The U.S. Olympic hockey team announced its roster for the upcoming games in Italy, and the roster is very similar to the one that represented the United States last year in the 4-Nations Face Off. However, general manager Bill Guerin made a few changes as he revealed that Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller and Seth Jones will join the U.S. team, while Adam Fox and Chris Kreider did not receive invitations.
Guerin answered questions about the makeup of the U.S. hockey roster that includes key players Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Jack and Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy.
Guerin questioned about decision to leave Fox off roster
The U.S. is hoping to improve on its 2nd place finish in last year's 4-Nations showing. The Americans dropped the championship game to Canada in overtime as Connor McDavid got free at the top of the circle and beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a wicked snap shot. Prior to the winning goal, Fox had been attempting to secure the puck in the corner, but he could not stop the pass from being delivered to McDavid in a high-danger area.
Guerin was asked if Fox's inability to stop the pass that led to the game-winning goal was the reason for his absence from the Olympic team. The general manager did not take kindly to the question from ESPN's Greg Wyshinski.
“That's for you guys to wrestle with and talk about,” Guerin said. “That's not for us — if you think we made a decision on one play, you must not think we're very smart.”
In addition to Fox and Kreider, Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars, Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens and Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings were all left off the team.
Caufield and DeBrincat are both 5-foot-8, and their lack of size may have had something to do with being left off the roster. Guerin pointed out that the roster was based on filling key roles. Caufield and DeBrincat are both speedy and flashy players but could be perceived as defensive liabilities because of their lack of size.
