Keller cites team chemistry and mental preparation as key factors entering his first Olympics.

(Carolyn Kaster | AP) United States’ Clayton Keller, right, during men’s ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2026. The Utah Mammoth captain is making his Olympic debut for the United States.

Chemistry among teammates is important in every sport, but Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller says it might be the single-most essential element in Team USA bringing home gold from the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.

“The team that comes together and is the closest is the team that ultimately wins,” Keller said in January when he was announced as a member of an Olympic team for the first time in his career.

Building chemistry takes time, time that the Olympic setup doesn’t exactly afford. The final NHL games before the break took place last Thursday, players traveled to Italy over the weekend, and had their first practice on Monday. Team USA beat Latvia 5-1 in its first game, but Keller was held out of action.

Luckily, Keller says he’s already close with a lot of players on the team, even going back as far as childhood with a couple of Team USA’s most important and recognizable stars: the Tkachuk brothers.

Keller grew up alongside Matthew and Brady in the St. Louis youth hockey scene, sitting right between the two brothers in age. Matthew was taken sixth overall in the 2016 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames — and later traded to the Florida Panthers for back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 — while Keller was taken just one pick later at seventh overall by Arizona.

“The St. Louis connection is pretty cool,” Keller said when asked who he’s most looking forward to playing with on Team USA. “I’m excited to play with them again.”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Mammoth right wing Clayton Keller (9) and Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrate a goal by Guenther as the Utah Mammoth host the Los Angeles Kings, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

Keller said he also considers USA goalie Jake Oettinger, “one of his closest friends,” with both attending Boston University before beginning NHL careers.

Much like St. Louis becoming a major hockey hub during his lifetime, Keller says he’s seen USA Hockey take a massive leap in recent years as well.

“It’s insane, honestly, from where it’s come,” Keller said of this Olympic team setting the tone for the future. “It’s a huge opportunity.”

The last 12 months have been some of the more eventful in recent USA Hockey memory, with the team battling Canada to a 3-2 overtime loss in the 4 Nations Face-Off final a year ago and earning the first IIHF World Championship gold medal since 1933 with Keller as captain last summer.

Keller has played in three World Championships for Team USA: 2017, 2019 and 2025, totaling 10 goals and 11 assists across those tournaments.

“Everyone bought into their role and sacrificed to win the gold medal,” Keller said of what went into winning at the international level. “We were really close and spent a ton of time together.”

Card games were the group activity of choice for the 2025 USA World Championship team, according to Keller, something that might carry over to the Olympic Village this week in Milan.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Mammoth right wing Clayton Keller (9) as the Utah Mammoth host the New York Islanders, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.

As for Keller’s individual game, the Utah captain feels his preparation and off-ice work on the mental side have set him up for this opportunity on the sport’s biggest and brightest stage.

“I’ve done everything I can to put myself in a position to be successful,” Keller said. “There’s no reason for me to have second thoughts or not believe in what I’m doing.”

Keller is on track for his fourth consecutive 70-point NHL season after setting a new career-high with 90 points in Utah’s inaugural season.

His experience in a high-pressure tournament this month could come in handy this spring for the Mammoth, as the team is in position to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in Utah.

Team USA plays group stage games this weekend against Latvia, Denmark and Germany. The group winner receives a guaranteed quarterfinal berth, while the rest will be reseeded into a playoff bracket.

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