Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, as expected, was stationed as Team USA\u2019s No. 3 center at the team\u2019s first practice in preparation for the start of the Olympic hockey tournament.<\/p>\n
USA\u2019s first game in Thursday at 3 p.m. against Latvia on Peacock. Grand Rapids Griffins player Eduards Tralmaks plays for Latvia.<\/p>\n
Larkin is starting with New Jersey\u2019s Jack Hughes and Buffalo\u2019s Tage Thompson on his wings. Auston Matthews is USA\u2019s No. 1 center with Minnesota\u2019s Matt Boldy and Tampa Bay\u2019s Jake Guentzel on the wing. The No. 2 line has Jack Eichel centering Ottawa\u2019s Brady and Florida\u2019s Matthew Tkachuk.<\/p>\n
At the 4 Nations Face-off last season, Larkin thrived in a bottom six role for the Americans. His impressive play in that tournament made him an easy choice for the Olympic squad.<\/p>\n
Earlier in this season, Larkin thought it possible he could end up on the wing if he made the U.S. squad. He was fully prepared to be in the bottom six.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would probably try and play like Emmett Finnie and be a good supporting player and someone that digs pucks and gets them to guys and goes to the hard areas,\u201d Larkin said. \u201cHe\u2019s a special player, special guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
First practice for Team USA \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 saw some familiar Lines & Pairs from 4Nations.<\/p>\n
Top-6 and D-pairs skated together today, bottom-6 is still “projected.”<\/p>\n
Jack Hughes is a go, Charlie McAvoy is too, although in a full shield. pic.twitter.com\/3MiU12t7nt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Daily Faceoff \u2013 Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) February 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Red Wings In Case You Missed It<\/p>\n Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins<\/a> have long history of Olympic medal winners.<\/p>\n In 1955, John Utendale<\/a> became the first black player to sign an NHL contract. It was with the Red Wings.<\/p>\n Goalie Sebastian Cossa<\/a> delivers yet another important win for the Griffins.<\/p>\n Red Wings Extra<\/p>\n A former Red Wings player is the man who put together the Czechia team competing in the Olympic tournament. Jiri Slegr has been general manager of the Czech team for two years. He played 677 NHL games as a defenseman from 1997 to 2006. That included a brief stint with the Red Wings in 2001-02. Then-GM Ken Holland gave up prospect Yuri Butsayev and a third-round pick to land Slegr.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc4b Mo! https:\/\/t.co\/zxRYxBFuMy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Hockey Now Digest<\/p>\n Boston: Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak were named as alternate Olympic captains for USA and Czechia, respectively. Boston Bruins.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n New Jersey: Jack Hughes starting in bottom six of USA coach Mike Sullivan\u2019s American lineup. New Jersey Devils.<\/a><\/p>\n Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski spells out the Penguins\u2019 true trade needs heading into the NHL trade deadline. Pittsburgh Penguins\u00a0 200<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t