Cornell's Ryan Walsh Named to U.S. Spengler Cup Roster

The Cornell captain and Rochester native joins Xavier Veilleux on the U.S. Collegiate Selects for the 2026 tournament in Davos, Switzerland.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hockey

Cornell's Ryan Walsh Named to U.S. Spengler Cup Roster

Cornell men's hockey captain Ryan Walsh was named to the U.S. Collegiate Selects roster for the 2026 Spengler Cup, joining teammate Xavier Veilleux. The U.S. team's roster currently stands at 16 players and will grow to 25 before the tournament.

Why it matters

Walsh helped the U.S. Collegiate Selects reach the 2025 Spengler Cup championship game, making his return a continuation of that run. The selections draw from all six NCAA Division I hockey conferences, giving the national team a broad pool of college talent.

Walsh led all Division I players with 23 faceoff wins per game and posted a .711 faceoff winning percentage, ranking second among qualifiers. He has 89 points in 106 Cornell games, including 10 goals and 23 assists as a junior.

The players

Ryan Walsh

Cornell men's hockey captain and Rochester native who helped the U.S. Collegiate Selects reach the 2025 Spengler Cup championship game.

Xavier Veilleux

Cornell defenseman selected for the U.S. Collegiate Selects roster for the 2026 Spengler Cup.

Mike Souza

University of New Hampshire coach who serves as head coach of the U.S. Collegiate Selects.

Casey Jones

Cornell's head coach who will serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. Collegiate Selects.

The details

Walsh and Minnesota Duluth's Zam Plante are the only returning players named to the roster so far. Mike Souza, New Hampshire's coach, will lead the U.S. Collegiate Selects, with Cornell's Casey Jones serving as an assistant coach.

Oct. 22, 2026: Xavier Veilleux was selected for the roster.
Nov. 5, 2026: Walsh was named to the U.S. Collegiate Selects roster.
Dec. 26, 2026: The U.S. opens Spengler Cup group play against Frölunda.
Dec. 31, 2026: The Spengler Cup championship game is scheduled for 6:10 a.m. Eastern.

Season Trajectory

Walsh's return follows the U.S. Collegiate Selects' 2025 appearance in the Spengler Cup championship game, where he helped the team reach the final. His selection keeps a Cornell core connected to that recent tournament run.

Fans following the Spengler Cup can track the U.S. roster as it grows from 16 players to 25 before group play begins. Anyone tracking Cornell or Division I hockey will see Walsh's faceoff and scoring numbers matter in an international setting.

The takeaway

Walsh's return to the U.S. Collegiate Selects shows how college players can carry national-team experience forward from one tournament to the next.

What happens next

The U.S. Collegiate Selects open Spengler Cup group play against Frölunda on Dec. 26, 2026, with the championship game scheduled for Dec. 31, 2026 at 6:10 a.m. Eastern.