Jake Sanderson will make another stop on the world stage.
The Ottawa Senators top defenceman had a hard time finding words when Bill Guerin, the general manager of Team USA, called in the days before the official announcement on Jan. 2 that Sanderson had been named to the 23-man roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics Games.
“I was pretty emotional when I got the call,” the 23-year-old Sanderson told the Ottawa Citizen in an interview last week.
While players were headed in different directions after the final buzzer sounded on Thursday night in Philadelphia, Sanderson, captain Brady Tkachuk and video guru Mike King went to New York City following the game to prepare to fly to Milan, Italy, with Team USA on Saturday.
“It’s just been a lot of hard work,” Sanderson said of making the American squad. “This is something I’ve been thinking about for years, not just the past couple of months.
“Playing for the national team development program, knowing the pride of wearing the Team USA jersey, and you don’t realize when you’re that age, because you put it on every single day in practice. But once you get older, you have more of an appreciation for it.
“It was just an amazing feeling when I got the call.”
He went into the break with 11 goals and 46 points in 57 games with the Senators.
Sanderson’s Olympic experience
This won’t be Sanderson’s first trip to the Olympics, but it will be his first time experiencing the real feeling around the Games. He suited up for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but didn’t get much of a chance to enjoy it.
He caught COVID-19 while travelling from the University of North Dakota to Los Angeles for a brief training camp. He had to quarantine in a hotel in California before flying overseas. To make matters worse, Sanderson got injured in the first game he played.
We’ll let Sanderson’s father, Geoff, take it from there.
“The team goes to China and he’s behind quarantining in a hotel room,” said Geoff, a former NHLer from his Calgary home last week. “The Olympic Committee was unbelievable, bringing him exercise equipment up to his room, letting him work out in the stairwells.
“But when he finally passed our COVID test, they told him, ‘We don’t know what kind of test the Chinese Olympic Committee is doing. It’s different than ours and there is a possibility that you fail when you get there, and you’ll be put into quarantine in China.’
“Imagine, as a parent, what are you kidding me? I actually lightly tried to nudge Jake. I don’t know whether this is all worth it for these Olympics? This is going to be spectacular.”
Sanderson and the rest of the participants from the National Hockey League missed the Opening Ceremonies because of scheduling, but they won’t be treated any differently than the amateur athletes who are participating.
They’ll be in the Athletes Village, enjoying the day-to-day activities surrounding the Games and hopefully getting the opportunity to see some other sports. Yes, there will be pressure competing for a gold medal, but Sanderson wouldn’t give up on this opportunity.
How did Sanderson fare in 4 Nations Face-off?
He answered the call for the Americans last February when he suited up at the last minute when defenceman Quinn Hughes wasn’t healthy enough to play at the 4 Nations Face-off in Montreal and Boston. Sanderson had a strong effort in that tourney.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself last year to make that team,” Sanderson said. “When I didn’t, it just added more fuel to the fire. Being disappointed last year, it makes you work harder.
“When you look back, you’re kind of glad those things happened to you, because it makes you stronger.”
Sanderson’s family is heading overseas to see the games. Geoff, mother Ellen, and siblings Ben and Sawyer will be on hand.
What role will Sanderson play for the Americans? That’s to be determined by coach Mike Sullivan. A shutdown spot in the top four might work. Sanderson ranks fifth in the NHL in average time on ice at 25 minutes and seven seconds per game.
Related
“He’s really competitive defensively, like a lot of guys,” said Geoff, who played 17 years in the NHL, mostly with Hartford and Columbus. “I wasn’t born with that gene, but he was born to be competitive defensively.
“He always wanted to be the goalie in hockey, the goalie in soccer or the catcher in baseball. His compete defensively is probably why he went under the radar for so long as a younger player. He’s a guy who would rather prevent a goal than score one.”
What does Sanderson look forward to most about going to the Olympics?
“Next to a Stanley Cup, the gold medal is as high as it gets,” Sanderson said. “It’s cool just being on the world stage.
“There’s so much history with USA Hockey in the Olympics and we haven’t won gold in a while.”