Noah Hanifin joins Jack Eichel on US Olympic roster for 2026

Hanifin joins Eichel on Team USA for 2026 Winter Olympics

25 Apr 2026

The Golden Knights will have a pair of representatives on the United States Olympic hockey team after defenseman Noah Hanifin was added to the 25-man roster Friday.

Hanifin, 28, joins teammate Jack Eichel, who was among the first six players named to the squad in June. The roster was announced on the “Today” show.

This will be Hanifin’s first Olympic appearance. The Boston native previously played for the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, where the team reached the final before falling 3-2 in overtime to Canada.

Hanifin has recorded 14 points in 28 games this season while averaging 23:36 of ice time, the second-highest of his career. He logged a career-high 29:59 in a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Eichel, 29, has 41 points in 31 games this season. The North Chelmsford, Massachusetts native is coming off a career-best 94-point campaign with a plus-32 rating. He was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy and finished in the top five for Selke Trophy voting.

With Hanifin’s addition, six Golden Knights players are now set to participate in the Olympics. Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore were named to Team Canada on Wednesday, and Jonas Rondbjerg was among the first six named to Denmark’s team. Knights coach Bruce Cassidy will serve as an assistant for Canada under head coach Jon Cooper.

Team USA opens Olympic play Feb. 12 against Latvia.

The roster includes 21 players who represented the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“It was incredibly difficult for our management group to get to the final roster and that’s a credit to so many in our country, including all those at the grassroots level who help make our sport so strong,” Team USA general manager Bill Guerin said in a statement. “There’s nothing like the Olympics and I know our players and staff will represent our country well and work hard to achieve our ultimate goal.”

Notable omissions include former Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch, who was the centerpiece of the trade that brought Eichel to Las Vegas in November 2021. Tuch is second on the Buffalo Sabres with 32 points in 38 games. Also left off were Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, who is tied for third in the NHL with 24 goals, and Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield, who has 20 goals.