Team USA hockey GM put himself in a precarious place with roster decisions
Bill Guerin’s answer is not to appease a fan base displeased with the former Dallas Stars winger, who did not pick one of the team’s own to be on his Team USA roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
When asked what he believes is the strength of his team, the Team USA GM said, “Goaltending. Our goaltending is really strong. When you put this team together I believe it’s really strong. I think we are strong in every aspect, but our goaltending is really good.”
Team USA’s goalies are Boston’s Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, and the Stars’ Jake Oettinger. Hellebuyck is expected to start in Team USA’s first Olympic game, on Thursday against Latvia; according to reports, Oettinger may start the tournament as the third goalie.
Guerin is not saying this because he is aware that Stars fans were furious when he did not put winger Jason Robertson on the team. Whenever one of these teams is assembled, there is always a player or two or three who is a point of dismay and disgust.
Robertson’s exclusion is No. 1. If this roster struggles to score in the Olympics, especially on the power play, leaving Robertson at home will be ridiculed. Robertson’s 32 goals are tied for third in the NHL this season, with the Wild’s Matt Boldy, who was picked to play for Team USA.
Guerin chatted with the Star-Telegram during a layover on his trip from Minnesota to Italy, where he will be for the next 10 days as NHL players have returned to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years. Guerin, who played in the NHL for 18 years, including three with the Stars, also played for Team USA. This is his first time as its GM.
Why Jason Robertson is not on Team USA
Guerin didn’t want to mention a data point, or detail, why a player was selected ahead of another. He has been around long enough to know this was coming. When it comes to announcing a roster, the GM can’t win.
“I believe in the players that I picked, and the coaches, and the group of people who helped me pick them,” he said. “That’s all I can do. This is the Teddy Roosevelt ‘man in the arena’ quote. I’m the man in the arena on this, and I understand that.
“People will naysay and criticize, and, honestly, I really don’t care about that. I don’t know if that sounds bad, but I have a job to do and this is the job.”
Robertson, 26, is on pace for a career-best season, and is the top goal scorer for one of the best teams in the NHL.
When he has space, he’s a terrific scorer. In tight games, which the Olympics typically are. Space is not plentiful; it’s akin to an NHL playoff game. Goals are more often the ugly, rebound variety, which aren’t Robertson’s forte.
If he’s not contributing shots on goal, he can be a liability in a short tournament like the Olympics. That is the only reason not to include him on this roster.
“I don’t get into the specifics. Those phone calls are hard to make to the players. I’m not going to air anything out in public,” Guerin said. “Whether you agree or don’t agree, I would have been criticized in other markets for someone else I didn’t pick. I do respect everyone’s passion for their players. These are tough decisions.
“I wish I could make everybody happy, but I can’t so I have to move on.”
Moving on from the Miracle on Ice
Netflix recently released another documentary on the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, the group that produced America’s most significant sports moment of the 20th century. Every U.S. hockey team since then has been measured against that impossible standard set by a group of young men playing in a unique time in American history, under rules that no longer exist.
“It’s more than 40 years ago, and we’re still talking about it,” Guerin said. “When I took this job, I really wanted to be a part of the solution to this.”
This has been a point of discussion/disappointment among Team USA officials for the last 25 years. The need to create another gold medal moment. The U.S. has won two golds in men’s Olympic hockey, 1960 and 1980.
Since winning gold in 1980, the performances by the U.S. in the Olympics range from the Thrilling to the Embarrassing.
The Thrilling: Reaching the gold medal games against Canada in 2002 and 2010. The U.S. finished with silver both times, including the painful overtime loss in Vancouver in ‘10. Also on the list is the 3-2 shootout win over host Russia in 2014, in Sochi. The 5-3 win over Canada in the 2010 Games during the qualifying rounds.
The Embarrassing: In the first year NHL players were allowed to play in the Olympics, the 1998 Games in Japan, the U.S. finished 1-3. The roster included Guerin and Stars icon Mike Modano. After the tournament was over, some of the players infamously trashed their rooms in the Olympic village.
In the ‘14 Games, the U.S. lost 1-0 to Canada in the semifinals. In the bronze medal game against Finland, the U.S players were ready to go home; they lost, 5-0. This was the last time NHL players played in the Olympics. In the last two Olympics, the U.S. finished seventh and fifth.
As a longtime member of USA hockey, Guerin knows the history.
“Chemistry matters, and so does luck,” he said. “Part of my getting involved in this is that I want to make this as good as it can be. We have great players, and we have great leadership, but we have to win.
“We’ve been good in the past at times, but we need to push for the big one. We need to win the gold medal.”
Which will make everyone forget who he didn’t put on the roster.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 6:41 PM.
