Team USA is gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. On Tuesday, the official 44-man roster for orientation camp was released, comprising of all NHL players.

Olympic Orientation camp is scheduled for August 26-27 in Plymouth, Michigan, per USA Hockey. Among the players on the roster include five veteran Olympians including Patrick Kane, Ryan McDonagh, Matthew Knies, Jake Sanderson, and Brock Faber.

Plus, 12 players who helped Team USA win the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championships will be included on the roster. This year, the Americans made additional successful runs in the lead up to the Olympics. In February, they made it to the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Canada and lost 3-2 in overtime.

Last Saturday, the Americans came out on top in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, beating Slovakia 5-3.

The 2026 Milan Olympics is shaping up to be highly competitive. In addition to the USA, Canada, Sweden, Czechia, and Finland are the other top countries participating.

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Finland is the defending gold medal winners from the 2022 Beijing games. The United States hasn't won a gold medal since the historic “Miracle on Ice” team in the 1980 Lake Placid games.

Canada hasn't won gold since 2014 in Sochi. Additionally, these games will mark the first time NHL players will compete in 12 years.

What are Team USA's chances at the Olympics?

Going into Milan, Canada is the favorite, per FanDuel. However, Team USA is not too far behind given who they will have on their roster. The United States boasts a plethora of superstars that are expected to raise the team's profile, including Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Kyle Connor, Auston Matthews, and Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, among others.

Altogether, the USA will rely on high scoring forwards, a strong defensive line, and the presence of arguably the best goaltender in the league in Connor Hellebuyck. The States should be a powerhouse next February as they look to bring Olympic gold back to North America for the first time in over 40 years.