During the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Matthew Tkachuk shared details about a memorable interaction with Snoop Dogg, who was named Team USA’s first-ever honorary coach. Snoop met with a select group of men’s ice hockey players, including Matthew Tkachuk, his brother Brady, and the Hughes brothers, offering guidance and encouragement ahead of their Olympic competition.
Reflecting on the experience, Tkachuk described Snoop’s approach as a mix of humor and motivation that caught the team by surprise.
“Snoop was kind of a legend as well. Coach Snoop came in. I wasn’t really…I didn’t really know what to expect, actually, with him. And, he gave, like, half motivational speech, half like hilarious quotes. Took some pictures. It was funny,”
he said.
Tkachuk also recounted the core message from Snoop Dogg’s talk, emphasizing staying focused and appreciating the support system behind the athletes.
“Think about all the people that got you here. I probably could recite it. It was basically that. Stay in the moment. You have so much support back home. Everybody’s rooting you on and just stay in the moment.”
Matthew Tkachuk’s Road to Olympic Readiness
Matthew Tkachuk entered the Olympics following a challenging recovery from injuries sustained while representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He missed the final 25 games of the previous NHL season due to a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia. After surgery, he returned to play with the Florida Panthers roughly a month prior to the Winter Games.
Despite not specifically training for the Olympics, Tkachuk feels physically prepared and confident in his performance level. He stated,
“I’m at my best. I expect to be at my best, and there’s no better time to show it off than now.”
Regarding his fitness focus, he explained,
“Did I build for Olympics? No. I was building to come back for the Panthers. Came back almost a month ago. … I was building towards that. Never really was thinking about, like, just making sure my game’s top shape for Olympics. It was just getting back and helping my team, but also knowing that this was happening in February, and now this is my team.”
Looking Ahead: Team USA’s Opening Match
Team USA’s men’s hockey squad kicks off their Olympic campaign on Thursday, February 12, facing Latvia in their first game of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. The team’s preparation, bolstered by unique figures like Snoop Dogg, reflects a focused effort to capture gold on the international stage.
Today’s highlights for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team included meeting Snoop Dogg and cheering on the Women’s Team as they shut out Canada, 5-0, in their final #WinterOlympics preliminary game.
Get the full recap in today’s Insider: https://t.co/LucOYgeyC5 pic.twitter.com/ictVJRrhEo
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 11, 2026
An afternoon with the Winn family…oh, and Snoop! #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/Kc4TK0rOrP
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 11, 2026
https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/2021654620209373555
