USA hockey picks 4 Nations-heavy roster for the Winter Olympics<\/a><\/p>\nLarkin was dealing with the Red Wings’ disappointing 4-3 overtime loss Thursday night in Pittsburgh, but admitted making the Olympic squad would be an honor.<\/p>\n
“It would be (special),” Larkin said. “It’s not really what I’m thinking about right now. You think about it a lot but just (in) getting your mind away from playing (so many games).<\/p>\n
“(But) it would mean a lot, absolutely.”<\/p>\n
Larkin, a key player on the USA team last February, received his 2026 invite from U.S. general manager Bill Guerin ahead of the official announcement on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Guerin: “Hey listen, I’m just starting to make the calls today and I just wanted to say, congratulations. Looking forward to it. Hope you’re looking forward to it.”<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Larkin: “Oh, my God, am I ever. I’m excited to play with those guys again. I feel we’ve got something special and the job isn’t finished.”<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Guerin: “You said it, buddy. As best you can, try and keep it on the down low.”<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Larkin: “Yeah, yeah.”<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Guerin: “Don’t tell your old man.”<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Larkin: “I won’t. I won’t. Every day the last month he says, ‘Have you heard anything?’ I said, ‘Dad, no, no.’ So I got to pay him back. Thank you so much.”<\/p>\n
Larkin, 29, played a starring role during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Larkin started the tournament in more of a defensive \/ checking role but ended up playing on the top scoring lines. He scored the eventual game-winning goal, and adding an assist, in a preliminary-round victory over Canada.<\/p>\n
Larkin called the 4 Nations Face-Off one of highlights of his career.<\/p>\n
“It was a great experience,” said Larkin. “The games were so intense and so much fun. It was a disappointing end for us, but it definitely is a huge motivator to come back and push our team (Red Wings) to make the playoffs.”<\/p>\n
Canada won the tournament by defeating the U.S. 3-2 in overtime in the final.<\/p>\n
Larkin brought a basic gameplan to the 4 Nations Face-Off and has consistently said he’ll do the same if selected for the Olympics.<\/p>\n
“I stuck to who I am,” said Larkin of his success in the 4 Nations. “I was just really trying to do whatever I could to help the team, whether that was bring energy, whether it was trying to be a voice in the room, be there for the guys. Whatever it was, I just tried to do it, and I was happy to do it.<\/p>\n
“We had such a great group of guys that it was just so good to be around everyone.”<\/p>\n
Coach Todd McLellan felt the 4 Nations event was an important experience for Larkin.<\/p>\n
“You always wonder where you fit in,” McLellan said. “You kind of know where you fit in on your own team and if you sign with someone else or get traded, you figure out where you\u2019re sitting on the bus with that team. But where do you sit worldwide? Clearly he\u2019s one of the best in the world, in my opinion anyhow, and he now knows that.”<\/p>\n
While Larkin made the U.S. Olympic roster, Red Wings teammates Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane did not make the cut.<\/p>\n
DeBrincat is off to one of his best NHL seasons, with 21 goals and 41 points, including Thursday scoring the game-tying a goal and helping the Wings earn a valuable point in the standings. Kane has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 27 games, having gone through an injury-marred first half to the season.<\/p>\n
DeBrincat fell victim to a large and expanding talent pool of USA players, particularly among the forwards.<\/p>\n
“I can sit here and argue, like 32 other coaches (for their players) that he belongs on that team,” McLellan said. “The year he’s had, the way he’s played. But I also respect the job and task that Bill Guerin (U.S. general manager) and his staff, and Sully (coach Mike Sullivan) and the coaching staff has. They are the ones that are going to be in it, and they have to make those decisions. I really believe he deserves to be there.<\/p>\n
“But the rosters aren’t 35 players deep.”<\/p>\n
Wings forward Lucas Raymond (Sweden) and defenseman Moritz Seider (Germany) were both already named to their teams over the summer, as among the first six players chosen by each country.<\/p>\n
Sweden announced its roster Friday and Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson didn’t make the team. The Swedish blueline includes: Rasmus Andersson, Philip Broberg, Jonas Brodin, Rasmus Dahlin, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Gustav Forsling, Victor Hedman, and Erik Karlsson.<\/p>\n
This year’s Olympics tournament will feature 12 teams playing three preliminary games in their respective groups, then all 12 moving on to a single-elimination playoff. The gold medal game will take place Feb. 22.<\/p>\n
Team USA is in Group C and plays Latvia on Feb. 12, then Denmark on Feb. 14 and Germany on Feb. 15.<\/p>\n
tkulfan@detroitnews.com<\/p>\n
@tkulfan<\/p>\n
U.S. Olympic hockey roster<\/p>\n
FORWARDS<\/p>\n
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild\u2028<\/p>\n
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets\u2028<\/p>\n
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights\u2028<\/p>\n
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils\u2028<\/p>\n
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning\u2028<\/p>\n
Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth\u2028<\/p>\n
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings\u2028<\/p>\n
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs\u2028<\/p>\n
J.T. Miller, New York Rangers\u2028<\/p>\n
Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators\u2028<\/p>\n
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers\u2028<\/p>\n
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n
Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers<\/p>\n
DEFENSEMEN<\/p>\n
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild\u2028<\/p>\n
Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights\u2028<\/p>\n
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks\u2028<\/p>\n
Seth Jones, Florida Panthers<\/p>\n
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins\u2028<\/p>\n
Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators\u2028<\/p>\n
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes\u2028<\/p>\n
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n
GOALIES<\/p>\n
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets\u2028<\/p>\n
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars\u2028<\/p>\n
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins<\/p>\n
Olympic Men’s Hockey Schedule<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 12: U.S. vs. Latvia, 3:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 14: U.S. vs. Denmark, 3:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 15: U.S. vs. Germany, 3:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 17: U.S. vs. TBD, 3:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 18: Quarterfinals, TBD<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 20: Semifinals, TBD<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 21: Bronze medal game, 2:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Feb. 22: Gold medal game, 8:10 a.m.<\/p>\n
Penguins at Red Wings<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Faceoff: Noon Saturday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit<\/p>\n
\u25b6 TV\/radio: ABC\/97.1<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Notable: The Wings and Penguins complete their home-and-home following Detroit\u2019s 4-3 overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. \u2026 The Penguins have 45 points \u2013 fifth in the Metropolitan Division and tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference \u2013 going into Friday\u2019s games \u2026 Former Red Wing Anthony Mantha has 14 goals and 14 assists in his first season in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
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