The United States will be having their Olympic Orientation Hockey Camp in Plymouth, Michigan from August 26 to 27. Some notable players to receive invites included Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck, and Jake Oettinger. However there were a lot of hockey buzz on Tuesday about the five players not chosen. Let’s take a look at who they were. Please note, this is not to say that the following players are not on the Olympic team. They were just not isolated for the summer camp.
John Carlson
The blueliner from Natick, Massachusetts is a two-time NHL All-Star with the Washington Capitals and Stanley Cup champion. His omission is surprising when you consider the fact Carlson had 51 points and was a +17 in 2024-25. However, Carlson did have a career worst 112 giveaways in 2024-25. Carlson has a history of glory for the United States in international competition. He scored the game-winning goal for the Americans in a 6-5 United States over Canada in the gold medal game at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon.
Alex DeBrincat
The right winger from Farmington Hills, Michigan put together a solid 2024-25 season as he reached 70 points for the third time in his career. DeBrincat had 39 goals and 31 assists for 70 points. The two-time NHL All-Star also had a very respectable 244 shots on goal. One concern is DeBrincat’s defensive play. He was a terrible -31 with the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23, was a -13 last year with the Red Wings, and is a -57 for his career.
Thatcher Demko
The two-time All-Star from San Diego, California has been between the Vancouver Canucks pipes the last eight seasons. In 2023-24, Demko sparkled with a record of 35-14-2 with a goals against average of 2.45, save percentage of .918 and five shutouts. However, injuries to his knee, back and groin limited him to only 23 games in 2024-25. The Canucks took a step back this past season after a sensational 2023-24 campaign, and missed the playoffs as a result.
Lane Hutson
Winning the the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie was not good enough for USA Hockey. Last season for the Montreal Canadiens, the blueliner from Holland, Michigan, had six goals and 60 assists for 66 points. Hutson was a -2 with 34 penalty minutes, 26 power-play points, 91 shots on goal, 123 blocked shots, 40 hits, 56 takeaways, and 109 giveaways. One issue to Hutson’s game is the fact he simply does not shoot the puck enough.
Dustin Wolf
The Calgary Flames goaltender from Gilroy, California was second to Hutson last year in Calder Trophy voting. He had a record of 29-16-8 with a goals against average of 2.64, save percentage of .910 and three shutouts. Two weaknesses for Wolf are his size (only 166 pounds), and his inexperience (heading into his second NHL season). It interesting that USA Hockey chose Jeremy Swayman and Joey Daccord to attend the camp over Demko and Wolf.
