Maple Leafs star Matthew Knies has shared his honest reaction to Team USA passing over him for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, and his comments show real maturity.
Auston Matthews, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander are officially off to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but, unfortunately, one of their teammates is not as Matthew Knies was passed over by Team USA.
Matthew Knies shares his reaction to being passed over for the 2026 Olympics
Knies wasn't the only star player passed on by Team USA, as Jason Robertson, Cole Caufield and Chris Kreider were among those who did not receive a call to action in Milan-Cortina.
Knies was surprisingly mature about the decision, but did admit to being disappointed. Here's what he had to say on the subject during an interview with The Hockey News.
"I was pretty disappointed to not be on the team. I mean, they picked a good squad. All those guys that they picked deserve to be there. I guess I'm going to have to be cheering from afar now. They made the phone calls to the guys who did [make it], and hopefully four years down the line I could get one of those phone calls."
Knies was not among those names contacted to act as a potential injury replacement, so it looks like he's going to have to wait until the next Olympic Games for a chance to prove that he belongs on the roster.
In closing the book on the decision, Knies' views on being passed over were surprisingly reasonable. He acknowledged Team USA's difficult decision and established his intention to keep playing the way he has been playing and hoping for a better result next time around.
"I don't look at it as they don't think I'm good enough. I just look at it as we have so many good players. It's a hard decision by them and I know that. I just have to keep the same mindset."
Knies has produced 36 points in 37 games this season for the Leafs. He did all he could do to put his name on the map for Team USA, and while I'm sure he was given some consideration, the roster was just too loaded to include him.
It's unfortunate, but it's just the reality when you're talking about best-on-best. Some good players simply get left out, not because they're not good, but because there are too many good players. At least Knies recognizes that.