Auston Matthews would be youngest U.S. Olympic men’s hockey player since 1992

By Nick ZaccardiOct 13, 2016, 4:09 PM EDT

Getty Images

Auston Matthews, who became the first modern NHL player to score four goals in his first game Wednesday, would be the youngest U.S. Olympic men’s hockey player since 1992, should he be on the team in Pyeongchang in 2018.

It is of course very early to make such a projection. For one, the NHL might not send its players to the Olympics like it has done at every Winter Games since 1998.

Matthews, 19, certainly has the early pedigree — he led Team USA in goals (six) and tied for the lead in points (nine) at the world championship in May. Matthews was the youngest player on that team.

Then the Toronto Maple Leafs took him No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft on June 24.

Matthews scored in two of his three games at the World Cup of Hockey in September, against Russia and Sweden, as the youngest American in that tournament.

In 2018, Matthews would be younger than any previous U.S. Olympic men’s hockey player in the NHL participation era (since 1998) and younger than anyone on the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic team.

He would be the youngest since Albertville 1992, when the roster included three 19-year-olds — future NHL players Scott Lachance, Mike Dunham and Keith Tkachuk.

If he makes the team, that is. A long way to go, but Matthews is off to an exceptional start.

NBCSN will air live coverage of Matthews’ home debut for the Maple Leafs on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET.

MORE: 2018 Olympic men’s hockey groups set

Follow @nzaccardi

Coco Gauff into French Open quarterfinals, where Iga Swiatek may await

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 1:24 PM EDT

Getty

Coco Gauff swept into the French Open quarterfinals, where she could play Iga Swiatek in a rematch of last year’s final.

Gauff, the sixth seed, beat 100th-ranked Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-5, 6-2 in the fourth round. She next plays Swiatek or 66th-ranked Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, who meet later Monday.

Gauff earned a 37th consecutive win over a player ranked outside the top 50, dating to February 2022. She hasn’t faced a player in the world top 60 in four matches at Roland Garros, but the degree of difficulty is likely to ratchet up in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Swiatek won all 12 sets she’s played against Gauff, who at 19 is the only teenager in the top 49 in the world.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Also Monday, No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia dispatched 36th-ranked American Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1, breaking all eight of Pera’s service games.

Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, has now reached the quarterfinals of all four majors.

Jabeur next faces 14th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, who won 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5 over Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, who played on a protected ranking of 68. Haddad Maia became the second Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era (since 1968) after Maria Bueno, who won seven majors from 1959-1966.

Pera, a 28 year-old born in Croatia, was the oldest U.S. singles player to make the fourth round of a major for the first time since Jill Craybas at 2005 Wimbledon. Her defeat left Gauff as the lone American singles player remaining out of the 35 entered in the main draws.

The last American to win a major singles title was Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought matches the longest in history (since 1877) for American men and women combined.

In the men’s draw, 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud reached the quarterfinals by beating 35th-ranked Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5. He’ll next play sixth seed Holger Rune of Denmark, a 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7) winner over 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

U.S. earns first three-peat in Para hockey world championship history

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 8:49 AM EDT

International Paralympic Committee

The U.S. trounced rival Canada 6-1 to become the first nation to three-peat in world Para hockey championship history.

Tournament MVP Declan Farmer scored twice, and Josh Misiewicz, David Eustace, Jack Wallace and Kevin McKee added goals. Jen Lee made eight saves in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on Sunday.

Farmer, who had nine goals in five games for the tournament, also scored twice in Paralympic final wins over Canada in 2018 and 2022 and the last world championship final against Canada in 2021. Farmer, 25, already owns the career national team record of more than 250 points.

The U.S. beat Canada in a third consecutive world final dating to 2019, but this was the most lopsided gold-medal game in championship history. The U.S. also won the last four Paralympic titles dating to 2010.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

More: Olympics

More: Olympics