It took Team USA a little longer to finally announce their Olympic roster. If there’s a word to describe it, disappointing comes to mind. A year ago, they lost to Canada in the championship at 4-Nations.

Unlike a tournament that consisted of four countries, including Finland and Sweden, the Winter Games features 10 teams from Feb. 6-22. They’ll be joined by Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Contrary to popular belief, the Olympics won’t just be about USA and Canada. While most of the focus is on the classic North American rivals, it isn’t a guarantee that they’ll play each other for gold.

Someone might want to relay that message to USA Hockey general manager Bill Guerin. A fine GM for the Minnesota Wild who landed Quinn Hughes to make a significant upgrade to his NHL team, a few of Guerin’s roster choices were baffling. That included the omission of Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. One of the game’s best players at his position, he wasn’t good enough to crack Team USA’s blue line that consists of eight defensemen.

While it’s true that Fox struggled at 4-Nations, he didn’t look fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered in 2023-24. During that season, a knee-on-knee collision with Sebastian Aho on Nov. 2 caused him to miss 10 games. In Game 4 of the first round, Fox re-injured his right knee when Nick Jensen banged into it to cause a mild MCL strain. He played through the injury during the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final. However, he wasn’t as effective, finishing with eight assists in the playoffs.

Last season, he still didn’t look comfortable. Fox was noticeably slower and more exposed defensively. He also missed eight games last season due to a different issue. He wasn’t as consistent, but he still led all Rangers’ defensemen with 61 points (10-51-61). He took a lot of criticism for his performance, which was the least of the team’s issues for why they failed to qualify for the postseason.

Following a long summer, the 27-year-old has looked like a different player this season. Before he suffered an upper-body injury due to a Brandon Hagel check on Nov. 29, which forced him to be placed on long-term injured reserve and miss 14 games, Fox was on fire with 26 points in the Rangers’ first 27 games. He was right there with Cale Makar as one of the league’s best defensemen who was vying for the Norris. Without him, the Rangers struggled mightily on the power play, going 5-for-33. In particular, the number one unit had a difficult time manufacturing anything, with a five-forward unit failing miserably by giving up three shorthanded goals.

In his return to the lineup on Dec. 31, Fox showed no ill effects by scoring a power-play goal on a one-timer and setting up another goal in a 6-3 loss to the Capitals. Unlike last season, he’s moving much better while being a point-per-game player with 28 points (4-24-28) in 28 games. One of the most productive while playing in every critical situation for a team that doesn’t have anyone close to him who can produce at a high level, Fox is one of four defensemen who’s averaging a point-per-game. The other three are Makar (45 points in 39 games), Zach Werenski (40 in 35 GP), and Lane Hutson (40 in 40 GP), who was another notable snub by Guerin.

Related: Fox Returns With A Bang

Players Selected That Aren’t Better Than Fox

The easy selections were Hughes, Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, and Jake Sanderson. All four were a big part of last year’s 4-Nations roster which included Fox, and Jaccob Slavin. Seth Jones was added to this year’s team. Although he’s not Fox, Jones is more of a shutdown defenseman who can skate and play physical. He’ll likely be part of a matchup pair in the Olympics.

More questionable are the inclusions of Brock Faber and Noah Hanifin. While each represented our country last year, neither are better players than Fox. They’re good players who aren’t as accomplished as Fox, who won the Norris in his second year in the league (2020-21). He also was the runner-up in 2022-23 behind Erik Karlsson, who won the award due to putting up 101 points on the lowly Sharks despite a minus-26 rating.

The 23-year-old Faber is an up and coming defenseman who plays for the Wild on the top pair with Hughes. At 4-Nations, he teamed up with Slavin, replacing Fox, who was moved down to play with Hanifin. In his third season, Faber has 21 points (8-13-21) and a +9 rating in 41 games while averaging 24:29.

Hanifin has two goals and 12 assists for 14 points with a minus-7 rating in 28 contests for the Golden Knights. Unlike Fox, who’s five-foot-eleven and 185 pounds, Hanifin brings more size, going six-foot-three and 206 pounds. Faber is six-foot-one and 200 pounds.

Aside from Hughes, who’s only five-foot-ten, the rest of the U.S. blue line are all over six feet. It appears that size was a deciding factor for Guerin. Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury, who along with coach Mike Sullivan pushed for Fox to make the roster. Drury serves on Team USA as one of three assistant GM’s while Sullivan is the head coach. Talk about a conflict of interests.

Hutson Also Snubbed

As mentioned above, Fox wasn’t the only player who was snubbed. Hutson didn’t make the Olympic roster, either.

