Injury to Florida Panthers Defenseman Seth Jones reshapes team USA's Olympic plan

The official word is in, Seth Jones will not play for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 because of an upper body injury.

USA Hockey confirmed Jackson LaCombe has been added as the replacement on the men's roster.

It's a cruel twist because Jones had just made the roster reveal, then the Winter Classic turned into the turning point.

In Miami on Jan. 2, he appeared to take a shot near the left collarbone area and exited early.

Before it went sideways, Jones had 24 points, 6 G and 18 A, in 40 games for Florida this season.

A lot of fans first processed it through the post that spread fast on X.

Jones is 31, drafted in 2013 round 1, No. 4 overall by the Nashville Predators, and he's still built like a minutes eater when he's right.

Seth Jones being ruled out of the Olympics is a real gut punch for Florida, and it also signals his recovery timeline has stretched beyond the early «couple of weeks» hope, especially now that he's been placed on long-term injured reserve.

With Niko Mikkola also banged up, the Panthers' blue line suddenly looks thin fast, forcing bigger minutes onto the remaining regulars and testing their structure in their own zone.

Now Team USA pivots to LaCombe, a left shot who plays with pace and moves pucks cleanly under pressure.

LaCombe is 25, drafted in 2019 round 2, No. 39 overall by the Anaheim Ducks, and he's already lived in tough minutes on a young blue line.

Last season he put up 43 points, 14 G and 29 A, in 75 games, and Anaheim leaned on him for 22:18 TOI per night.

That TOI matters for Team USA, because Olympic games can swing on one broken play, and you need defensemen who can recover, close gaps, and still make the first pass.

For the tournament, the job is simple, stabilize the rotation, keep the bench calm, and be ready for Feb. 12 when Team USA opens against Latvia.

The big hope now is Jones heals cleanly for Florida, and LaCombe turns this surprise call into one of those stories everyone remembers after the medal games.