Sullivan Sees Grassroots Efforts Within U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team
Mike Sullivan, head coach of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, knows there are plenty of people to thank when it comes to the talent that will be representing the red, white and blue at the Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy.
The 25-man roster that was announced Friday live on NBC’s TODAY Show by USA Hockey features players from 13 different states and various backgrounds, and it is the latest example of the evolution of USA Hockey, Sullivan explained during a virtual press conference.
“When you look at some of the players that are going to participate in this upcoming Olympics, there are players that are on this team that 25 years ago may not have played in those areas of the country,” Sullivan said.
The 1980 United States Olympic Ice Hockey Team had players from only four states – Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
2026 U.S. Olympic Men's Team
“The growth of hockey in the United States over the last 20, 25 years has taken place on so many levels,” Sullivan said. “Ultimately it always starts at the grassroots level when the kids are young and the volunteers and all the people that give up their time to create an environment that is fun, that is rewarding, that builds a passion for the sport that we love in our young kids.
“These kids grow to mature and ultimately become elite players at the level that we're at. There's a lot of reasons for it, and there's a lot of people that are responsible for it. USA Hockey has done a great job with the growth of the game and in throughout their respective districts. USA Hockey plays a big role in that. The NHL does as well with some of the expansion and some of the teams that have been put into these markets and the job that they've done and the influence that they've had to create another generation of young kids that love the sport.”
Coincidentally, Sullivan was in Florida Friday morning as his New York Rangers prepare to take on the Florida Panthers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Miami’s loanDepot park – a vastly different location compared to the inaugural NHL Winter Classic in 2008 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York
It is no secret that the 25 players named to the Olympic roster had influential youth hockey coaches, many of whom have gone through USA Hockey’s coaching education program, that helped lay the foundation for their future success.
In fact, Sullivan took time over this past summer to work with some of the nation’s next generation of coaches when he presented at USA Hockey’s Level 5 Coaches Symposium.
“A lot of us have tried hard to give back to the sport in so many ways,” Sullivan said. “And part of that is through the education program that coaches go through in order to try to create the optimal environment for our young kids to participate in the game.
“When you look at from just from a sheer numbers and a sheer volume standpoint, the amount of players that we have in selecting a team like this Olympic team or the 4 Nations team that we did a year ago, I think is deeper than it's ever been and what I just discussed was a big reason why.”
DREAM COME TRUE
Jack Hughes is one of 23 players who will be making their Olympic debut in Milan as NHL players make their return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Hughes was in New York Friday morning to help unveil the rosters for the Olympic Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Teams and 2026 Paralympic Sled Hockey Teams on The TODAY Show and called it a “dream” to represent his country at the Olympics.
“We got a really good group of young hungry Americans that haven’t played in the Olympics before,” Hughes said. “We’re lucky the NHLers are back in the Olympics.
“It is everything. If you are a hockey player in the U.S., you grew up watching Miracle On Ice and that is the biggest USA memory. Every hockey player wants to grow up and play in the NHL, but I think the biggest dream is playing in the Olympics. It is such an honor and such a privilege to be back and have that opportunity.”
