Guerin's Olympic Roster Raises Eyebrows as Stars Shine in NHL
US Men's National Hockey Team General Manager Bill Guerin has announced his 2026 Winter Olympics roster, and while the selection boasts a number of talented players, there is one glaring omission that may leave many hockey fans scratching their heads. Jason Robertson, the star winger from the Dallas Stars, and Cole Caufield, the Montreal Canadiens' prolific scorer, are both noticeably absent from the team.
Robertson, 26, has established himself as one of the most reliable goal-scorers in the NHL, with a career-high 46 goals last season. He currently sits at 30 goals for the year, placing him among the league leaders, and boasts an impressive 62 points in 53 games this season. With his impressive track record, it's no surprise that fans were expecting to see him represent the US on the world stage.
Similarly, Caufield, 25, has consistently produced at an elite level for the Canadiens, scoring at least 23 goals in all five of his NHL seasons and boasting a career-high 37 goals last season. With 54 points in 53 games this year, he is undoubtedly one of the most feared scorers in the league.
So what's behind Guerin's decision to leave out these two of America's top scoring threats? The answer may lie in Robertson's history with Team USA. Although he has never represented the US at a major international tournament, his limited experience wearing the stars and stripes is likely a consideration for Guerin.
On the other hand, Caufield did come up through the USNTDP and played for Team USA at several levels, including four medal events at world juniors. However, unlike Robertson, he has had more opportunities to represent the US in the spring, with the Canadiens snapping a playoff drought last season.
While Guerin's decision is not without precedent, many are left wondering if this was a case of "first come, first served" or if the GM simply made a tactical choice. As the team heads into its Olympic debut against Latvia on February 12th, fans can only hope that Robertson and Caufield will be able to contribute from afar.
However, with Guerin's experience as both player and coach, one cannot help but feel that this decision was not taken lightly. The US Olympic roster boasts several other talented players who have been handpicked by the GM, including captain Clayton Keller and sniper Tage Thompson, both of whom are NTDP graduates and have stepped up regularly for USA Hockey.
With Team USA boasting one of the strongest goalie trios in hockey, it's difficult to say whether Guerin's omission will prove costly. Nevertheless, with Robertson and Caufield missing from the lineup, the US team can't help but feel a sense of uncertainty heading into its Olympic debut.
It remains to be seen how this move will impact the team's chances in Italy, but one thing is certain - fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity for these two superstars to shine on the world stage.
US Men's National Hockey Team General Manager Bill Guerin has announced his 2026 Winter Olympics roster, and while the selection boasts a number of talented players, there is one glaring omission that may leave many hockey fans scratching their heads. Jason Robertson, the star winger from the Dallas Stars, and Cole Caufield, the Montreal Canadiens' prolific scorer, are both noticeably absent from the team.
Robertson, 26, has established himself as one of the most reliable goal-scorers in the NHL, with a career-high 46 goals last season. He currently sits at 30 goals for the year, placing him among the league leaders, and boasts an impressive 62 points in 53 games this season. With his impressive track record, it's no surprise that fans were expecting to see him represent the US on the world stage.
Similarly, Caufield, 25, has consistently produced at an elite level for the Canadiens, scoring at least 23 goals in all five of his NHL seasons and boasting a career-high 37 goals last season. With 54 points in 53 games this year, he is undoubtedly one of the most feared scorers in the league.
So what's behind Guerin's decision to leave out these two of America's top scoring threats? The answer may lie in Robertson's history with Team USA. Although he has never represented the US at a major international tournament, his limited experience wearing the stars and stripes is likely a consideration for Guerin.
On the other hand, Caufield did come up through the USNTDP and played for Team USA at several levels, including four medal events at world juniors. However, unlike Robertson, he has had more opportunities to represent the US in the spring, with the Canadiens snapping a playoff drought last season.
While Guerin's decision is not without precedent, many are left wondering if this was a case of "first come, first served" or if the GM simply made a tactical choice. As the team heads into its Olympic debut against Latvia on February 12th, fans can only hope that Robertson and Caufield will be able to contribute from afar.
However, with Guerin's experience as both player and coach, one cannot help but feel that this decision was not taken lightly. The US Olympic roster boasts several other talented players who have been handpicked by the GM, including captain Clayton Keller and sniper Tage Thompson, both of whom are NTDP graduates and have stepped up regularly for USA Hockey.
With Team USA boasting one of the strongest goalie trios in hockey, it's difficult to say whether Guerin's omission will prove costly. Nevertheless, with Robertson and Caufield missing from the lineup, the US team can't help but feel a sense of uncertainty heading into its Olympic debut.
It remains to be seen how this move will impact the team's chances in Italy, but one thing is certain - fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity for these two superstars to shine on the world stage.
robertson has been balling out this season and caufield is a beast 
i feel like guerin made a huge mistake by leaving them off the roster idk if it was a tactical choice or just first come first served but either way its gonna be sad to watch these two superstars go without competing 
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Guerin's decision is weird, you feel? I mean, Robertson and Caufield are straight-up studs, especially this season. I'm trying to understand why they didn't get the nod. Maybe it's because of their experience with Team USA, but it's hard to see what that would do for them in this particular tournament. I'm curious if Guerin was just looking at other factors like defense or team chemistry. Either way, fans are gonna be on the edge, hoping Robertson and Caufield come through from afar... 
i mean, i get it, guerin wants to give them a shot but cant we just have all the best players on team usa lol? 
anywayz, im hyped for robertson n caufield 2 b back in action & hopefully they make us proud 
. Both Robertson and Caufield are absolute beast mode 
players, and their omissions have left me wondering what was going through his mind 
. I mean, sure, Robertson's history with Team USA might be a thing 
. And as for Caufield, he's literally one of the top scorers in the league 
! What's the tactical choice here? 
Anyway, fingers crossed that they get a chance to shine on the world stage and make it up to us 
.
... Robertson's omission is definitely puzzling, given his stats 
. can't wait to see how this plays out on the ice 
. It'll be interesting to see how the team performs without them. Team USA has a great goalie trio, so that's a plus... but still, it feels like we're missing two big-time players 
and i'm not buying into "first come first served" as an excuse 
these guys are top players and should've been included 
hopefully they can contribute remotely and still make us proud 
maybe it's about their limited experience with Team USA, but still feels like a big miss 
I mean, come on Guerin, what's wrong with giving Robertson and Caufield some love? They're basically carrying the league right now and you leave them out of the Olympics? That's like leaving LeBron out of the NBA All-Star game... just not gonna happen. 
1 player that's gotta step up is Tage Thompson he's got all the skills and speed, hopefully can fill the void left by Robertson & Caufield 
.