Next man up: Key players of the U.S. men's Olympic ice hockey team
As was the case with the team for PyeongChang 2018, the U.S. men's squad for Beijing 2022 is an interesting mix of collegiate stars and professionals playing in Europe.
Ice Hockey
USA Hockey's men's ice hockey team compete tomorrow in their first match of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
If the youthful team wants to win a first USA men's Olympic gold medal since 1980 - when a team primarily comprised of college kids upset the heavily favoured Soviet Union in Lake Placid - they will need to fend off elite competition from around the world. Four years ago in PyeongChang, a U.S. team that was also without its NHL stars finished seventh at the Games; the OAR, conversely, were able to select players from its renowned domestic league (the Kontinental Hockey League [KHL]), and won the gold medal.
Below we highlight some of the members of a youthful USA team (the 2022 Olympic squad has an average age of 25.1, making it the youngest U.S. men's Olympic team since 1994) looking to make history in Beijing.
Read more: NHL players will not participate in Winter Olympics in Beijing
Brian O'Neill | Forward | Jokerit (KHL)
O'Neill, 33, is the only Olympian on the 2022 roster. The forward, who is currently third in the KHL with 33 assists and 11th in points with 42, was a member of the 2018 U.S. team that finished seventh in the Republic of Korea. O'Neill, who is known as "Mr. Helsinki" by the fans of Finland's Jokerit, also played 22 games in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils.
Matty Beniers | Center | University of Michigan | Seattle Kraken (NHL)
At just 19-years-old, Beniers is one of the more experienced members among the younger players of the Olympic team; the center represented the USA at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal.
Beniers is currently a sophmore at the University of Michigan, and in 2021 became the first-ever draft selection of the Seattle Kraken when he was drafted second overall in the NHL Entry Draft.
Jake Sanderson | Defenseman | University of North Dakota | Ottawa Senators (NHL)
19-year-old Jake Sanderson has experience with international hockey and as a leader after being named as the captain for the U.S. team at the 2022 World Junior Championships (which were cancelled after several games due to positive COVID-19 tests among several teams). He also played on the gold-medal winning team at the 2021 tournament, where he recorded an assist on the game-winning goal to send the U.S. to the gold-medal game. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Sanderson was drafted fifth overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Drew Commesso | Goalie | Boston University | Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
A star netminder at Boston University, Commesso has been tabbed as having the most NHL potential among all three goalies selected for the Olympic team. Like Sanderson, Commesso was a starter for the U.S. World Junior Championship team before the tournament was cancelled.
Matthew Knies | Forward | University of Minnesota | Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Knies is coming off a great freshman season with the Gophers, demonstrating a powerful shot and the ability to play in front of the net. At 190.5cm and 95kg (6'3" & 210lbs), the 19-year-old will likely be a key member of the power-play unit as he looks to assert his physicality in the offensive zone on the ice.
Nathan Smith | Center | Minnesota State | Winnipeg Jets (NHL)
Smith has been so good for Minnesota State (contributing 33 points through 22 games) this season that he would likely be in contention for the Hobey Baker Award (awarded to the top NCAA men's ice hockey player in the U.S.), were it not for his inclusion on the U.S. Olympic team.
His skills on both ends of the ice should earn him significant playing time in Beijing.
Kenny Agostino | Forward | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
Agostino is one of the few veterans of the Beijing 2022 Olympic team; the 29-year-old was a fifth-round selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010, and has gone on to see action with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL.
The 29-year-old currently plies his trade with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, and has found the net 20 times to along with 20 assists this season. His experience, leadership and offensive nous will surely be called upon by head coach David Quinn in Beijing.
The USA is seeded in Group A along with Canada, Germany and hosts People's Republic of China.
The best four teams from an overall 12-team ranking – the group winners and the second-ranked team with the best record – will advance to the quarter-finals (where the competition will move to the knockout phase) while the other teams will play a qualification playoff game.