Whitefish's Jake Sanderson earns spot on Olympic hockey team

Whitefish-born Jake Sanderson, a defenseman for the NHL Ottawa Senators, made his second U.S. Olympic hockey team and will represent the United States at the Winter Games next month in Italy. 

The 23-year-old Sanderson is one of two players on the roster with Olympic experience. He competed in Beijing during the 2022 games along with Brock Faber, where he played one game and had one assist. 

Sanderson was added to the U.S. national team in February 2025 as a late replacement, when Quinn Hughes, reigning Norris Trophy winner, had an injury. The budding young Sanderson proved his worth, scoring a second-period goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in the championship game. 

“He’s shown that he belongs,” said Team USA coach Mike Sullivan during a roster announcement Jan. 2. 

“He’s an emerging elite defenseman in this league,” Sullivan said. “We had extensive conversations in putting together the 4 Nations roster and Jake was at the forefront of those conversations with respect to the defense core.”

Sullivan said that after adding Sanderson to the 4 Nations team, his performance provided evidence that the choice was correct. 

“He’s mobile, he has good size, he can play on a power play, he’s a good defender, he can kill penalties, he drives offense with his ability to make outlet passes and join the rush, and he defends very well with his mobility and his stick,” Sullivan said. “I though his performance in the 4 Nations was exceptional, but his body of work in the NHL and the way he’s continued to progress, and the impact that he was with his team in Ottawa speaks for itself.”

Sanderson’s hockey roots go back to his family. His dad, Geoff, played 17 seasons for nine NHL teams. Jake was born in Whitefish in 2002 and attended Muldown Elementary before his family moved to Calgary but kept their Whitefish residence.

“I loved the Whitefish rink. I always go back and skate in the summers,” an 18-year-old Sanderson said in an interview from 2021. “It’s my favorite rink, honestly.”

Now in his fourth season with the Senators, Sanderson has eight goals and 28 points in 39 games and is in the running for a Norris Trophy. Thus far, he has played 275 NHL games. 

The 2026 Olympic ice hockey tournaments begin on Feb. 5 with the women’s competition, and the men begin Feb. 11. NBC and its networks will have TV coverage of the games.

The 25-man roster is filled with NHL players, including multiple Stanley Cup winners. NHL players have not competed in the Olympic games since 2014.

Sanderson is one of eight defensemen on Team USA, along with Faber, Hughes, Charlie McAvoy, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, Jaccob Slavin and Zach Werenski.

Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones from the two-time defending champions, the Florida Panthers will play, as well as Sanderson’s Ottawa teammate Brady Tkachuk. Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel will lead the charge for the U.S.

Three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies.

All team rosters can be found at teamusa.usahockey.com.

    Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates his game winning goal with teammates Fabian Zetterlund (20) and Claude Grioux (28) during overtime NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)