Either Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe or Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper will be an Olympic gold medalist at the conclusion of Sunday’s U.S.-Canada men’s hockey game in Milan, Italy without playing.
Under Olympic rules, all players on the rosters of medal-winning teams receive medals.
LaCombe has not dressed for any of the five U.S. games in the Olympics, all victories. He was added to the team Jan. 21, 22 days before its opener, replacing Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, who suffered an upper-body injury when he was hit with a puck in the first period of the Winter Classic Jan. 2.
LaCombe, who turned 25 Jan. 9, is the third-youngest defenseman on the U.S. team and its fifth-youngest player.
LaCombe was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft, the 39th overall selection, following his senior season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, an Episcopal boarding and day school in Faribault, Minnesota, known for its renowned boys’ and girls’ hockey programs.
LaCombe played the next four seasons for the University of Minnesota, leading Golden Gophers’ defensemen in points and goals each of his final three seasons and helping them to three Frozen Four appearances.
LaCombe made his NHL debut on April 11, 2023, the Ducks’ next-to-last game of the season. He has played 204 NHL games, with 22 goals and 75 assists. He signed an eight-year contract extension before the start of this season, which goes into effect next season. It is worth $72 million, the most lucrative agreement in franchise history, according to The Orange County Register.
Kuemper has been in uniform for three of Canada’s five games, all victories.
Canada’s roster also includes Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty, who has one assist in five games. Doughty played for Canada’s gold medal-winning teams in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.
Canada has history on its side. It is 4-1 against the United States in the five previous Olympics that have included NHL players, including victories in the gold medal games in 2002 and 2010.
The U.S. has never won a men’s hockey Olympic gold medal outside the United States.
Sunday is the 46th anniversary of the U.S. victory over the Soviet Union in a final round game in the 1980 Olympics. The Americans won the gold medal two days later with a 4-2 victory over Finland. If the U.S. had lost to the Finns, the Soviets would have won the gold medal.
The game is set to begin at 5:10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, be televised by NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties for viewing parties include Legends Sports Bar in Long Beach; O’Briens in Santa Monica, Silver Lake United in Silver Lake; Underground Pub & Grill in Hermosa Beach; and Mutt Lynch’s in Newport Beach.