The first 18 players on the U.S. men’s hockey roster for next month’s world championship tournament include four who have made an NHL All-Star team: goalie Jeremy Swayman and forwards Matty Beniers (2022 Olympian), Clayton Keller and Tage Thompson.
The full list of players is here. More skaters can still be added. Worlds start May 9, co-hosted by Denmark and Sweden.
The Boston Bruins’ Swayman is the lone player from the initial 18 who was on the 4 Nations Face-Off team from February. Fifteen of the 23 players from the final 4 Nations Face-Off roster are currently unavailable for worlds because their teams are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Players whose teams are eliminated from the playoffs could be added to the U.S. roster for worlds at a later date.
The U.S. head coach is the San Jose Sharks’ Ryan Warsofsky.
Swayman, 26, was the unused third goalie at 4 Nations behind Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger, whose teams are both in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Swayman’s save percentage and goals-against average both declined from 2023-24 to 24-25, so his showing at worlds could significantly affect his chances to make the Olympic team.
Joey Daccord, another goalie to make the world team, could also be in the running for an Olympic spot. The Seattle Kraken No. 1 ranked fourth among Americans this season with 55 starts (behind only Hellebuyck, Oettinger and Swayman) and tied for fourth with 27 wins.
The U.S. was eliminated from worlds in the quarterfinals last year. The Americans were fourth at worlds in 2022 and 2023 and have made the semifinals 12 times since the IIHF reinstituted a bracketed playoff round in 1992. Their best finish in that span is third place overall.
The U.S.’ last silver at worlds came in 1950. Its lone gold at a standalone worlds came in 1933.
The U.S. has already qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, where NHL players are expected to participate for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.
The U.S. head coach for the Olympics is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mike Sullivan.
