Team USA builds out coaching staff for 2026 Winter Olympics

After coming as close as it gets to gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Team USA is opting for consistency with its coaching staff.

Team USA announced its full coaching and support staff for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Wednesday, with John Hynes, David Quinn and John Tortorella returning to support head coach Mike Sullivan.

The group is the same that worked behind the bench for the silver medal-winning Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Sullivan, who coaches the New York Rangers, was announced to be the head coach for the Olympic team when USA Hockey originally announced that he would lead the bench for 4 Nations.

Hynes, who was hired as head coach for the Minnesota Wild in 2023, has a long-standing history with the American program. The Warwick, R.I., native coached the U.S. National Team Development Program for six seasons in the 2000s and served as head coach for the U.S. senior team at the 2024 IIHF world championship.

Quinn, meanwhile, is an assistant coach on the Rangers alongside Sullivan. His most recent head coaching job in the NHL came with the San Jose Sharks, but he was fired at the end of the 2023-24 season. He also served as head coach for Team USA at the 2022 Olympics.

Lastly, Tortorella was dismissed by the Philadelphia Flyers near the end of the 2024-25 season. However, the 63-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the American bench, having won two Jack Adams trophies and one Stanley Cup over his 23 seasons coaching in the NHL.

In addition to the coaching staff, USA Hockey and general manager Bill Guerin (Wild) announced that Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils), Chris Drury (Rangers), Bill Zito (Florida Panthers), Stan Bowman (Edmonton Oilers), Chris Kelleher (Wild) and John Vanbiesbrouck (USA Hockey) will head up the management staff.

Team USA’s roster is expected to be announced in early January. The first six players were named to the roster on June 16, with Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) and Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers) leading the way.