PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Unforgettable scenes in Milan with empty benches, overtime heroes, and gold medals illustrate why hockey players do what they do.
Practice at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth Township offers a glimpse at how they get there.
“It brings chills to your body,” said 17-year-old forward Rocco Pelosi. “It’s just special to see, knowing that the guys have gone through the same process that we are going through.”
There is no honor or glory like winning Olympic gold.
The National Team Development Program (NTDP) is a foundational step along the way, fostering bonds among the next generation of American greats before advancing to the next level at home and abroad.
“It’s a really hard process,” NTDP Under-17 head coach Greg Moore said. “They’re failing constantly and learning through that failure how to become a man and how to become a better hockey player. When it comes down to a gold medal game in the Olympics, and they’re looking around the room, and they’ve been through those wars together, it brings more trust in themselves together that they can do it.”
The NTDP selects 45 athletes to play on two teams, an Under-17 and Under-18 roster.
Both groups schedule top international and junior competitions, while the U-18 squad schedules ranked Division I college programs, with NHL Draft picks who are as many as 6 years older than the NTDP prospects.
“It fast-tracks their development process,” Moore said. “They ‘re having to learn how to move the puck faster, how to think faster, how to play as a team faster.”
Hockey can’t be played at half-speed.
The pace of the game against top competition brings out the best in NTDP athletes, as does daily association with elite players.
“If you’re on the ice, you’re going against the best of the best in the country and the world,” Pelosi added. “You’ve got to bring it every day.”
Seventeen men’s gold medalists at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics were full-time members of the National Team Development Program.
About 100 NTDP alumni have played in the NHL this season.
Their impact is felt by example and upon their return to train in Plymouth each summer.
“We got to meet some of them, and they’re even better people than they are players,” Pelosi said. “They know what it’s like to be here and go through the struggles.”
“It all has to do with the people, from the staff to the players,” U-17 forward Nolan Fitzhenry added. “We know it’s going to make us better in the end. Just coming in and trying to do our best each weekend, not looking at wins and losses, and looking at the process is huge for our team.”
Hockey can be taught anywhere. What’s learned in Plymouth is an experience of a lifetime, they hope gets put in action with more wins and medals around the world.
“We take so much pride in it,” Pelosi said. “Seeing what it meant for them to win a gold medal for our country, seeing the tears, the partying, that’s what it’s all about.”
To celebrate the 17 alumni who brought home gold, tickets to NTDP games are 17 dollars all weekend.
Fans will have opportunities to win signed memorabilia and enjoy a selfie station commemorating Jack Hughes and Megan Keller.