How 4 Nations run can fuel Team USA's gold medal push at 2026 Olympics

BOSTON -- It's very difficult to look at the positives after a crushing loss, especially when it comes at the hands of your archrival in the final of an international tournament.

The United States invested so much, both physically and emotionally, into trying to win the 4 Nations Face-Off championship Thursday night at TD Garden. Several players -- including Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy -- might have to miss games with their NHL teams due to injuries suffered during this competition. This was no exhibition. The players badly wanted this.

In the end, the result -- a 3-2 loss in overtime to Canada -- was not what Team USA wanted. But there's no question that the team's performance in this tournament, and the remarkable chemistry and bond the players formed, will be a significant help to them when they get back together a year from now for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

“It's exciting. There is something to look forward to with this group, which is great. That’s the big one," U.S. forward Dylan Larkin said postgame when asked about looking ahead to the Olympics. "And I know that it’s a little bit of a different tournament, different rules, but we really feel like we can play any kind of game on any kind of surface and anywhere against anyone.

“(Team USA general manager Bill Guerin) built a team that can do that, and we’re confident about that. Would have loved to have this thing keep going and play some more hockey against those guys.”

USA Hockey has a lot to look forward to as the focus shifts to Milan.

The Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, will be at the forefront from an on-ice and leadership perspective. They give Team USA its swagger, and the energy and physicality they play with is contagious. They also score a lot of goals -- five combined between them in this tournament, including one from Brady in Thursday's final.

Sometimes you need guys to drag the team into the fight, and these brothers never fail at that. It was unfortunate for Matthew Tkachuk that an injury limited his effectiveness in the final and caused him not to play in the third period and overtime.

"He's a heart and soul guy, and so is his brother," U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan said postgame about Matthew Tkachuk. "I think these guys were such a huge part of the leadership group. They're just high-character people. They have an insatiable appetite to win and it's contagious. I think they help our team confidence, I think they help build our team swagger, and for all those reasons, I was glad (Matthew) was on our bench tonight."

Team captain Auston Matthews had a tough end to the final when he lost sight of Connor McDavid ahead of the tournament-winning goal, but he had two assists and a bunch of great defensive plays in the game. He's a top 10 player in the world and a major focal point of the team.

Jack Eichel had a phenomenal tournament. His two-way skill set was on full display at the 4 Nations. You could tell he was a player with Stanley Cup-winning experience. Jake Guentzel, who has two Stanley Cup rings, also played very well. You can say the same about Larkin and Matt Boldy.

Team USA's blue line is incredibly strong. Unfortunately for the Americans, injuries to McAvoy and Quinn Hughes prevented them from playing in the final, but this group as a whole is loaded with young stars. This tournament was a coming out party -- at least nationally -- for Jaccob Slavin, who proved why he is the sport's best defensive defenseman. His play in this tournament, and Thursday's game in particular, was outstanding.

Slavin's defense partner, Brock Faber, also shined. He led all American players with 28:50 of ice time Thursday. He looked like a 10-year veteran, not a 22-year-old kid.

“Slavin and Faber were tremendous the whole tournament,” Sullivan said. “When we put them together, we were hoping that would be a defense pair that would be hard to play against, and they were. They do yeoman’s work, they do the thankless jobs. They defend against the best players. Their contributions don’t always show up on the highlight reel, but it just adds up to winning.

"You need those types of players. They’re glue guys. They're the types of guys that help teams win, and that's why they're here. I thought they both had tremendous tournaments.

“Jaccob Slavin might be one of the best defending defensemen in the league, bar none. His mobility, his size, his reach. He defends the rush. He’s great at the net front. Brock Faber, in my mind, is an emerging star. How old is he, 22? And the stage wasn’t too big for a guy like that. I was so impressed with his maturity. I thought those guys were terrific.”

The blue line is supremely talented and young:

• Jaccob Slavin: 30 years old
• Noah Hanifin: 28
• Zach Werenski: 27
• Charlie McAvoy: 27
• Adam Fox: 27
• Quinn Hughes: 25
• Brock Faber: 22
• Jake Sanderson: 22

The United States' goaltending is a huge strength as well. Connor Hellebuyck was among the best players in the tournament, finishing with a .932 save percentage. Every gold medal hopeful needs a good goalie, and the U.S. has three of them in Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.

Thursday's loss is going to sting for a while. There's no getting around it. But the good news for the United States is it has an incredibly bright future. This group, which might undergo a few changes before the Olympics, is capable of beating anyone and playing any style, whether that's a fast-paced high scoring game or an ultra-physical, defensive battle.

There's also a strong level of camaraderie among the group, which isn't easy to develop in such a short tournament.

"There's a lot of familiarity and relationships these guys have, whether it's playing at the national development program or playing together in international (competition). Even though they might play on separate teams in the NHL, we could tell early on as a coaching staff that these guys really enjoyed being around one another," Sullivan said. "I think that chemistry carried onto the ice."

The Canadians will be favored going into Milan next February, and rightly so. They are the class of the hockey world and have been for some time now. But the Americans should bring a ton of confidence into the Olympics.

Canadian forward Brad Marchand said earlier this week that this USA team was the best opponent he's ever faced. He's absolutely right, and the exciting thing for American fans is this team should be even better when these two historic rivals meet again.