University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Faber, Haula Earn Coveted Olympic Roster Spots
1/2/2026 10:30:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - A pair of former players from the University of Minnesota men's hockey team were named to the official roster of their respective countries for the upcoming 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Brock Faber was named to Team USA's lineup, while Erik Haula earned his way onto the roster of Team Finland at the games to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6-22.
For the second time in his career, Faber will don the Red, White, and Blue at the Olympics as he becomes just the ninth former Golden Gopher to be named to the American roster twice. In his fourth season with the Minnesota Wild, the Maple Grove, Minn., product has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 41 games. He also played for the U.S. at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal in 2021, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. When skating in Dinkytown, Faber recorded 53 points in 97 games along the blue line from 2020 to 2023 and served as team captain during his junior campaign. The First Team All-American and two-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year led Minnesota to consecutive appearances at the NCAA Frozen Four, including a trip to the NCAA title game in 2023, and a pair of B1G regular season titles.
Thanks to 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) through 40 appearances with the Nashville Predators this season, Haula played his way into the Finnish forward group for the Olympics and will become the 60th different Gopher to skate in the prestigious tournament. A native of Pori, Finland, he is one game shy of reaching 800 during his professional career. No stranger to representing his home country on the international stage, he previously played for Finland at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, 2014 IIHF World Championship, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In his time with the Maroon and Gold, Haula put up 124 points across 114 outings in three seasons from 2010 to 2013, helping the Gophers to back-to-back WCHA titles and a spot in the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four.
During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, three then-current members and one former skater from the Gophers took to the ice for Team USA. Faber, Matthew Knies, and Ben Meyers took a break from the NCAA season, while Aaron Ness served as an alternate captain during his campaign with the AHL's Providence Bruins.
Minnesota's strength and conditioning coach Cal Dietz is also making the trip to Italy next month as he will serve in the same role for the U.S. women's team.
In 2026, USA will compete in Group C along with Denmark, Germany, and Latvia, while Finland is in Group B playing against Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The top finisher in each group, plus the next best team among the three groups, will get a bye to the tournament quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams will be seeded according to points in a qualification round to determine the four other quarterfinal participants.
For the second time in his career, Faber will don the Red, White, and Blue at the Olympics as he becomes just the ninth former Golden Gopher to be named to the American roster twice. In his fourth season with the Minnesota Wild, the Maple Grove, Minn., product has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 41 games. He also played for the U.S. at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal in 2021, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. When skating in Dinkytown, Faber recorded 53 points in 97 games along the blue line from 2020 to 2023 and served as team captain during his junior campaign. The First Team All-American and two-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year led Minnesota to consecutive appearances at the NCAA Frozen Four, including a trip to the NCAA title game in 2023, and a pair of B1G regular season titles.
Thanks to 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) through 40 appearances with the Nashville Predators this season, Haula played his way into the Finnish forward group for the Olympics and will become the 60th different Gopher to skate in the prestigious tournament. A native of Pori, Finland, he is one game shy of reaching 800 during his professional career. No stranger to representing his home country on the international stage, he previously played for Finland at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, 2014 IIHF World Championship, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In his time with the Maroon and Gold, Haula put up 124 points across 114 outings in three seasons from 2010 to 2013, helping the Gophers to back-to-back WCHA titles and a spot in the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four.
During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, three then-current members and one former skater from the Gophers took to the ice for Team USA. Faber, Matthew Knies, and Ben Meyers took a break from the NCAA season, while Aaron Ness served as an alternate captain during his campaign with the AHL's Providence Bruins.
Minnesota's strength and conditioning coach Cal Dietz is also making the trip to Italy next month as he will serve in the same role for the U.S. women's team.
In 2026, USA will compete in Group C along with Denmark, Germany, and Latvia, while Finland is in Group B playing against Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The top finisher in each group, plus the next best team among the three groups, will get a bye to the tournament quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams will be seeded according to points in a qualification round to determine the four other quarterfinal participants.
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