Team USA has announced its roster for the 2026 Olympics, and New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox did not make the team. Fox confirmed that he spoke with Team USA GM Bill Guerin earlier in the week and was told he did not make the team.
“Obviously, it’s not something you want to hear,” Fox said following his team’s practice before the 2026 Winter Classic on Thursday. “It is what it is. A decision is a decision. I think it’s how it goes.”
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Prior to the official announcement, reports from The Athletic’s Michael Russo and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan indicated that Fox was not making the team despite a strong season with the New York Rangers.
However, for those who think this is a tall order, go back to what Bill Guerin said to the media when the first six-member Team USA for the 2026 Olympics was announced in June.
“Adam, his tournament was good,” Guerin said. “It wasn’t as good as he could have played; his season wasn’t at his level. But you know what? He got into a lot of trouble.”
This set the stage for Fox to be left off the U.S. Olympic roster, not to mention the story that began to grow on social media and among the national media that Adam Fox was no longer a top defender.
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That narrative only grew after Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said Fox had to raise his game after being named the new Rangers coach in an interview with The Athletic’s Michael Russo.
“Maybe I’m stating the obvious when I say this, but performance is important. I think Foxy knows he’s capable of a better game. And he and I have had conversations about it, and I think he’s motivated by the opportunity to bring out the best version of himself. And I told him when I became his coach that I would do everything in my power to help him be the best version of himself.
And not only is it good for the New York Rangers, it’s good for America’s team. He’s a Norris Trophy winner, and he’s a young guy. He doesn’t age. He knows the game well. And it’s our job as a coaching staff to help him get there. And we will certainly do everything we can to do that; we believe that Foxy can play at the next level. Norris Trophy-caliber game. You don’t win the Norris Trophy if you can’t do that, and we believe you still can.”
But this was an interesting moment, as the GM recently commented on his game. It seemed they had already decided that Adam Fox would not be on the team, and no one cared what he did this season; he wouldn’t be on the team.
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These guys can say whatever they want in public about players not playing their way at clubs or everyone is hunting them, but Adam Fox’s narrative that grew out of Rangers’ poor season last season and his performance in the Four Nations has put him behind the eight ball.
When Rangers GM Chris Drury and Sullivan went to hit Adam Fox with the USA management, the decision was made to keep him out of the team, despite his return to Norris Trophy level this season.
This situation has a 2014 feel to it. Remember, Martin St. Louis was initially left off the 2014 Team Canada roster by his general manager at the time, Steve Yzerman. Yzerman was the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada. There was a conflict between the two that led to the exchange of St. Louis out of Tampa Bay to the Rangers.
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Despite the emotions surrounding the decision, Mike Sullivan and Adam Fox kept things on a high note.
“Adam and I had a lot of conversations about this, and I’ll keep that conversation between me and Adam. What I will tell you is that these teams are not the best, and there are a lot of good players, and there are very difficult decisions to be made, and it’s a cooperative effort for everyone. And that’s the reality of situations that can happen and we can do our best to do our best, and we can do our best to succeed. That’s involved.”
However, if Team USA wants to bring in the best players, they need to include Adam Fox. His performance with the Rangers this season shows that he is still an elite defenseman in the NHL. Now, he can still be ruled out if someone is injured, but the scripted narrative that aired on Fox made it easy for Team USA and Bill Guerin to leave him off the roster.
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