U.S. Hockey announced Tuesday afternoon that 44 players will attend the U.S. men’s Olympic training camp in Plymouth, Michigan, from August 26 to 27. An outstanding blue coat was invited.
Not surprisingly, Norris Trophy runner-up Zach Werenski will be attending the camp. He is one of the 12 players in this camp and is a member of the gold medal-winning team that won the U.S. team in the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
The two-day event in Plymouth is largely an administrative and team-building event that does not include formal ice events or public components. Werenski has been at Plymouth, with other NHL’ers ready for the upcoming season.
The Rise of Werenski
Werenski’s rise is worth noting. After some tough injuries, he transformed into the best season of his NHL career. His 23 goals and 82 points put him second in the Norris Trophy vote.
Werenski then attracted national attention in the face-to-face performance of the four countries. His 6 points (all assists) lead the entire game. Team USA finally joined the Canadian team in overtime.
Werenski hasn’t finished his season yet. He changed his mind after he was not going to compete in the World Championships. He then made a 1-5-6 record in seven games, enough to be named the All Championship team. He was also appointed as the top defense lawyer by the IIHF Bureau.
Werenski’s season is good enough to put him in the top 20 defensive players in the NHL Network, behind Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar.
Given his season and rise, besides unforeseen, Velensky will represent the United States in Italy, which is widely expected. His influence on the Four Nations and World Championships puts him in this position.