An outstanding defenseman who’s only in his second season, the 21-year-old Hutson is tied for second with Caufield on the Canadiens in scoring. He won the Calder as the league’s top rookie in 2024-25 by posting six goals and 60 assists for 66 points to beat out Dustin Wolf and Macklin Celebrini.

One of the game’s brightest young stars, he’s continued to prove that he belongs in the conversation for the Norris. Despite being small in stature (5-9, 162), Hutson has made a significant difference for the Canadiens, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points. Without his contributions at both even strength and on the power play, the Habs would be much lower in the standings.

It was on the strength of Hutson along with Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky that Montreal surprised many by making the playoffs last season. They’re positioned well to qualify again for the second straight year.

Not only did they omit Hutson, Caufield was passed over too. One of the game’s best finishers, the 25-year-old Canadiens right wing has blossomed into a consistent point producer while teamed with Suzuki, who was chosen by Canada. He isn’t only scoring goals, with his 20 markers pacing Montreal, but he’s also setting them up with 20 helpers.

It’s another case of a small player getting the short end of the stick by Guerin. Caufield more than makes up for his five-foot-eight, 175-pound frame with his explosive speed and lethal wrist shot. He’s also proven to have a knack for scoring in the clutch late in games that the Habs are trailing. That could’ve come in handy in the single-game elimination Olympic format.

Robertson’s Absence A Head Scratcher

If ever a player deserves to play for Team USA, it’s Jason Robertson. A terrific player who’s been lighting the lamp regularly for the Stars, it’s absurd that Guerin didn’t select him.

No American player has more points than Robertson so far this season. He’s got 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points. That’s one more than Matt Boldy and two better than Kyle Connor, who are both mainstays on the American roster.

For reasons only known to Guerin, that wasn’t good enough for Robertson to make the squad. Like Caufield, he wasn’t chosen last year, either. They’re only two of the best finishers. Robertson makes players around him better. On a very talented roster that includes Wyatt Johnston (Canada) and Mikko Rantanen (Finland), he’s second on the Stars in scoring. His play has been brilliant for almost two months, putting up 21 goals and 14 assists totaling 35 points since Nov. 11.

While there are plenty of players who can put the puck in the net, it almost feels like Robertson’s exclusion has to do with him playing for a rival team in the Central Division. The Stars play the Wild two more times on the schedule. You better believe Mar. 21 and Apr. 9 will be circled on the calendar.

Grit Over Skill Preferred

If there’s a takeaway from the 25-man USA roster, it’s the preference of grit over skill. That helps explain why Fox’s teammates, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck made it.

By taking Trocheck and Miller, who both haven’t had great seasons, Guerin is hoping that they can help slow down Canada, who will enter the Olympics as the heavy favorite to take home gold. Brock Nelson also returns from the 4-Nations to play a similar checking role like last year.

The big question is whether or not Guerin’s selections can get it done. It’s been 46 years since a bunch of college kids pulled off the Miracle by upsetting Russia and then coming back to defeat Finland to win Olympic gold under coach Herb Brooks at Lake Placid, NY.

Team USA has been close to winning before. They took the silver medal at Salt Lake City and in Vancouver. Both times, it was Canada that prevented them from breaking the gold medal drought. In 2010, Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to win in an exciting final.

Keller and Thompson Make It

It isn’t all bad for Team USA. Both Clayton Keller and Tage Thompson made the roster. Each are deserving of getting the chance to play on the world’s biggest stage.

Keller is tied for the lead in scoring with 36 points on the Mammoth. A great skater and playmaking forward, he has 13 goals and 23 assists on a young roster that features Dylan Guenther, J.J. Peterka, Nick Schmaltz, and the injured Logan Cooley.

Thompson remains the leading man on the Sabres with his 20 goals and 37 points tops on the league’s hottest team. The Sabres have won 10 consecutive games to pull into a wild card spot. Thompson is a big reason for the Sabres’ resurgence. He’s scored over 40 goals in two of the last three seasons. It looks like he’s on track for a third 40-goal year in Western New York.

Goalies Remain The Same

While there were some changes in personnel with Fox and former teammate Chris Kreider being subtracted, Team USA will go with the same three goalies.

Connor Hellebuyck has had an injury riddled season for the underachieving Winnipeg Jets, who astonishingly fell to last overall in the standings last night. He was the unquestioned American starter at the 4-Nations Tournament. Although he’s never had the best track record in big games, Hellebuyck stepped it up in the semifinals and final last year.

Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman are the other options if Hellebuyck falters.

In over a month, we’ll see if Guerin made the right choices.