Team USA Picks Up Where It Left Off, Rolls Past Latvia in Olympic Opener
If Thursday’s Olympic opener was any indication, Team USA isn’t just chasing gold in Milano-Cortina - they’re picking up right where they left off.
The Americans opened their 2026 Winter Games campaign with a commanding 5-1 win over Latvia, and it wasn’t just the scoreline that impressed. It was the continuity, the chemistry, and the unmistakable swagger of a team that’s been building toward this moment for more than a year.
Let’s rewind for a second. The return of best-on-best international hockey - first at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off - reignited the fire around Team USA.
That tournament saw the Americans take down Canada in a thrilling preliminary matchup and push the Canadians to overtime in the final. Then came the spring, and with it, a historic gold medal at the IIHF World Championship - the program’s first since 1933.
Now, that momentum has carried into Italy, and Thursday’s performance looked like a continuation of that same story.
Familiar Faces, Familiar Results
This isn’t a team learning on the fly. The core of this roster - and the coaching staff led by Mike Sullivan - is largely unchanged from the group that gelled in Montreal and Boston during the 4 Nations. That kind of consistency is rare in international play, and it’s showing up on the ice.
Just ask defenseman Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets blueliner has been at the heart of this American resurgence, leading the 4 Nations in scoring and being named the top defenseman at the World Championship. For him, stepping into the Olympic environment felt less like a new challenge and more like slipping back into a well-worn jersey.
“I understand the systems a lot quicker,” Werenski said from Milan. “It felt like I’m just jumping right back into it.”
He noted that last year’s system was a departure from what he was used to in Columbus, which made for a bit of a learning curve. But this time around, it’s all clicking.
The terminology is familiar. The expectations are clear.
And the result? He’s playing instinctively - not overthinking, just reacting.
“There’s a lot less thinking out there. It’s just playing hockey,” he added. “I’m sure other guys feel the same way.”
Latvia Pushes Early, But U.S. Takes Control
Latvia didn’t make it easy early on. After Brady Tkachuk opened the scoring for the U.S., the Latvians responded, tying the game at 1 in the first period. Columbus netminder Elvis Merzlikins was locked in, turning away chance after chance and giving his team a shot to hang around.
But that didn’t last.
Team USA turned up the heat in the second period, outshooting Latvia 17-2 and scoring twice in the final three minutes of the frame to take a 4-1 lead. It was a textbook case of depth, speed, and relentless pressure wearing down an opponent - and even a locked-in Merzlikins couldn’t hold back the tide forever.
It’s the kind of performance that reinforces what this team is capable of. Deep, experienced, and battle-tested, the U.S. looks like a group that knows exactly what it takes to win on the international stage.
Gold Is the Goal - and the Standard
It’s been 46 years since the U.S. men’s team last struck gold at the Olympics. That 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team is etched in hockey lore, but this current squad is writing its own story - and they’re doing it with a different kind of firepower.
Werenski, for one, knows how tough the road ahead will be. The Americans had to grind through Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland to capture gold at the Worlds last year.
The final? A nail-biter that went to overtime, with Tage Thompson delivering the golden goal to end a 92-year drought.
“I know the guys that were there understand how hard it is to win the whole thing,” Werenski said. “You get down to the quarters, semis, finals - they’re all Game 7s. Every play matters.”
That kind of playoff mentality is already showing. And it’s not just talk - Werenski backed it up on the ice Thursday, picking up an assist just 5:29 into the game on Tkachuk’s opener.
He logged 17:15 of ice time, quarterbacked the second power-play unit, posted three shots on goal, finished with a plus-1 rating, and even drew a penalty. All while playing on his off side.
Adjusting on the Fly, No Complaints
With five left-shot defensemen and only two righties dressed against Latvia, Werenski slid over to the right side - a position he’s not in often during the NHL season. But paired with Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson, it’s a combo that already has chemistry. The two were thrown together at the 4 Nations after Charlie McAvoy went down, and they didn’t miss a beat then, either.
“I’m familiar with it,” Werenski said of playing the right side. “I played it last year with Sandy. I don’t play it too much during the year, so it’ll be a little bit of an adjustment, but it’s just hockey.”
That last line might sum up this team’s mindset better than anything else. It’s just hockey - and this group knows how to play it at a high level.
What’s Next
The Americans now turn their attention to the rest of group play, with back-to-back matchups against Denmark on Saturday and Germany on Sunday. The knockout rounds loom large, but if Thursday’s performance is any indication, Team USA is locked in and ready for the grind.
They’ve been here before. They’ve won together. And now, they’re chasing the one prize that’s eluded them for nearly half a century.
This isn’t a miracle in the making - it’s a mission. And Team USA looks like it’s just getting started.