Canadian men's hockey team named for Beijing 2022
No NHL players are heading to Beijing, but Stanley Cup champion Staal makes the team
Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced the 25-player roster that has been nominated to compete in men’s hockey at Beijing 2022 on Tuesday, the final group of athletes nominated for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
With the NHL pulling out of the Olympics for a second consecutive tournament, countries have been forced to turn their attention to other leagues. Most of the Canadian team is based in Europe, with AHL, OHL and university players also selected.
The team was selected by General Manager Shane Doan, Assistant General Manager and Senior Vice-President of Hockey Operations Scott Salmond, and Director of Player Personnel Blair Mackasey. Canada’s Head Coach will be Claude Julien and his assistants will be Nolan Baumgartner, Jeremy Colliton and Tyler Dietrich.
Three of the 25 players were part of the team that won the bronze medal in at the 2018 Winter Olympics — Maxim Noreau, Mat Robinson and Eric O’Dell. O’Dell (Dynamo Moscow) and Robinson (SKA St. Petersburg) both play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, while Noreau plays for the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League.
The most well-known player on the team is 37-year-old forward Eric Staal. Currently a free agent, Staal has played nearly 1,300 NHL games, and has picked up over 1000 points. He’s a member of the “Triple Gold Club”, having won the Stanley Cup (2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes), World Championships (2007) and Olympic gold (2010).
He was a part of the Montreal Canadiens’ run to the 2020-21 Stanley Cup final, but has been a free agent since, apart from a four-game stint (during which he scored two goals and assisted three others) with the AHL’s Iowa Wild to get him up to game speed ahead of the Olympics. He’s hoping to turn a strong Olympic performance into an NHL contract.
“I have so many fond memories of competing at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and winning a gold medal on home ice, and I am honoured to once again be nominated for the 2022 Games in Beijing,” said Staal in a press release. “The Olympics are the pinnacle of sport, and I know our entire team is grateful for the opportunity to compete for a gold medal in Beijing and be a part of Team Canada.”
At the other end of the age spectrum, nearly 20 years younger than Staal, are a pair of teenagers — Owen Power from the University of Michigan and Mason McTavish from the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Drafted first and third overall in the 2021 NHL draft respectively, the young duo were competing for Canada at the World Juniors in December before the rest of the tournament was cancelled, and now get a second chance at wearing the maple leaf.
The same can be said for goaltender Devon Levi, who was also at that tournament after a strong NCAA season thus far, and will now be on the plane to Beijing.
Other former NHLers on the team include Jason Demers, David Desharnais, Daniel Winnik, Adam Cracknell, Josh Ho-Sang, Eric O'Dell, Ben Street, Mark Barberio and Tyler Wotherspoon.
“We are proud to unveil the 25 players that have been nominated to represent Team Canada in Beijing. We know these athletes will represent our country with a tremendous amount of pride as they compete for an Olympic gold medal,” said Tom Renney, Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Canada, in a press release. “Hockey Canada wishes to extend its congratulations to all the players and their families on their nomination to the Canadian Olympic Team. We know Canadians across the country and around the world will join us in cheering on the team at Beijing 2022.”
“The management group and coaching staff have worked diligently to evaluate and select players that we believe will give us the best chance to win a gold medal and we are thrilled to announce the 25 players that will wear the maple leaf in Beijing,” added Doan. “It truly is a special honour to be able to represent your country at the Olympics. We know this group of athletes and staff will embrace the opportunity and make all Canadians proud.”
Canada has won the most Olympic medals in men’s ice hockey (16) as well as the most gold medals (9). This year’s men’s event will take place from February 9-20 at the National Indoor Stadium and Wukesong Sports Centre.
The team is currently in Davos, Switzerland for a training camp, before they head to Beijing on February 1. They’ll play against Switzerland during this camp, before taking on the United States in a pre-tournament game in Beijing as well.
“I am so proud to welcome the final team of athletes to Team Canada,” said Catriona Le May Doan, Team Canada’s Beijing 2022 Chef de Mission, in a press release. “The men’s Olympic hockey team has always drawn a huge following from around the country and this year in Beijing it will be no different. These Team Canada athletes have stepped up and they will wear the maple leaf with pride. We look forward to cheering them on as they take on the world.”
The full list of players going to Beijing:
Goaltenders:
Devon Levi (Northeastern University, HE)
Edward Pasquale (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)
Matt Tomkins (Frölunda HC, SHL)
Defence:
Mark Barberio (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Jason Demers (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Brandon Gormley (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)
Alex Grant (Jokerit Helsinki, KHL)
Maxim Noreau (ZSC Lions, NL)
Owen Power (University of Michigan, Big Ten)
Mat Robinson (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)
Tyler Wotherspoon (Utica, AHL)
Forwards:
Daniel Carr (HC Lugano, NL)
Adam Cracknell (Bakersfield, AHL)
David Desharnais (HC Fribourg-Gottéron, NL)
Landon Ferraro (Kölner Haie, DEL)
Josh Ho-Sang (Toronto, AHL)
Corban Knight (Avangard Omsk, KHL)
Jack McBain (Boston College, HE)
Mason McTavish (Hamilton, OHL)
Eric O’Dell (Dynamo Moscow, KHL)
Eric Staal (Iowa, AHL)
Ben Street (EHC Red Bull München, DEL)
Adam Tambellini (Rögle BK, SHL)
Jordan Weal (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Daniel Winnik (Genève-Servette HC, NL)
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