Panthers coach Paul Maurice shared updates about defenseman Jake Jones’ injury before Team USA’s roster announcement. Initially, the outlook was week-to-week, but now it looks like Jones will be out for 2 to 4 weeks.
Lucas LaCombe, who has tallied 31 points this season (six goals and 25 assists), got the exciting news that he would join Team USA. The 25-year-old was a second-round pick (No. 39) by Anaheim in the 2019 NHL Draft and has accumulated 91 points (22 goals, 69 assists) over 197 NHL games.
LaCombe missed the chance to play for the U.S. at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off but tasted victory with Team USA at the 2025 World Championships. In his own words, he expressed a mix of emotions about the call-up: “You never want to see something like that happen to someone,” referring to Jones’ injury, “but I’m super excited to be selected. It’s hard to describe the feeling. I’m just thrilled to be part of this group.”
This will be the first time NHL players can represent the U.S. in the Olympics since 2014. The competition format includes 12 teams divided into groups, where each team will play three preliminary matches. The group winners and the best second-place team will advance directly to the quarterfinals. The gold medal game is set for February 22.
Team USA is in Group C. They will kick off their Olympic journey against Team Latvia on February 12, followed by matches against Team Denmark on February 14 and Team Germany on February 15. It’s an important moment for U.S. hockey; the last gold medal in men’s hockey dates back to the iconic 1980 Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid.
In terms of recent trends, there’s a growing excitement on social media. Fans are buzzing about the potential for a strong U.S. team, hoping for a return to glory in men’s hockey. With talented players like LaCombe stepping into the spotlight, the stakes are higher than ever.
For more on Olympic hockey formats and updates, check out NHL.com.
