\t\tRead: 2 min<\/p>\n
USA Hockey unveiled the roster of NHL stars for next month\u2019s Winter Olympics on Friday, a 25-man lineup that includes 21 players from last year\u2019s emotional Four Nations Face-Off.<\/p>\n
Last February\u2019s NHL-backed Face-Off event included three fights in the first nine seconds between border rivals United States and Canada, tensions heightened by political matters including President Donald Trump\u2019s talk of making Canada the 51st American state.<\/p>\n
Canada defeated the U.S. squad in the Face-Off final.<\/p>\n
Brothers Matthew Tkachuk of Florida and Brady Tkachuk of Ottawa, who dropped gloves in the first two on-ice Four Nations fights last year against Canada, and fellow forward J.T. Miller, involved in the third, were named to the U.S. lineup for Milan.<\/p>\n
Other U.S. front-liners include Toronto\u2019s Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel of Vegas, New Jersey\u2019s Jack Hughes, Tampa Bay\u2019s Jake Guentzel, Detroit\u2019s Dylan Larkin, Winnipeg\u2019s Kyle Connor, Colorado\u2019s Brock Nelson, Minnesota\u2019s Matt Boldy and Miller\u2019s New York Rangers teammate Vincent Trocheck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a really good group of young, hungry Americans that haven\u2019t played in the Olympics before,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cGuys are pumped up and we should be really excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s Tage Thompson, Utah\u2019s Clayton Keller and Florida defenceman Seth Jones were not on the U.S. Four Nations squad but did make the U.S. Olympic lineup, as did Vancouver defenceman Quinn Hughes, who was hurt during last year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n
American defencemen heading to Italy also include Noah Hanifan of Vegas, Boston\u2019s Charlie McAvoy, Minnesota\u2019s Brock Faber, Ottawa\u2019s Jake Sanderson, Carolina\u2019s Jaccob Slavin and Zach Werenski of Columbus.<\/p>\n
All three goaltenders from the Four Nations Face-Off \u2014 Winnipeg\u2019s Connor Hellebuyck, Boston\u2019s Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger of Dallas \u2014 will return for the U.S. quest for its first gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic \u201cMiracle on Ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanderson and Faber competed for the U.S. squad in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and are the only U.S. players with Games experience as active NHL talent returns to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited about our team,\u201d U.S. Olympic men\u2019s general manager Bill Guerin said. \u201cIt was incredibly difficult for our management group to get to the final roster.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Americans will open Olympic competition on February 12 against Latvia.<\/p>\n
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