During the Chicago Blackhawks’ exit interviews just over one week ago, Oliver Moore told the media he plans to play for the United States at the upcoming 2026 World Championships, which begin on May 15 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.
According to a report from Scott Powers of The Athletic on Friday, two other members of the Blackhawks’ 2025-26 squad are expected to join Moore on the Americans’ roster.
Sounds like Oliver Moore, Wyatt Kaiser and Sam Lafferty will all be playing for the U.S. at the upcoming Worlds.
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser and forward Sam Lafferty, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, are also in line to represent the United States in a couple of weeks.
Kaiser, 23, has donned the Red, White, & Blue on a couple of occasions in his career. He most notably played in the 2022 U20 World Junior Championship, where he recorded two goals and one assist in five games. Kaiser also appeared in the 2020 U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Lafferty, a 31-year-old veteran, played for Team USA at the 2022 World Championships, tallying one goal and two assists for three points in 10 games. The Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, native was also a member of the Blackhawks when he last represented his country.
Despite being the youngest of the three, the 21-year-old Moore has by far the most experience playing for the United States. The 2023 first-round pick (No. 19 overall) played junior hockey for the U.S. National Development Program (USNTDP) from 2021-23, leading to him being drafted by the Blackhawks. Moore also appeared in the 2023 U18 World Junior Championship, the 2024 U20 World Junior Championship, and the 2025 U20 World Junior Championship. He and Team USA won gold on all three occasions.
Moore missed the final 19 games of the 2025-26 season with a lower-body injury that he suffered on Mar. 8 against the Dallas Stars. However, during his exit interview, Moore told the Blackhawks’ media that he’s “feeling good” injury-wise and ready to return to game action.
This time last year, Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic helped the United States capture its first Gold Medal at the World Championships since 1933. Moore, Kaiser, and Lafferty now look to help the Americans successfully defend their title and be the first country to go back-to-back since Sweden in 2017 and 2018.
Speaking of the Swedes, fellow Blackhawk Anton Frondell is expected to suit up for Team Sweden at the World Championships. It’s still TBD if any more members of the 2025-26 Blackhawks will participate in the tournament.
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