Jason Robertson’s omission from Team USA is one of those decisions that makes you stop, put down the coffee and re-read the list to make sure you haven’t missed anything. He leads all American players in scoring. It does it without much noise, which may be part of the problem.
The word “Fit” has been used a lot when choosing Team USA
The simple explanation coming from American hockey circles is “fit.” No talent. Not production. Fit. That’s always the word that comes up when an excellent player is left behind.
What I was told – and what Michael Russo alluded to – is that Team USA didn’t see a clear role for Robertson in the bottom six. They relied more on other players in penalty killing situations, defensive plays, face-offs and tense minutes. Coaches choose these players because they know exactly what they are getting.
Robertson, fair or not, still carries the label of a scorer who needs the puck and space. Scouts don’t always “wow” during his shifts. He doesn’t always jump off the screen. And yet, when the evening is over, two goals stand quietly next to his name. That contradiction – silent shifts, loud results – has haunted him for years.
What’s different this season – and why this decision stings – is that Robertson has clearly rounded out his game. He’s engaged. He goes to difficult areas. Robertson also creates his own chances rather than waiting for them. By every visible measure, he’s doing exactly what the selection committees say they want players to do.
And yet history matters here. Team USA has long lived on the wrong side of thin margins, and Bill Guerin clearly believes that structure – not firepower – is the correction. Guerin and his staff seem convinced that they need to slow down, control and defend the game. Team USA doesn’t want to turn it into a circuit match against Team Canada, because that usually ends badly.
Robertson is out because coaches don’t see him in the bottom six
That’s where Robertson becomes the odd one out. Not because he can’t score – he clearly can – but because the staff doesn’t trust him in a third-line role. Robertson falls into awkward middle space.
But the irony is that if Team USA needs a goal late or loses a top-six winger to injury, Jason Robertson is likely the first decision they make. That alone tells you how flimsy this reasoning really is.
He didn’t miss the team because he’s not good enough. He missed it because Team USA chose caution over creativity. They better be right, because leaving top scorers at home could haunt tournaments decided by one goal.
Related: Adam Fox’s Olympic Snub Raises Trade Questions for the Rangers
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