Whitefish native Sanderson named to US Olympic hockey team
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 22 hours, 43 minutes AGO
Whitefish native and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson was named to the 2026 US men’s Olympic ice hockey team Friday as USA hockey released the rosters for the men’s, women’s and sled hockey teams that will compete in Italy come February.
Sanderson is one of two men’s team players with Olympic experience as he competed in Beijing during the 2022 games. Brock Faber, who also competed in 2022, is the other Olympic veteran.
Sanderson played in one game during the 2022 games and registered one assist.
The 25-man roster is filled with NHL players, including multiple Stanley Cup winners. NHL players have not competed at the games since 2014.
Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones represent the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers. While Sanderson’s Ottawa teammate Brady Tkachuk also joins the roster.
Up front of the US are led by Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel.
Three-time Vezina winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck joins Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman as the netminders.
Full team rosters can be found at teamusa.usahockey.com
The ice hockey tournaments begin on Feb. 5 with the women’s competition, while the men start play on Feb. 11. NBC and its networks will have TV coverage of the games.