USA Hockey has officially announced the 44 players that will take part in the U.S. Men’s Olympic orientation camp and two Toronto Maple Leafs forwards are among them.
Unless you truly have no idea who is American on the Leafs’ roster, or who is even good enough to take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics, the two players are obvious choices. Leafs center and captain Auston Matthews and winger Matthew Knies are the two that will be lacing up to represent their country, but one has a much bigger chance of making the team than the other.
Auston Matthews was almost a lock to make this team. And if it’s not Jack Eichel as the team’s top center, it will certainly be the Leafs captain – and it doesn’t really matter who is on his wing through the tournament. Be it Jason Robertson or Alex Tuch clearing out space and cashing in, or Kyle Connor being a second sniper, or Matt Boldy and Jake Guentzel just providing solid, solid play that can mesh well with Matthews – that line should be one of the best at the Olympics no matter what.
Now the only question is, even with some more senior players, if Matthews gets a leader on his sweater.
Knies is in a bit of a more interesting position. As we have already almost accidentally mentioned, there is a whole lot of talent on the wings for the Americans. Even looking at the entire roster, it will be a tough decision on who to cut no matter what.
The 22-year-old winger does have a disadvantage compared to the other, more established NHL players, but Knies does have some international and Olympic experience already.
In 2022, during his freshman year at the University of Minnesota and less than a year after being drafted by Toronto in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Knies was able to represent his country at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Due to not being an NHL player yet, he was able to participate and be on a USA roster that featured some other former prospects like Flyers’ Noah Cates, Kraken’s Matty Beniers, and the Wild’s Brock Faber.
Now, Knies has a chance to make a rare second Olympic appearance for a player that still hasn’t even turned 24 years old by the time the tournament takes place.
The Maple Leafs will have more representation at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with William Nylander playing for Team Sweden and John Tavares at Team Canada’s own Olympic camp.