Team USA GM Bill Guerin sends message on Team Canada ahead of 2026 Olympics - “Not worried about anybody else”

Team USA general manager Bill Guerin spoke about facing Team Canada and the 2026 Winter Olympics. The men’s hockey tournament will run from February 11 to 22, and it will take place in Milan and Cortina in Italy. Guerin joined the Spittin' Chiclets podcast to discuss his plans.

In a segment of the podcast posted on X, when asked how he plans to beat Canada, Guerin said he is not focused on that.

"We don't even know if we're playing Canada," Guerin said. "I'm not worried about anybody else, but our team."

The 2026 Olympics will include NHL players for the first time since 2014. Team USA will play in Group C with Germany, Latvia, and Denmark. Each country must submit a roster by December 31.

When it comes to selecting players, Guerin said his main goal is to build the best team possible. He said it is about forming a full team, not just picking the best players.

"We've gotta build the best team we can," Guerin said. "It's all about building a team. It's not just about throwing who's playing well, or this or that. We're building a team; that's really it."

Guerin even brought the 4 Nations: Faceoff into the discussion. The tournament took place in February this year, in which Team USA lost to Team Canada in the finals. But despite the loss, the tournament was so entertaining.

"You know, the Four Nations was so awesome," Guerin said. "Like, in so many different ways, it was so great."

But Guerin said that the Olympics are going to be different.

"Hey, look, there are different rules - there are half NHL refs, half European refs," Guerin said. "They call the game differently. All these things we have to take into account."

Guerin explained that every player must accept a role on the team.

"We do have to build the best team that we possibly can," Guerin said, "And that means, like, guys buying into roles, you know, accepting."

He said not everyone will play on the power play or penalty kill. Players need to contribute in different ways and accept what helps the group most.

"If you're not on either, what are you going to do? You got to play a role and accept it and embrace it, and just know that that's the best thing for the team." Guerin said.

Bill Guerin on Team USA's play strategy in Olympics

In early July, Team USA GM Bill Guerin praised the players’ tight checking and high-level play in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Team USA won the first two games against Finland and Canada by limiting their opponents to just one goal. They defeated Finland 6-1 and Canada 3-1 in regulation. But later injuries affected their performance, and they lost the next two games.

"Those games (at the 4 Nations) were the highest level hockey I've ever seen," Guerin said, via NHL.com. "...It wasn't about the goals and assists and the points that guys got. It was the way they played... It wasn't just river hockey. It was tight-checking. That's the thing that sticks in my mind and what is probably going to be at the Olympics."

After winning gold at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, the U.S. is confident. They have already named six players to the team: Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Brady and, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Charlie McAvoy.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar