It was a tough start to Jason Robertson's new year.
The Dallas Stars forward, who finds himself sitting tied for eighth in the NHL's scoring race, surprisingly was left off Team USA's roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
It doesn't appear he was asked to stay ready in case of an injury to a forward on their roster, either.
"I don't know," Robertson told Robert Tiffin of D Magazine on Saturday when asked if he was added to their reserve list.
When asked to elaborate on the conversation with the front office, the 26-year-old stated: "There wasn’t much. It is what it is.”
In 41 games this season, Robertson has netted 24 goals with 24 assists and a plus-15 rating for the Stars who sit tied for the second most points in the NHL.
He is on pace to set a career high in goals with 48.
The Arcadia, Calif., native, was also left off the United States' 4 Nations Face-Off roster that ultimately fell to Canada in the finals during an overtime thriller.
“I thought that this year was different from last year. Obviously last year, I didn’t think I was good enough. Now, I think I did," Robertson continued. "It’s their choice and their decision, and that's it.”
Robertson has posted 192 goals and 250 assists for a plus-110 rating since he was drafted 39th overall by the Stars in 2017.
He inked a four-year, $31 million contract as a restricted free agent Oct. 6, 2022 to stay in Dallas.
“I just strive to be the best at whatever I can be. It so happened that this year was the Olympic year, and that's not gonna stop me from doing that the rest of the season.”
