Olympic gold for the maroon and gold

Editor's note: Please scroll to the end of the story for updates on Team USA's hockey gold medals and curling results. 

Even before the cauldron flames are officially lit in Italy for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 6, the puck will drop for the much-anticipated women’s ice hockey tournament a day earlier, with men’s action beginning the following week. And for those of us with rooting interests for either the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs or the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Golden Gophers (or both), there will be plenty of chances to root for athletes who have worn the maroon and gold. 

Between the two schools, 21 former or current hockey players — women and men— will be suiting up either for the red, white and blue of Team USA or a host of other competing nations.

When it comes to student-athletes and alumni competing just for Team USA in these Olympics, the Golden Gophers lead the way among all colleges in the NCAA with seven. That should be worth some sort of symbolic medal. (They all happen to be hockey players, but what else should we expect from the self-proclaimed State of Hockey?) 

Here is a rundown of the University of Minnesota Duluth and Twin Cities hockey players competing in the Olympics. Women’s hockey begins on Feb. 5 and men’s hockey on Feb. 11. 

Women’s hockey

Of those 21 hockey players from the two schools, 17 are women. They include five former or current Gophers playing for Team USA. Alumni Lee Stecklein (fourth Olympics), Kelly Pannek (third), Grace Zumwinkle (second) and Taylor Heise (first) all currently play for the Minnesota Frost in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). They’ll be joined by current Gopher senior Abbey Murphy, playing in her second Olympics.

In addition, four Gophers will be skating for other nations: Nelli Laitinen for Team Finland; freshman Tereza Plosová and alumna Natálie Mlýnková for Czechia; and Josefin Bouveng for Sweden.

Current Bulldog players and alumni will represent four countries, led by four for Team Sweden:  junior defenseman Ida Karlsson, senior forward Thea Johansson, and former goaltenders Tindra Holm and All-American Emma Soderberg. Two-time Bulldog All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque will be appearing in her fourth Olympics for Team Canada — Team USA’s biggest rival. Other University of Minnesota Duluth alumni include All-American Lara Stalder playing for Switzerland, Nina Jobst-Smith for Germany and Katerina Mrázová for Czechia.

Cal Dietz, longtime head strength and conditioning coach for numerous Gopher sports since 2000, will serve in that role for the U.S. women’s hockey team.

Men’s hockey

Former Gophers and Bulldogs will also make their mark on the men’s side. 

Three Golden Gopher alumni will skate in Italy: NHL defensemen Brock Faber and Jackson LaCombe for Team USA, and Erik Haula for Team Finland. University of Minnesota Duluth sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan will play for Slovakia. 

Dr. Joel Boyd, long-time orthopedic surgeon for the NHL's Minnesota Wild, is set to serve as the physician for Team USA’s men’s team.

And let’s not forget the northern pastime of curling

Speaking of the ice, eight athletes with University of Minnesota Duluth or Twin Cities connections will be competing for Team USA in curling, although that is not an intercollegiate sport. We could only wish. 

On the women’s side, sisters Tabitha Peterson Lovick and Tara Peterson both have multiple degrees from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. (When they’re not curling, Tabitha is a pharmacist and Tara a dentist.) They’re joined by Twin Cities alum Taylor Anderson-Heide, along with Cory Thiesse and Aileen Geving from UMD.

For U.S. men’s curling team, Korey Dropkin is a University of Minnesota Duluth alum, and Danny Casper attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. (Dropkin and Thiesse will also compete for Team USA in mixed doubles curling.)

Updates: 

It was a monumental Winter Olympics for Team USA in hockey. On Feb. 19, the women's team upended Team Canada 2-1 in an overtime thriller for its third Olympic gold medal and first since 2018. Former Gopher Taylor Heise's long pass set up Megan Keller for the overtime winner, and current Gopher Abbey Murphy tied for second on the team with seven points (two goals and five assists) in the tournament. Not to be outdone, on Feb. 22 the men's team also defeated Canada in the gold medal game by the same 2-1 score in overtime. It was the first Olympic gold for the men since the "Miracle on Ice" team in 1980.

Early in the Olympics, Korey Dropkin and Corey Thiesse (Korey and Cory) took home the silver medal in mixed doubles curling. Tabitha Peterson's women's team fell to Canada 10-7 in the bronze medal game, but tied for the United States' best-ever showing in women's curling. The men's curling team finished fifth.

Learn more about the Golden Gopher hockey athletes at the Milano Cortina Olympics.