Ex-Rangers star ‘super-fan’ for Team USA 12 years after Olympics experience
When the United States men’s hockey team opens the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics on Thursday afternoon with their first game against Latvia, you better believe that Derek Stepan’s going to be watching. The former New York Rangers center is absolutely dialed in on Team USA’s bid to win gold.
Part of the reason that Stepan’s so invested is that he was a member of the U.S. squad that took part in the 2014 Sochi Games, the last time the NHL allowed its players to take part in the Olympics before this winter.
“I think it’s going to be great hockey. I’m obviously very biased about who I want to win. But I’m like a super-fan. I’m super excited,” Stepan told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast. “I’m excited for the U.S. group, I like the way they’re shaping up and how they’re going to compete over there. Yeah, I’m excited. I wish them all the best of luck over there, and I hope they come home with gold medals around their neck.”
Stepan and his teammates weren’t fortunate enough to medal in 2014. The United States won it’s three prelim games, including the epic 3-2 shootout victory over Russia, when T.J. Oshie recorded the decisive goal in the eighth round. However, after a quarterfinal victory, the U.S. lost to Canada 1-0 in the semis, and then dropped the Bronze Medal Game 5-0 to Finland and finished fourth overall.
At the time, Stepan was 23-year-old and in his fourth season with the Rangers. He dressed for only one game as the extra forward, playing six shifts with 4:59 TOI in a 5-1 win over Slovenia.
If you think for one second that Stepan’s bitter about not playing more, you’re completely wrong.
“It was super fun. I was young-ish, I should say, I wasn’t young-young. But to be a part of that team, great group of guys. I was grateful. I got to play in a game, wear the sweater, and it was a really special moment in my career,” Stepan explained.
Stepan didn’t come home empty-handed from Sochi, either.
“It was awesome. And we came home with one of the dogs, too, so he’s 13, 14, now. We got Jake when he was six months old or something. Yeah, what a great story for our family.”
The Rangers have quite the contingent of players and personnel from their organization representing Team USA in Milan. Forwards J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck are on the U.S. roster, which is coached by Rangers bench boss Mike Sullivan and his assistant David Quinn. Rangers general manager Chris Drury, a three-time Olympian as a player, is part of Team USA’s management group.
Likewise, back in 2014 Stepan joined then Rangers teammates Ryan Callahan and Ryan McDonagh on the U.S. squad. Future Rangers Jonathan Quick, Patrick Kane, and Kevin Shattenkirk also were on that 2014 team in Sochi.
All in all, it was a memorable experience for Stepan, one that he didn’t get the chance to repeat. The NHL didn’t allow its players to take part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics nor the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Stepan hopes the NHL players in Milan take the time to appreciate their opportunity, and absorb all that’s going on, even outside of their own competition. Just as he did 12 year earlier.
“When I wasn’t in the lineup, I got to experience the Olympics day to day. I’ve got nothing but great stories and great things that came along with it, but they’re great stories that come from just being a fan. That’s cool to me. It was super fun.”
