Team USA Rolls Past Latvia in Olympic Hockey Opener

Coach Mike Sullivan explains decision to go with Jeremy Swayman as backup goalie over Jake Oettinger.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The U.S. men's Olympic hockey team opened its tournament with a 5-1 victory over Latvia on Thursday. Head coach Mike Sullivan discussed his lineup decisions, including the surprising choice to have Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman serve as the backup to starter Connor Hellebuyck rather than Jake Oettinger.

Why it matters

Team USA is considered a gold medal favorite in men's hockey, so the lineup decisions made by coach Sullivan will be closely watched as the tournament progresses. Swayman's strong start to the NHL season was a key factor in him earning the backup role over Oettinger.

The details

Sullivan cited Swayman's impressive performance for the Boston Bruins this season as the main reason he was chosen as the backup over Oettinger, who had served in that role at the 4 Nations tournament last February. Swayman is 22-12-3 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .903 save percentage for the Bruins. The coach said the decision to start Hellebuyck in net was not an easy one, but they have full confidence in all three of their elite goaltenders.

  • Team USA opened the Olympic tournament with a 5-1 win over Latvia on Thursday, February 13, 2026.
  • The U.S. will play Denmark on Saturday, February 15 and Germany on Sunday, February 16 to conclude the group stage.

The players

Mike Sullivan

Head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team.

Connor Hellebuyck

Starting goaltender for Team USA at the 2026 Olympics.

Jeremy Swayman

Backup goaltender for Team USA, currently playing for the Boston Bruins in the NHL.

Jake Oettinger

Goaltender who served as the backup for Team USA at the 4 Nations tournament last February.

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What they’re saying

“That was another difficult decision. They're all elite goaltenders. Sway has had a really good start to the season and that was the thing that weighed into the conversation. … Not that Jake hasn't.”

— Mike Sullivan, Head Coach, Team USA (heavy.com)

“He's obviously an elite goalie. We think we have three elite goalies. We have ultimate confidence in all three guys. These decisions aren't easy, but we made a decision to start with Connor, and we'll go from there.”

— Mike Sullivan, Head Coach, Team USA (heavy.com)

“We start right away playing three games in four nights. It's a lot of hockey. It's a condensed schedule when you look at it from a 40,000-foot view, which we have. We have a game plan on how we're going to go about it. That's not to say that things won't change depending on how the team plays, how people play, things of that nature.”

— Mike Sullivan, Head Coach, Team USA (heavy.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.