Family Ties Run Strong in Team USA Opener

The Team USA men's ice hockey team opened their play at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with an impressive 5-1 win over Latvia.

Brady Tkachuk, Tage Thompson, Brock Nelson and captain Auston Matthews all posted goals for the U.S., with Nelson having two as the oldest member of the American roster (born in 1991). A lot more eyes have been focused on the men's ice hockey tournament throughout the 2026 Olympics, due to NHL players being allowed to compete for the first time since 2014. However, Team USA is also making roster history in different fashion.

The Americans have the first set of brothers on a USA Olympic team since 1964. Brady Tkachuk — of the Ottawa Senators — and Matthew Tkachuk — of the Florida Panthers — represent one set. The other? Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild, respectively.

Against Latvia, Matthew, Quinn and Jack all posted two assists. Brady opened the scoring for the Americans at the 5:29 mark of the opening frame.

Pair of Brothers Making Team USA History

All four individuals bring their own strengths to the U.S. roster.

Brady has 441 points in 549 NHL games; Matthew has 644 points in 652 games. Jack is one of the leading producers for the Devils and has 387 points in 404 games. Quinn — previously the captain of the Vancouver Canucks prior to his trade to the Minnesota Wild — has 466 points in 485 games.

Following the conclusion of the matchup against Latvia, Jack said that adding family ties to his Olympic experience has been such a special part of his journey.

"It's so special," Jack said on the postgame broadcast regarding playing with his older brother, Quinn. "I'm sure the Tkachuks could say the same thing ... There's so many people that help us get here to this point forever, and not just us, but for my parents [to] be a part of this and be here and supporting us, it's unbelievable."

Team USA defenseman Quinn Hughes, Team USA forward Jack Hughes — Mar 15, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) shares laugh with his brother New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Matthew is also on the Team USA leadership crew, serving as a U.S. alternate captain in addition to currently being an alternate captain for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers.

Tkachuk posted eight points (three goals, five assists) in 10 games this season after returning to the ice from surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia.

The U.S. next faces off against Denmark on Feb. 14 in the continuation of the preliminary round games. Puck drop is slated for 3:10 p.m. EST at the Milano Santagiulia Arena, with the game also being broadcast on the USA Network.

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