For the first time since 2014, NHL players will skate for their countries, and that has one former standout very excited. Yeah, this is the first goal in the NHL. Pucks, jerseys, and trading cards. Jeff Lazaro's home is filled with his hockey history. Every 4 years, I bring out my ring. That would be his Team USA ring. *** Boston Bruins player in the 1990s. During his NHL career, Lazaro was selected. For the US team competing at the games in Lillehammer, I've been in some pretty big games, uh, prior to that with the NHL, but the Olympics was *** different scale. Everybody's got their eyes on you. And for Lozaro, wearing the red, white, and blue meant more because I grew up watching Mikeruzzioni win the gold medal, uh, when I was 12 years old, and that just catapulted USA hockey. Everybody wanted to play and I was already playing but it just made it like oh my god he's from Boston I'm from Boston. So I worked my *** off and uh finally got there. The '94 team didn't medal in Norway, but Lazaro is confident the Americans will be on the stand this winter, and here's why. The last few years with the, with the four nations with the uh the recent World Championships, USA won the world championships first time in the, you know, since 1933. And so US USA Hockey is just exploding. Retired from hockey since the early 2000s, Lazaro is now *** happily married father of five who's turned the page and has *** new life away from sports. That said, he is ready to revisit an old chapter in his history. I am dad who sells insurance now, um, which I love, but once that puck drops in Milan, hey, I'm, I'm hockey, I'm hockey, Jeff. Um, so we'll be watching it. It'll make me so happy, um, to root this team on to, to gold. Men's ice hockey at the 2026 Olympics starts five days into the program, February 11th, and it'll end with the gold medal match being the final event at the games the same day is the closing ceremony that's Sunday, February 22nd on the road to Milan Cortina, I'm Fletcher Mackel.
Former Boston Bruin, Team USA hockey player Jeff Lazaro tells us why Americans may win gold in Italy
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Updated: 5:51 AM CDT Sep 23, 2025
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Pucks, jerseys and trading cards: Jeff Lazaro's home is filled with his hockey history.A Boston Bruins player in the 1990s, during his NHL career, Lazaro was selected for the U.S. team competing at the Games in Lillehammer."I'd been in some pretty big games in the NHL, but the Olympics is a different scale, everyone's got their eyes on you," Lazaro said.For Lazaro, wearing the red, white, and blue meant more."I grew up watching Mike Eruzione when I was 12 years old win the gold medal, and that just catapulted USA Hockey; everyone wanted to play. It was just like, he's from Boston, I'm from Boston, and I finally got there," Lazaro said.The 1994 team didn't medal in Norway, but Lazaro is confident the Americans will be on the stand this winter, and here's why. "The last four years, with the Four Nations Tournament, the recent World Championships, USA won the World Championships for the first time since 1933, so USA Hockey is exploding," Lazaro said.Retired since the early 2000s, Lazaro, a happily married father of five, has turned the page and has a new life away from sports these days. That said, he's ready to revisit an old chapter in his history."I am a dad who sells insurance now, which I love, but once that puck drops in Milan, I'm hockey Jeff. So it'll make me so happy to watch it and root this team on to gold," Lazaro said.Men's ice hockey at the 2026 Games starts five days into the program on Feb. 11 and ends with the gold medal match being the final event at the Games, the same day as the closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Pucks, jerseys and trading cards: Jeff Lazaro's home is filled with his hockey history.
A Boston Bruins player in the 1990s, during his NHL career, Lazaro was selected for the U.S. team competing at the Games in Lillehammer.
"I'd been in some pretty big games in the NHL, but the Olympics is a different scale, everyone's got their eyes on you," Lazaro said.
For Lazaro, wearing the red, white, and blue meant more.
"I grew up watching Mike Eruzione when I was 12 years old win the gold medal, and that just catapulted USA Hockey; everyone wanted to play. It was just like, he's from Boston, I'm from Boston, and I finally got there," Lazaro said.
The 1994 team didn't medal in Norway, but Lazaro is confident the Americans will be on the stand this winter, and here's why.
"The last four years, with the Four Nations Tournament, the recent World Championships, USA won the World Championships for the first time since 1933, so USA Hockey is exploding," Lazaro said.
Retired since the early 2000s, Lazaro, a happily married father of five, has turned the page and has a new life away from sports these days. That said, he's ready to revisit an old chapter in his history.
"I am a dad who sells insurance now, which I love, but once that puck drops in Milan, I'm hockey Jeff. So it'll make me so happy to watch it and root this team on to gold," Lazaro said.
Men's ice hockey at the 2026 Games starts five days into the program on Feb. 11 and ends with the gold medal match being the final event at the Games, the same day as the closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22.
