It’s been a long road for Jack Eichel to get another chance at wearing the red, white, and blue on hockey’s biggest stage. The NHL’s absence from the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games meant one of America’s most dynamic playmakers had to watch from home. Now, with the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics just 162 days away, Eichel will finally get his shot — and Team USA will count on him to drive the offense.
A Career Built for the Moment
Drafted second overall in 2015 by the Buffalo Sabres, Eichel quickly became one of the NHL’s premier centers. His blend of vision, hands, and skating speed makes him a constant threat to change the game in an instant. After captaining Buffalo, a 2021 trade to the Vegas Golden Knights unlocked the next chapter of his career. In 2023, he powered Vegas to its first Stanley Cup, leading all playoff scorers with 26 points and proving his big-game pedigree. He’s since established himself as a reliable leader and two-way force, wearing the “A” for the Golden Knights.
International Stats & Awards
Eichel’s relationship with USA Hockey runs deep. He won gold at the 2014 U18 World Championship, collecting 10 points in seven games while serving as an alternate captain. He added a silver medal at the 2013 U18 Worlds and a bronze at the 2015 World Junior Championship. At the senior level, he’s represented the U.S. in three World Championships, earning bronze in 2015 and posting 8 points in 8 games at the 2018 tournament. He also wore the “C” for the U20 team and played for Team North America in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, scoring twice in three games. Most recently, he was a steady presence at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, recording four assists in four games against the world’s top competition.
The Company He Keeps
Being named among the first six for Team USA’s roster underscores just how central Eichel will be to their medal hopes. Alongside Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Charlie McAvoy, this group brings a blend of speed, grit, and high-end skill that few countries can match (USA Hockey, 2025). Matthews’ elite scoring, the Tkachuk brothers’ relentless, physical style, Hughes’ dynamic puck-moving from the blue line, and McAvoy’s steady two-way presence create a foundation that gives Eichel every tool to shine on the Olympic stage. This isn’t just a supporting cast — it’s a lineup built to push the pace, dominate possession, and punish mistakes.
More Than a Playmaker
Eichel’s game isn’t just about threading passes through traffic. He’s a deceptive shooter, able to freeze goaltenders with his release, and he excels at protecting the puck under pressure. In a short Olympic tournament, his ability to create offense from anywhere on the ice — whether carrying the puck through the neutral zone or finding seams on the power play — could be the edge Team USA needs.
A Shot at Gold
It’s been 46 years since the Miracle on Ice. Eichel, now 28 and in his prime, has the skill, vision, and experience to help change that storyline. With 162 days until the puck drops in Milano, every game from here is a step toward one last piece missing from his career résumé — an Olympic gold medal.
If he delivers on that stage, Eichel could cement his place alongside the legends of American hockey, remembered not just for his NHL success, but as a leader who helped return Olympic glory to the United States.
USA Hockey. (2025, February 2). USA Hockey names first six players for 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
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