VEGAS (January 2, 2026) – USA Hockey announced today, January 2, that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin has been named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. Hanifin will join Vegas forward Jack Eichel on the U.S. team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in February. It’s the first time that Hanifin has been named to a roster for The Winter Olympics.
Hanifin has played in 28 games this season with Vegas, producing 14 points (2 G, 12 A). Hanifin’s 23:36 average time on ice during the 2025-26 campaign is the second-highest total on the Golden Knights, behind only Shea Theodore (24:01). The defenseman logged 29:59 of ice time in Wednesday’s game against Nashville, the highest TOI for a single game in Hanifin’s 11-year NHL career.
Internationally, the native of Boston, Massachusetts, represented the United States at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Hanifin helped the Americans advance to the tournament’s championship game before falling to Canada in the final, 3-2, in overtime. The defenseman also played internationally three times at the IIHF World Championship (2019, 2017, 2016), twice at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2015, 2014) and spent one season (2013-14) in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
The first game for the United States at The Winter Olympics falls on Thursday, Feb. 12 against Latvia.
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The Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. Established by Owner and Chairman Bill Foley and his family, the Golden Knights were the most successful expansion franchise in North American professional sports history in 2017-18 and won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit vegasgoldenknights.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
