 Games meant one of the sport’s most prolific scorers had to watch from afar. Now, with the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics just 171 days away, Matthews will finally get his shot — and Team USA will lean on him to lead the charge.
A Career Built for This Moment
From the moment the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him first overall in 2016, Matthews has transformed into the face of American hockey. Year after year, he’s collected hardware — three Hart Trophies, multiple Maurice “Rocket” Richard titles — while redefining what a pure goal scorer can do in today’s NHL. His release snaps off his stick with lightning speed, his accuracy punishes the smallest defensive mistakes, and his ability to create space under heavy pressure keeps defenders on their heels. In recent seasons, he’s rounded out his game, adding a stronger two-way presence, logging penalty kill minutes, and leading as Toronto’s captain. These qualities make him not just a star, but a leader built for Olympic pressure.
International Stats & Awards
That leadership has roots deep in his USA Hockey history. Matthews started collecting international medals before he even entered the NHL. He struck gold at the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge and repeated the feat at the 2015 U18 World Championship, where he swept the tournament’s top honors: MVP, Best Forward, and leading scorer. He added bronze medals at the 2016 and 2018 U20 World Juniors, piling up 11 points in seven games in 2016. Later that year, he made headlines at the World Cup of Hockey, where he posted three points in three games for Team North America against the world’s elite. Most recently, Matthews captained Team USA at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, recording three points in three games and proving yet again that he thrives in high-stakes tournaments.
The Company He Keeps
That consistency is exactly why USA Hockey named him among the first six players on their Olympic roster. Alongside Jack Eichel, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Charlie McAvoy, Matthews forms part of a core built for speed, grit, and elite skill (USA Hockey, 2025). On the other side of the rivalry, Canada’s first six — Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart — promise the kind of heavyweight clash that Olympic hockey fans dream about (Hockey Canada, 2024).
More Than a Shooter
Still, Matthews’ role in Milano will go beyond filling the net. Olympic ice is wider, angles shift faster, and space becomes a weapon for players who know how to use it. Matthews excels at finding soft spots in defensive coverage, protecting the puck, and turning fleeting openings into scoring chances. Put him with a setup man like Eichel or one of the Tkachuk brothers, and Team USA could ice a top line that forces opponents to adjust every single shift.
One Shot at Gold
That’s the opportunity in front of him. Team USA hasn’t won men’s Olympic hockey gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980, and Matthews has the blend of skill, strength, and experience to change that. With 176 days until the puck drops in Milano, every game he plays between now and then becomes part of the buildup to his Olympic debut.
This is more than just a first appearance — it’s Matthews’ chance to secure his place among the all-time greats in American hockey. If he delivers under the brightest lights, he won’t just be remembered as one of the NHL’s elite scorers. He could be the player who finally brought Olympic gold back to the United States.
SOURCES
Hockey Canada. (2024, June 16). First six named to Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team for 2026.
USA Hockey. (2025, June 16). First six players named to U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
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