Winter Olympics: Wondering who's on Team USA Hockey? Here's the roster of non-NHL players

With NHL players out of the Olympics, a ragtag group of players will comprise Team USA in Pyeongchang

By Pete Blackburn

Feb 14, 2018 at 11:01 am ET • 5 min read

With the NHL electing not to send its players to the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, you may be wondering who's actually lacing up for the men's Team USA Hockey team. The roster is a motley crew of former NHLers, AHL players, college stars, and players from leagues overseas that was announced at the Winter Classic.

The most recognizable name is likely longtime former New Jersey Devil Brian Gionta, who at 39 is the elder statesman of the team.

Here's how it breaks down:

Mark Arcobello, F, SC Bern (National League) - The 29-year-old from Milford, Connecticut played four years at Yale before spending time with the Oilers, Predators, Penguins, Coyotes and Maple Leafs at the NHL level.
Chad Billins, D, Linköpings HC (Swedish Hockey League) -- The 28-year-old Michigan native co-captained Ferris State to their first Frozen Four in 2012. He is a former AHL All-Star and played 10 games for the Calgary Flames in 2013-2014.
Jonathon Blum, D, Admiral Vladivostok (KHL) -- A former first-round pick of the Nashville Predators, the 29-year-old Blum has previously represented the United States three times at the international level, including in the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships.
Will Borgen, D, St. Cloud State (NCAA) -- The 21-year-old Minnesota native is currently in his junior season at St. Cloud State. He was a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2015.
Chris Bourque, F, Hershey Bears (AHL) -- Son of NHL great Ray Bourque, the 32-year-old has had a cup of coffee at the NHL level between the Capitals, Penguins and Bruins. He's a five-time AHL All-Star and was 30-goal scorer for the Hershey Bears in 2015-2016.
Bobby Butler, F, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) -- The 30-year-old Marlborough, Massachusetts native has 130 NHL games between the Senators, Devils, Predators and Panthers.
Ryan Donato, F, Harvard University (NCAA) -- The 21-year-old Harvard standout hails from Scituate, Massachusetts and was a second-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2014. Many expect him to join the Bruins after the conclusion of the Olympic tournament.
Matt Gilroy, D, Jokerit Helsinki (KHL) -- The 33-year-old won the Hobey Baker as college hockey's best player and won the NCAA national championship in his senior season with with Boston University in 2009. He spent time with the Rangers, Lightning, Senators and Panthers in the NHL.
Brian Gionta, F, n/a (NHL) -- At 39 years old, the New York native is the oldest and most experienced player on the roster. He has played over 1000 games at the NHL level between the Devils, Canadiens and Sabres and has 588 points (including 289 goals) to his name.
Jordan Greenway, F, Boston University (NCAA) -- The 20-year-old is the first black hockey player to suit up for Team USA at the Olympics. He's a second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild (2015) and won a gold medal with the American team at the 2017 World Junior Championship.
Ryan Gunderson, D, Brynäs IF (Swedish Hockey League) -- The 32-year-old Pennsylvania native played four years of college hockey at Vermont before bouncing around a number of clubs overseas.
Chad Kolarik, F, Adler Mannheim (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) -- The 32-year-old Pennsylvania native played four years at Michigan before establishing a solid AHL career. He had a brief NHL stint with the Blue Jackets and Rangers.
David Leggio, G, EHC Munchen (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) -- The 33-year-old New York product played at Clarkson University before going on to have a solid run in the AHL and overseas.
Broc Little, F, HC Davos (National League) -- The 29-year-old Arizona product played four seasons with Yale before bouncing around leagues overseas.
Brandon Maxwell, G, BK Mlada Boleslav (Czech) -- The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Avalanche in 2009 but never played a game in either the AHL or NHL.
John McCarthy, F, San Jose Barracuda (AHL) -- The 31-year-old Boston native won an NCAA championship with BU in 2009. He has spent nearly a decade in the San Jose Sharks system and currently captains the team's AHL affiliate.
Brian O'Neill, F, Jokerit Helsinki (KHL) -- The 29-year-old Pennsylvania native spent four years at Yale before establishing a solid AHL career and spending 22 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2015-2016. He has since moved on to the KHL.
Garret Roe, F, EV Zug (National League) -- The 29-year-old from Virginia spent four seasons playing college hockey for St. Cloud State and is a former Los Angeles Kings draft pick. He played two seasons in the AHL before bouncing around overseas.
Bobby Sanguinetti, D, HC Lugano (National League) -- The 29-year-old New Jersey native was a first-round pick of the Rangers in 2006. He played five games for the Rangers and 40 more for the Carolina Hurricanes, plus nearly 400 games at the AHL level.
Jim Slater, F, HC Fribourg-Gottéron (National League) -- The 35-year-old Michigan native captained Michigan State for two seasons and was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the 2002 NHL Draft. He played 584 NHL games, all in the Thrashers/Jets organization.
Ryan Stoa, F, Spartak Moscow (KHL) -- The 30-year-old from Minnesota was drafted in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005 and also spent time in the Capitals organization. He won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2007 World Junior Championship.
Troy Terry, F, University of Denver (NCAA) -- The 20-year-old Anaheim Ducks prospect was the hero of the 2017 World Junior Championship, scoring three shootout goals against Russia in the semi-final and then the game-winning shootout goal to beat Canada in the gold medal game. He also won an NCAA championship with Denver in 2017.
Noah Welch, D, Malmö Redhawks (Swedish Hockey League) - The 35-year-old Massachusetts native spent four years at Harvard and captained the Crimson in his senior season. He was a second-round pick of the Penguins in 2001 and played 75 NHL games with the Pens, Panthers, Lightning and Thrashers.
James Wisniewski, D, Kassel Huskies (DEL2) -- The 33-year-old Michigan native had a lengthy NHL career, splitting 552 games between the Blackhawks, Ducks, Islanders, Canadiens, Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes. He won gold with Team USA at the 2004 World Junior Championship.
Ryan Zapolski, G, Jokerit Helsinki (KHL) -- The 31-year-old Pennsylvania native played four years at Mercyhurst College before spending parts of seven seasons in the ECHL and then going overseas.

It'll be intriguing to see how the mix of youth and vets mesh during the tournament. As mentioned, the oldest player on the team is former Devils, Canadiens and Sabres forward Brian Gionta (39 years old), while the youngest is Denver's Troy Terry (20). Gionta, who played for the 2006 Olympic team, will captain the 2018 squad.

Terry will be one of four active college players joining Team USA. Terry has already proven he can come up in big moments for his country on the international stage, as he was the shootout hero during last year's gold medal game between the United States and Canada at the World Junior Championship.

In addition to the men's roster, USA Hockey also announced the women's roster and the sled team.