Leafs captain Auston Matthews finally gets the news he's been waiting 28 years for

Just moments ago, Team USA announced its roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. As expected, Auston Matthews has officially made the roster.

This news comes just a couple of days after Team Canada announced its own roster, which featured a snub to guys like John Tavares and even Morgan Rielly.

Meanwhile, Team USA has a plethora of offensive juggernauts on it, including Matthews, Jack Eichel, the Tkachuk brothers, and Kyle Connor.

Perhaps the biggest strength of the team is the goaltending, as the Americans have guys like Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman.

The Olympics are set to take place in Italy next month. During that time, the NHL is going to shut down so that those at the Olympics don't miss any games.

This will also be a nice extended break for all of the players who are not competing at the Olympics. It's a time for players to take a vacation and get refreshed for the last stretch of the season.

This news has some interesting timing, especially when you consider how Auston Matthews had four points last night, including a hat trick.

He was absolutely sensational against the Winnipeg Jets in a 6-5 win that should leave fans impressed and hopeful for the 2026 calendar season.

If Matthews can play like this for the rest of the season, then perhaps the Leafs and Team USA are going to have lots of success over the coming months.

Either way, fans should be excited. The Olympics are going to be a ton of fun, and the Canada vs USA rivalry has an opportunity to be something to behold.