USA Hockey has finally sorted out its coaching crew for the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s team. They spilled the beans on Wednesday, dropping the news that assistant coaches John Hynes, David Quinn, and John Tortorella will be joining head coach Mike Sullivan. Additionally, Mike Buckley will be taking on the role of goaltending coach, while Mike King and Madison Nikkel will be handling the video coaching duties. The men’s tourney kicks off on Feb. 11, 2026, over in Milan, Italy.
“We’ve got a killer staff,” shared Bill Guerin, the general manager of the men’s team, in a press release. “Everyone is pumped to rep the good ol’ US of A and laser-focused on snagging that gold medal.” Sullivan, head honcho of the New York Rangers, previously led Team USA to a silver finish at last year’s 4 Nations Face-off. He’s no stranger to the Olympic stage, having served as an assistant for the U.S. men’s team back in 2006. This time around, he’s got Hynes (Minnesota Wild’s head coach), Quinn (Sullivan’s sidekick with the Rangers), and Tortorella (a seasoned NHL coach with stints at four different teams, most recently the Philadelphia Flyers) backing him up.
It’s been more than ten years since NHL players hit the ice at the Olympics, with the league putting the kibosh on player participation in 2018 and 2022. Now, the puck is back in their court, and fans are eager to see how the pros stack up against the international competition. Let the games begin!
