Rangers' J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck named to 2026 U.S. Olympic hockey team

MIAMI — Adam Fox didn’t make it, but Rangers captain J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck were included on the 25-player roster that will represent the United States at the Olympic hockey tournament next month in Milano-Cortina, Italy.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, a Long Beach native, previously was named to the squad. Former Islanders center Brock Nelson, now with the Avalanche, also made the team.

The roster was officially unveiled Friday on NBC’s “Today Show.’’

Introducing the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team 🇺🇸 #MilanoCortina2026

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Rosters: https://t.co/hUC1A7aZ7R pic.twitter.com/V1DV63Jyie

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 2, 2026

In a Zoom call Friday morning discussing the roster, U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said player versatility and team chemistry were the biggest things he and his management team — which included Rangers general manager Chris Drury and Rangers coach Mike Sullivan — looked for in putting together the roster.

“We just think they’re glue guys,” Sullivan said Friday before the Winter Classic. “You know, I think they have the ability to impact the game on both sides of the puck. They’re good offensive players, but they’re hard to play against defensively. They’re team guys, they’re glue guys, they’re hard to play against, and they were a big part of the team chemistry that was developed with that Four Nations team that we were so proud of.”

“Versatility, the ability to play multiple positions, multiple roles, but it‘s also the buy-in and being part of the chemistry,’’ Guerin said in describing the building of the roster. “The buy-in was really big and will continue to be really big, because we need players to assume roles that maybe they don’t normally assume and [to] accept what’s going on and think of the team first.’’

Miller and Trocheck, both 32, who were teammates as 12-year-olds on a youth team in Pittsburgh, were on Team USA for last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, an NHL in-season event featuring NHL players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. They were among the 21 players on that roster to make the Olympic team.

Both played bottom-six forward roles on the 4 Nations team as opposed to the top-six roles they play for the Rangers. And whereas they play top-line minutes and on the power-play first unit for the Rangers, they’re expected to be primarily fourth-line players, penalty-killers and faceoff men for the Olympic team. Their locker-room presence also is part of their value.

“They’re all elite players,’’ Guerin said. “They all bring different things to the table. But a lot of it’s the intangible stuff.’’

Fox, 27, was on the 4 Nations team but did not have a strong tournament, and he was on the ice for Connor McDavid’s winning goal for Canada in overtime in the final game. He and former Ranger Chris Kreider were the only two players on the 4 Nations team who didn’t make the Olympic team.

Guerin declined to talk about the reasons players were left off the roster, but he dismissed the notion that the McDavid goal is why Fox didn’t make it. “If you think we made a decision on one play, then you must not think we’re very smart,’’ he said.

Fox had a somewhat disappointing year in 2024-25 but has bounced back strongly this season. He probably was the Rangers’ best player before suffering what is believed to be a shoulder injury on Nov. 29 against Tampa Bay that caused him to miss 14 games. He returned for the 6-3 loss to Washington on New Year’s Eve, scored a goal and entered Friday’s Winter Classic outdoor game against the Florida Panthers with four goals and 24 assists in 28 games.

After the Rangers’ practice Thursday at loanDepot Park, site of the Winter Classic, Fox — who won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2021 — said he thought he played well enough this season to make the team and pointed to his body of work. “But it’s out of my hands at a certain point, and the decision’s the decision,’’ he said.

Rangers center Mika Zibanejad made Team Sweden. He entered Friday’s game with 12 goals and 18 assists.