Vincent Trocheck has never been one to mince words, and he certainly wasn't going to start after winning Olympic gold. Following Team USA's historic 2-1 overtime win over Canada, a game defined by a perfect American penalty kill, the Rangers' center finally addressed the "outside noise" that had surrounded his selection for the squad. For Trocheck and teammate J.T. Miller, the gold medal wasn't just a career achievement, it was a definitive answer to a months-long debate about their value to the national team.
Trocheck doesn't mince words when asked about how he's feeling
Via Mollie Walker of the New York Post:
“I’m pretty f*cking proud, I’ll be honest. Yeah, we heard all the talk, that we shouldn’t be here…We were able to come here and we had a job to do, and it was to be good penalty kill guys, faceoff guys, character guys. We took that role and we ran with it.”
Team USA went 18 for 18 on the penalty kill, and even though it was a short tournament, it is a very impressive achievement. This include a lengthy stretch during the gold medal game in which Canada had a 5 on 3 opportunity.
Trocheck was a worthy selection, and played his role perfectly
The "hullabaloo" surrounding Vincent Trocheck’s selection to Team USA never truly aligned with the reality of his play. Entering the Olympic break, Trocheck had been a consistent engine for the Rangers, tallying 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 43 games while averaging a massive 20:57 of ice time. Mike Sullivan knew he needed a versatile veteran comfortable with a specialized role, and Trocheck excelled as the team’s high-leverage faceoff specialist.
His success at the dot was no fluke. Trocheck has won 54.2% of his draws over his NHL career, a number that has climbed to an elite 57.9% since he arrived in New York. At the Milan games Trocheck finished tied for second in faceoff win percentage at 66.7%, Dylan Larkin led the tournament at 69.6%.
Beyond the analytics, Trocheck has a proven track record of elevating his game when the stakes are highest. With 37 points in 56 career playoff games—including a dominant 20-point performance during the Rangers' 2024 postseason run—he has consistently shown he can be trusted in the sport's biggest moments. In Milan, that veteran poise was exactly what Team USA needed to secure gold.