Will Jack Hughes be named in first wave of USA Olympic roster selections?

The NHL had many highlights this season. As the Stanley Cup Final comes to an end, we're taking a look at everything that happened during the 2024-25 season. The highlight for New Jersey Devils fans was making it back to the postseason. However, the highlight for the league was the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The league found something that catches the national pride enough to get fairweather fans to watch while also replacing the best-on-best aspect that’s been missing since the NHL left the Olympics in 2018. We finally got to see Auston Matthews on one side alongside Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Eichel against Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon. There were so many storylines that came out of it, but the one that Devils fans were most interested in never came to fruition.

Jack Hughes was one of four players representing their country at the tournament. When Jacob Markstrom got injured, the number dropped to three, leaving Hughes for Team USA, Jesper Bratt for Sweden, and Erik Haula for Finland. Hughes was the big star, and he was expected to play a huge role with the Americans.

Unfortunately, Hughes never made the impact many expected. He was dropped in lines, and his style of play didn’t translate or build chemistry with his teammates. Head coach Mike Sullivan replaced him on his line with Auston Matthews and Jake Guentzel and dropped him to the third line. 

Hughes was one of the faces of Team USA in marketing materials and promotion of the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that might not end up being the case when the NHL players return to the Olympic Games in 2026. Team USA is sending its best team to Milan with a chance to win its first gold medal in men’s ice hockey in 35 years. 

Jack Hughes is unlikely to see his name on the USA Olympic roster on Monday

On Monday, Team USA is expected to announce its first six players for the squad. If they did this a year ago, Jack Hughes might have been a lock to be one of those six players named. There didn’t appear to be any chance he would miss out on the team, short of an injury. However, things have changed.

The underwhelming nature of Hughes’ performance at the 4 Nations and his shoulder injury that ended his 2024-25 season will have Team USA GM Bill Guerin asking him to prove himself before making the team. That, on top of likely needing to find space for 4 Nations snubs like Tage Thompson, Cole Caufield, and Clayton Keller, will have more of a competition for an Olympics spot. 

The announcement on Monday only includes the first six players on the Olympic roster. A total of 25 players will go to Italy next year. Hughes is more likely than not going to make the roster eventually, but it’s not likely to be in the first wave.

That is, unless the announcement wants to touch on one specific aspect of the roster. Quinn Hughes is likely going to be announced for the Games in the first wave. As is Matthew Tkachuk, who is playing in the Stanley Cup Final right now. If the team wants to get behind the family aspect of this, we’ll see Jack Hughes and Brady Tkachuk named as well.

That’s really the only reason Hughes will see his name called on Monday. He’s definitely one of the best American players in the world. However, he’ll have to wait to see if he’s wearing the red, white, and blue again.