Every four years brings a remarkable hockey competition that thrills fans worldwide. The Winter Olympics are a few months away in Milano Cortina, gathering the best hockey players in the world for a short tournament. NHL players are making a return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The Dallas Stars are sending several players to the tournament while the rest receive a welcome break in the middle of February. Many other non-Russian Stars players will join in playing for glory and bragging rights for their country over the next 4 years.
Finland
Mirro Heiskanen, Mikko Rantanen, and Roope Hintz are on the projected roster for Finland. Former Stars forward Mikael Granlund is also a projected forward. Team Finland defends their title as gold medalists after winning their first in 2022. The NHLers will look to achieve the same result as their countrymen in the last Olympics.
Canada
Thomas Harley played in the recent 4 Nations Face-Off after a call-up due to injury. He cancelled his vacation plans to answer Canada’s call. He played well enough in the spotlight to earn a prospective roster spot in the Olympics. Canada seeks their 10th gold medal in Olympic play and first since 2014. Jamie Benn scored the only goal for Canada against the United States to send the Canadians to the Gold Medal Game in 2014.
United States
Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger are the presumptive representatives for the United States. These two look to make a big impact on a US roster stacked with talent. Oettinger and Connor Hellyebuck are the dynamic duo who are looking to backstop the United States to gold. These two played together in the 4 Nations Face-Off before appearing as opponents in the second round series between the Stars and Jets. Hellyebuck shut out the Stars in the Jets’ only two wins in that series while Oettinger took the other four. The United States team seeks their first gold medal since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
R & R Time
Non-Olympic Stars players will have a nice break the entire month of February. The Stars have four games in February, all at home, with a three-week break in the middle. We’ll have a preview of the US goaltending tandem as the Stars play the Jets on February 2nd.
Olympics
The Men’s tournament begins on Wednesday, February 11, with the United States team beginning against Latvia on Thursday. The United States will play Germany, Latvia, and Denmark in the preliminary round, representing Group C. The top team in each group will advance to the quarterfinals alongside the next-highest-seeded team. The bottom eight will play in a one-game playoff to advance to the quarterfinals. The playoff round will contain single elimination games with the semi-final losers playing for bronze. The Gold Medal Game is on February 22nd, 46 years to the day since the Miracle on Ice game.
Many Stars players are headed to Italy to represent their country in the Olympics. Some Stars will stay home to enjoy much-needed rest. The Stars’ fan base is divided among countries, with many wanting players on this team to take home gold. Some players may have more bragging rights when they return to the Stars locker room.
Tags: dallas stars Jake Oettinger jamie benn Jason Robertson Mikael Granlund Mikko Rantanen Miro Heiskanen nhl Roope Hintz Thomas Harley Winter Olympics
Categorized:Stars