Team USA Banking on 4 Nations Chemistry to Finally Win Olympic Gold

Team USA took the ice for practice in Milan with a roster that looked remarkably similar to the group that came within one goal of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off championship last season. The continuity is intentional, a calculated bet that chemistry developed during that tournament will translate to Olympic success.

The Americans lost 3-2 in overtime to Canada in the 4 Nations final after dominating for stretches and creating multiple scoring chances in the extra period. That near-miss convinced USA Hockey brass that the formula was sound and only minor adjustments were needed rather than a complete overhaul of the approach.

Of the 25 players on the Olympic roster, 21 competed at 4 Nations. The leadership structure remained identical, with Auston Matthews wearing the captain's C and Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk serving as alternates.

Even Quinn Hughes, who was supposed to play at the 4 Nations but missed due to injury, joins a group where the vast majority already know each other's tendencies and Sullivan's systems.

Building on What Worked

The most visible carryover came in the forward lines, where Sullivan reunited the Tkachuk brothers with Jack Eichel on what projects as the top unit. Brady Tkachuk skates at left wing with Matthew on the right side, recreating a combination that sparked consecutive wins over Finland and Canada after being assembled midway through the 4 Nations opener.

"We liked the Tkachuk brothers when we put them together," Sullivan said, via NHL.com . "We thought they're heart-and-soul guys. In a lot of ways, they personify what it means to be an American with their fierce competitive spirit, and so I thought that they were the catalyst for our team becoming a team in the true sense of the word."

Eichel praised both linemates for their complete skill sets beyond the physical edge they bring.

"A lot of people talk about their agitating skills, their toughness, their competitiveness," he said. "But they're phenomenal hockey players, and they make a ton of plays. We had a little bit of success last year, and hopefully we can pick up where that left off."

Defensive Familiarity

The blue line also features returning partnerships from 4 Nations. Jaccob Slavin reunites with Brock Faber, his partner from last year's tournament, while Zach Werenski moves back to the right side to play with Jake Sanderson despite naturally being a left-shot defenseman.

"We had a really good tournament last year," Werenski said. "We were one goal short of winning it, so it's not like you need to change too much, right? You can get chemistry quick."

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The familiarity extends beyond line combinations to Sullivan's entire system. Werenski noted that at 4 Nations he found himself overthinking early in the tournament because everything was new. This time the terminology and structure are already ingrained, allowing players to focus on execution rather than learning on the fly. Matthews emphasized the depth of leadership throughout the roster despite wearing the captain's letter himself.

"It's leadership throughout our whole team, and you could see that last February, and you can already sense it here, being here in Milan," he said.

The United States opens Group C play this week against Latvia. The Americans hope that bringing back the core from the 4 Nations will provide the edge needed to finally capture Olympic gold for the first time since Lake Placid in 1980.

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