U.S. And Sweden Clash in Olympic Hockey Quarterfinal Featuring Maple Leafs Teammates
MILAN – The United States men’s Olympic hockey team faces Sweden today, , in a quarterfinal matchup at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The game, taking place in Milan, is particularly notable as it pits Toronto Maple Leafs teammates Auston Matthews and William Nylander against each other for the first time since 2014.
This marks the first time the two Maple Leafs stars will compete against one another in a game since their days in the Under-18 World Championship 12 years ago, a contest in which Matthews scored and Nylander recorded an assist. They were slated to face off in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, but Matthews was sidelined due to injury.
The stakes are high, as the losing team will be eliminated from medal contention and return to Toronto. Nylander expressed anticipation for the contest, stating, “It’ll be a lot of fun. I think 12 years ago, I probably didn’t even know that we were going to be teammates. So now after playing, I don’t know, 10 years together, it’s going to be very special and a lot of fun.”
Matthews currently leads the American team with three goals and five points in three games played. Nylander has also been a key contributor for Sweden, scoring a goal and an assist in Tuesday night’s win over Latvia, bringing his tournament total to two goals and four points in four games.
Matthews acknowledged the unique dynamic of facing a close friend and teammate, telling TSN’s Mark Masters, “Obviously he’s a good friend and teammate of mine for 10 years now. He’s a special player, a great guy, a great friend.”
Matthews Finding His Rhythm
U.S. Coach Mike Sullivan has shown patience with Matthews’ line, which also includes Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy, after a slow start to the tournament. According to reports, the line is now “building” and contributing effectively. Teammate Zach Werenski highlighted Matthews’ all-around game, saying, “He does a lot of things really well, even when he’s not producing, that people might not notice. Everyone’s always focused on his goal-scoring and rightfully so. He’s one of the best goal scorers in the world. But since we’ve been here, he’s been such a leader for us the way he plays the game.”
U.S. General Manager Bill Guerin praised Matthews’ two-way play and defensive abilities, stating, “There are a lot of different ways to lead. He’s not a man of many words, but he puts it out there every night. Auston’s two-way game and his ability to strip pucks and check and play defensively when he needs to … is elite. And that, going along with his offensive capabilities, makes a pretty good player. He’s a pretty special kid.”
Lineup Adjustments for Team USA
It appears Kyle Connor will be a scratch for Team USA in the quarterfinal, mirroring his situation in the 4 Nations Face-Off. After failing to register a shot in two games on the third line, Connor was a healthy scratch for the preliminary game against Germany and was the 14th forward during Tuesday’s practice. Clayton Keller is expected to continue on the left wing alongside Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson.
Coach Sullivan commented on Keller’s impact, saying, “He has good offensive instincts…His panic threshold with the puck is really high. He hangs onto pucks down low. For a guy that’s undersized, he’s pretty stiff on the puck, and his ability to create separation, to make the next play, is really good.”
Penalty Kill and Faceoffs Fuel U.S. Success
The United States has been remarkably effective on the penalty kill, going a perfect 9-for-9 thus far in the tournament. The penalty kill units consist of J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, Larkin and Brock Nelson, and Jack Eichel and Boldy, supported by Jake Guentzel. The defensive pairings include Jaccob Slavin and Brock Faber, and Jake Sanderson and Charlie McAvoy, with Noah Hanifin also seeing time.
The Americans have also dominated in the faceoff circle, with Larkin leading the Olympic tournament with a 79.1% win rate, followed by Trocheck at 66.7% and Nelson at 61.5%. Sullivan credited assistant coach John Hynes for organizing the team’s faceoff strategy.
Equipment Updates and Family Support
Charlie McAvoy has removed the “fishbowl” face shield he was wearing to protect a fractured jaw sustained in November, and is expected to play without it today. Nelson has begun wearing a full cage due to a facial injury.
The lighter boards, implemented after concerns about visibility, appear to have been well-received. Lukáš Dostál, the Czech Republic’s goaltender, noted he hadn’t even noticed the change, but acknowledged that darker boards can sometimes make it harder to track the puck.
Jack Hughes expressed excitement about his mother, Ellen Hughes, who is a development consultant for the United States women’s hockey team, which will play Canada for the gold medal on Thursday. He and his brother, Quinn Hughes, hope to attend the game after their quarterfinal matchup.
