Hockey fans turned their attention to Team USA after head coach Mike Sullivan addressed Clayton Keller’s role at the Olympics. Keller got picked on Team USA’s hockey roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but hasn’t played for the team yet. He had 17 goals and 54 points with a plus-minus rating of 22 for the Utah Mammoth before the Olympic break.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Sullivan praised Keller but confirmed the forward remains out of the lineup.
“Clayton’s on this team for a reason,” Sullivan said, via Sam Farnsworth on X. “He’s a really good player. We know if we put him in the lineup, he’s a guy who can help us win. He’s a competitive guy. He’s highly talented. He’s earned a roster spot. He’s very deserving of being here. The hard part is when you have a team like we have… only so many players can play every night,
“And only so guys can play on the power play, and some guys are gonna play less minutes in this type of a situation than they do on their respective NHL teams.”
Sullivan’s comments prompted debate on X, with many questioning the roster decisions. With so much talent available, every scratch draws attention. And Keller’s scratch has not satisfied a portion of the fan base.
“JT Miller & Trocheck over Keller!!!! Swayman over Otter !!!! Caufield & Robo at home?!?!?!?!” One fan questioned.
“He’s saying this while playing jt miller over Keller… make it make sense,” Another user wrote.
“Nice no answer, you should try politics next Sullivan! 🤡” A fan reacted.
The debate shows the pressure on Team USA as it chases gold. Every lineup card becomes a talking point when elite scorers sit. So, here are some more reactions from fans on X:
“That’s a lot of words to say absolutely nothing, Coach,” One fan mentioned.
“Have to play him tomorrow, need to see what you got before its win or go home,” A fan mentioned.
“That’s so dumb. You can see why it’s made us mammoth fans so mad.” One user wrote.
Team USA Secured a Comeback Win Over Denmark
In their last game on Saturday, Team USA erased an early deficit and beat Denmark 6-3 in Group C play at the Olympic Winter Games. Denmark stunned the Americans with two first-period goals, but the response came fast in the second. Brady Tkachuk tied the game, then Jack Eichel scored the go-ahead goal seconds later. Noah Hanifin added another before the break.
In the third, Jake Guentzel and Jack Hughes sealed the win. Matt Boldy had the first U.S. goal in the opening period. Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves as the Americans moved closer to a quarterfinal bye.
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