Jackson LaCombe replaces injured Seth Jones for USA hockey

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe replaced the Florida Panthers' Seth Jones on the U.S. Olympic roster on Wednesday.

USA Hockey announced the change and confirmed Jones' inability to participate due to injury when the tournament begins next month in Milan, Italy.

This past May, LaCombe helped the U.S. capture its first gold medal at the IIHF World Championship since 1933.

LaCombe, 25, has 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) through 49 games this season with the Ducks, who drafted him in the second round in 2019.

Jones, 31, was named to the Olympic team on Jan. 2 but has not played since an errant shot struck him in the collarbone that night in the Winter Classic outdoor game.

LaCombe will play a depth role on an American blue line anchored by Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, both Norris Trophy finalists last season.

The other U.S. defensemen are Brock Faber of the Wild, Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins, Noah Hanifin of the Vegas Golden Knights, Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators and Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The U.S. takes on Latvia, Denmark and Germany in the Olympic round-robin phase from Feb. 12-15.

--Field Level Media