Representing your country at the Olympics is a huge honor. After the 2014 Winter Olympics, NHL players have yet participate in the Olympics.
In 2026, it will change. NHL players will get the chance again to represent their country in attempt to take home a gold medal. Yesterday, the first six players of each team competing in the Olympics were announced.
Two Ottawa Senators players were announced on Olympic rosters. Tim Stutzle for Germany and captain Brady Tkachuk for Team USA. However, there was one Senator left off Team USA's roster for somebody else that was worthy of raising an eye brow.
McAvoy selected over Sanderson for Team USA doesn't make sense
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is one of the best American defensemen in the NHL along with Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson. Both defensemen represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February. However, McAvoy's name had some eye brows raised yesterday.
When the first six players were announced for each country, McAvoy was one of the six players selected for Team USA. Considering the year that McAvoy had in Boston to the year Sanderson had in Ottawa, it can be a head scratcher that McAvoy was selected over Sanderson.
In the 2024-25 season with the Bruins, McAvoy had one of the roughest seasons of his eight-year NHL career. McAvoy finished with a career-low for a single season with 23 points, and the Bruins missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
While McAvoy and the Bruins struggled, Sanderson thrived with the Senators in 2024-25. Sanderson set career-highs with 11 goals, 46 assists and 57 points. Sanderson was third on the Senators in points as a defenseman. Because of Sanderson's breakout season, it helped the Senators make the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Sanderson was arguably the Senators' team MVP in 2024-25.
Sanderson got to represent Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off when Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was injured. Sanderson took advantage and played well for Team USA. In the championship game, Sanderson scored one of Team USA's two goals. During the broadcast of the championship game, 2013 Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban said the Senators had a "great one" in Sanderson.
With the years they had in 2024-25, McAvoy being selected over Sanderson can be seen as a shocker. However, it can be used as more motivation and fuel for Sanderson to show how much more he can raise his game.
Sanderson finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting in 2025, and bigger things are on the horizon for the 22-year-old defenseman from Whitefish, Montana.