On Tuesday afternoon, USA Hockey announced that 44 players will attend the U.S. Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp that is being held on Aug 26-27 in Plymouth, Michigan. One prominent Blue Jacket was invited.
To no one’s surprise, Norris Trophy runner-up Zach Werenski will be attending the camp. He was one of 12 players at this camp who was part of the gold-medal winning team for Team U.S.A. at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
The two-day event in Plymouth is largely an administrative and team-building event and includes no formal on-ice activity or public component. Werenski has been in Plymouth with other NHL’ers getting ready for the upcoming season.
Werenski’s Rise
Werenski’s rise has been noteworthy. After battling through some tough injuries, he turned the best season of his NHL career. His 23 goals and 82 points helped him finish second to Cale Makar in the Norris Trophy voting.
Werenski then got national attention with his performance at the 4-Nations Faceoff. His six points (all assists) led the entire tournament in scoring. Team U.S.A. ultimately fell in overtime to Team Canada.
Werenski wasn’t finished with his season. After originally saying he wasn’t going to play at the World Championships, he had a change of heart and went. He then recorded 1-5-6 in seven games which was good enough to be named to the All-Tournament team. He was also named the top defenseman by the IIHF Directorate.
Werenski’s season was good enough to put him at number three on NHL Network’s top-20 defenseman only behind Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar.
Given his season and rise, it is widely expected barring the unforeseen that Werenski will represent Team U.S.A. in Italy. His impact at the 4-Nations and the World Championships have him squarely in that position.
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