Spencer Knight signed a three-year, $17.5 million extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, starting in 2026-27 at an average salary of $5.83 million. The 24-year-old goalie was moved from Florida to Chicago in March for Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick, signaling a long-term bet on Knight as the crease cornerstone.

Knight owns a 95-game NHL resume with a 2.83 GAA and .904 SV%, including a 17-16-3 line and a 2.72 GAA/.902 SV% in 2023-24 across Panthers and Blackhawks, with 15 Chicago starts after the trade. Chicago praises his athleticism and calm positioning as it aims to build around him for four seasons.

Seth Jones, 30, is the lone Olympic-hopeful defender who brings a rare two-threaded path: he attended the 2013 USA orientation camp and earned a spot on the 2022 Olympic team before the NHL withdrew. Now chasing Milan 2026, Jones sits in a shifting USA defense core alongside Fox, Slavin, Werenski, Hughes and McAvoy, eyeing a chance to cap a career arc that includes a Stanley Cup triumph and a father-driven skating and skill lineage.

As USA Hockey reshapes its blue line, Jones’s background and Cup pedigree underscore the blend of veteran poise and youthful opportunity the 2026 squad will demand. Watching the 4 Nations from home highlighted the depth at defense, with Jones positioned as a potentially pivotal piece in Milan.

Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger were named to USA Hockey’s Olympic Orientation Camp in Plymouth, Michigan (Aug. 26-27), joining 42 other invitees from 24 NHL teams as Team USA gears up for 2026 Milano Cortina. The two-day camp is administrative and team-building, with no on-ice sessions. The selection marks an early step toward finalizing the Olympic roster, which already included six players announced in June: Eichel, Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Hughes and McAvoy.

The U.S. sits atop the IIHF rankings and is chasing its first Olympic gold since 1980, after a 4 Nations final loss to Canada earlier in 2025 and a World Championship gold in May. A full invitee list was released by USA Hockey, underscoring the depth and ambition of this roster-building phase.