Connor McDavid's overtime heroics at the 4 Nations Face-Off delivered Canada a championship in February. Nearly a year later, the fallout from that single moment continues and Adam Fox is allegedly paying the price.
The Rangers defenseman has been left off Team USA's 2026 Olympic roster sparking immediate speculation about whether his role on McDavid's winner played a part in the decision. Now, Team USA general manager Bill Guerin is pushing back at that narrative.
McDavid's overtime winner sparked Olympic roster controversy
McDavid's goal came at 8:18 of overtime on February 20th at TD Garden in Boston. Mitch Marner found the Oilers captain alone in the slot and McDavid made no mistake roofing his shot top shelf past Connor Hellebuyck to secure Canada's 3-2 victory and their fourth consecutive best-on-best tournament title.
Fox was on the ice when it happened. Leading to the play, he couldn't secure the puck in the corner and it slipped through to McDavid in the high-danger area. The breakdown has been dissected ever since and when Fox's name didn't appear on the Olympic roster, many connected the dots.
Bill Guerin shuts down the single-play narrative
The Team USA GM didn't mince words when asked about the connection between that single play and Fox's omission.
"Well, I think it's exactly that: It's perception. And you know that? That's for you guys to wrestle with and talk about. That's not for us. If you think we made a decision on one play, then you must not think we're very smart. Other than that, I'm going to keep those conversations private. Our decision was made, and we're moving forward," Guerin said.
According to Guerin, the decision came down to a much broader evaluation. Fox went scoreless through four 4 Nations games. This season so far, he has posted four goals and 24 assists in 28 games with a plus-three rating which are solid numbers, but apparently were not enough to overcome a deep American defensive pool.
Team USA GM Bill Guerin on the perception that the way #NYR Adam Fox played the Connor McDavid OT winner at 4 Nations played a major factor in him not being named to team:
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) January 2, 2026
"Well, I think it's exactly that: It's perception. And you know that? That's for you guys to wrestle with…
Team USA ultimately went with Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, Quinn Hughes, Seth Jones and Charlie McAvoy instead. The competition was fierce and even a strong push from Rangers personnel couldn't change the outcome.
GM Chris Drury, coach Mike Sullivan and assistant David Quinn all lobbied hard for Fox's inclusion but they understood the decision given the talent available.
Fox's measured response
Fox confirmed he received a phone call from Guerin explaining the roster choice. His response was diplomatic but tinged with disappointment.
"I obviously thought my play this year was worthy of it and my track record as well," Fox said. "But it's out of my hands at a certain point. The decision is the decision."
For now, Fox's focus remains on helping the Rangers climb out of their current slump. New York sits at 19-18-5 and has lost four of their last five games making the Olympic snub feel like just one more frustration in a difficult stretch.
Still, Fox isn't completely closing the door. If circumstances change or an injury opens a roster spot, he will be ready. Until then, he's left to wonder what might have been and whether one moment against Connor McDavid will define his international legacy more than he would like to admit.