Seven Minnesotans, three Wisconsin players named to roster

Team USA to compete in IIHF Men’s World Championship May 15-31 in Switzerland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the preliminary roster for its 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete in the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championship, May 15-31, in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.

“We’re excited about our group,” said Brett Peterson (Northborough, Mass.), general manager of the 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team and assistant general manager of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. “We’ve got a good blend of players that are excited about representing our country and competing for a gold medal. We’re looking forward to the tournament and know Switzerland will be a great host.”

Team USA will train in Mannheim, Germany, starting May 8 and play a pre-tournament game there against Germany on May 10. The U.S. will open play in the IIHF Men’s World Championship in Zurich on May 15 against host Switzerland at 8:20 p.m. local time/2:20 p.m. ET. All U.S. games in the tournament will air live on NHL Network.

The U.S. enters the tournament as the defending gold medalist after winning the world championship for the first time in 92 years a year ago.

To view the roster, click HERE.

PRELIMINARY ROSTER OVERVIEW

• Three goaltenders, eight defensemen, 14 forwards

• Averages: Height: 6-1 • Weight: 196 • Age: 26

• Youngest Player: Ryker Lee, 19

• Oldest Player: Justin Faulk, 34

• Roster includes 13 first or second round NHL Draft picks, including seven first rounders in Matthew Tkachuk, James Hagens, Ryan Leonard, Matt Coronato, Oliver Moore, Ryker Lee, and Isaac Howard.

• Four players have been part of a U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, including Matthew Tkachuk (2026-gold), Drew Commesso (2022), Will Borgen (2018) and Justin Faulk (2014).

• Seven players have previously been part of Team USA for an IIHF Men’s World Championship, including both Mason Lohrei and Isaac Howard, who were part of the 2025 gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s National Team. Others include Justin Faulk (2015-bronze, 2013-bronze, 2012), Ryan Leonard (2024), Drew Commesso (2023), Matt Coronato (2023) and Sam Lafferty (2022).

• Twelve players have competed full-time at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, including Connor Clifton, Drew Commesso, Justin Faulk, James Hagens, Isaac Howard, Ryan Leonard, Ryan Lindgren, Oliver Moore, Danny Nelson, Max Plante, Matthew Tkachuk and Joseph Woll.

• All but Devin Cooley, Declan Carlile, Paul Cotter, Tommy Novak, Mathieu Olivier and Max Sasson have competed in at least one IIHF world championship. The players have won 34 collective medals in IIHF world championship play, including 18 gold.

• The players come from 11 different states, with Minnesota leading the way with seven representatives. Other states include New York (3), Michigan (3), Wisconsin (3), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (2), Ohio (1), California (1), Illinois (1), New Jersey (1) and Pennsylvania (1).

• A total of 23 players have competed in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the U.S.

• Overall, 15 different U.S. colleges/universities are represented on the roster, with the University of Minnesota Duluth, Boston College and University of Minnesota leading the way with three players each, followed by two players from both Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. Boston University, Brown University, University of Denver, Harvard University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Merrimack College, University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University, Quinnipiac University, and St. Cloud State University each have one representative.