Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA is making a big change.
With Florida Panthers' defencemen Seth Jones out with an upper-body injury, Team USA is naming Anaheim Ducks defencemen Jackson LaCombe to the American men's hockey entry for the Winter Olympics.
The move comes in consideration of Seth Jones' upper-body injury, which he suffered during the Florida Panthers' Winter Classic encounter with the New York Rangers. The initial expectation from Team USA and the Florida Panthers was that Seth Jones could potentially return before the Olympic break begun, lining him up with a potential trip to Italy to join his teammates. That projection had since changed; as a result, Seth Jones now finds himself on the long-term injured reserve list, which carries a minimum ten-game/twenty-four day absence.
Jackson LaCombe has played a significant part in Anaheim's success so far this season; despite a recent slump, the Ducks enter Thursday's NHL action in third in the Pacific Division, which would be good enough for a playoff berth if the season ended today. Offensively, LaCombe has tallied twenty-five assists and six goals over the course of the forty-nine games he's played so far this season.
Despite missing Olympic action, Seth Jones has nonetheless established himself as a key player for any playoff/Stanley Cup contender. Through forty games, the Texas native recorded twenty four points (six goals and eighteen assists) while also averaging 23 minutes of ice time per game. During the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs, his first playoff appearance since his involvement with the Columbus Blue Jackets' stint in the 2020 playoff bubble, he scored four goals and recorded nine assists en route to his first Stanley Cup victory.
Though much of the media attention will focus on LaCombe's selection, there is some chatter as to whether Team USA should have selected Montreal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, who won the Calder Trophy last season. Statistically, Hutson is enjoying a better season compared to LaCombe; he's tallied fifty-two points so far this season, which ties him for second among defencemen for points (Zach Werenski also tallied fifty-two points while Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar leads defencemen with fifty-four points).
FanDuel Sports Network's Andy Strickland does justify Team USA's selection in a recent Twitter post.
"According to those connected with the USA Olympic team on why Jackson LaCombe over Lane Hutson... LaCombe has more versatility and size. Plays PP, PK defends well. Skates amazing. We like Hutson but he's an undersized guy and we already have Quinn [Hughes]."Andy Strickland (via Twitter)
What's interesting is that this apparently isn't new. On Tuesday, the Habs' social media accounts tagged Team USA in posts of Cole Caufield's game-winning goal against the Minnesota Wild; Caufield was previously snubbed by Team USA in the initial selection for the Olympics.
Jackson LaCombe and the Anaheim Ducks will return to action on Friday when they travel to play the Seattle Kraken in what will be a crucial game for positioning in the playoff race.