USA Hockey taps a familiar circle for Milan 2026, naming John Tortorella as an Olympic assistant under Mike Sullivan, with David Quinn and John Hynes on the staff. The move preserves the blistering bench energy that powered the 4 Nations run and keeps Sullivan’s group in charge of the American program.

Canada fields a star-studded roster with Crosby, Reinhart, MacKinnon, McDavid, Makar and Point; Latvia adds Rodrigo Ābols while Sweden relies on Sam Ersson in net. USA sits in Group C with Germany, Denmark and Latvia, as groups and a global pause set the stage for a high-stakes Milano showdown.

A refined NHL defense breakout model now targets blueliners likely to deliver true fantasy impact beyond sporadic scoring, focusing on age, experience, and a first sustained FPPG above a historical median. It flags defenders entering a true breakout window (roughly 23–27 years old, 170–380 games) who can push into top unit minutes and PP time, while accumulating hits and blocks that translate to fantasy points.

Among the names highlighted: Bowen Byram, Jamie Drysdale, Dylan Samberg, and K’Andre Miller, plus others who could unlock a real late-round upside if opportunity aligns. The framework aims to separate true contributors from depth players, guiding drafts with data-backed confidence.