Eric Staal and David Krejci among players to watch in men's Olympic tournament

Seasoned veterans lead list of men to watch on the Wukesong Sports Centre ice at Beijing 2022.

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(2021 Getty Images)

Action is underway in the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament at Beijing 2022.

The household names may be absent following the NHL boycott due to Covid concerns, but there is a chance for young tyros and old stagers to make their presence felt on the biggest stage in international hockey.

Canada start their campaign on Thursday (10 February) against PyeongChang 2018 silver medallists Germany who beat the Canadians in the semi-finals four years ago.

They feature two players at opposite ends of their careers who are expected to have a big impact at Wukesong Sports Centre over the next week and a half.

Eric Staal's Olympic return after 12 years away

Eric Staal will captain Team Canada in Beijing on his second appearance at the Olympic Winter Games, 12 years after his debut at Vancouver 2010.

And what an unforgettable debut it was as Sidney Crosby's overtime goal secured home gold against the United States.

Now 37, Staal is expected to fill the role Crosby would have had as the team's starting centre.

A veteran of 1,293 NHL games and six-time All-Star, Staal reached last season's Stanley Cup Final with the Montreal Canadiens but most recently played for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League.

His experience and ability will be key for Canada, and some strong performances might even earn him an NHL return after the Games.

When it was suggested he was one of the tournament's star names, Staal told the Associated Press: “Well, we’ll see when the games start.

"I’m excited to be here. It’s been a unique couple of years here with everything going in the world and when the NHL opted to not play and my situation was what it was and I jumped at this chance.”

(2021 Getty Images)

Power making Olympic bow before NHL debut

If Staal is the embodiment of longevity, teammate Owen Power represents the promise of youth.

The 19-year-old was the youngest member of the Canada team that won the 2021 IIHF World Championship title in Latvia and will make his Olympic debut before his NHL bow.

Picked number one by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2021 NHL Draft, Power opted to stay at the University of Michigan rather than go to the big league.

A defenceman who scores his fair share of goals, Power is already being billed as a star of the future and could be a world and Olympic champion while still at college.

He told Olympics.com, "To be a gold medalist in the Olympics is just an incredible achievement. But to be able to have a chance to do that this young... it's something that I don't take for granted and it's just really special."

(REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko)

'Smart' Krejci competing at his third Games

Czech Republic's David Krejci is taking part at his third Winter Olympics after finishing sixth at Vancouver 2010 and seventh at Sochi 2014.

Krejci played 15 seasons for the Boston Bruins, claiming two annual plus-minus awards, before returning home at the end of the 2020/21 season to play for Olomouc HC.

With former Boston teammate David Pastrnak unable to play, 37-year-old Krejci is taking on the mantle as the Czechs' star player.

They haven't made the best of starts, going down 2-1 to Olympic debutants Denmark in their opening game.

But Krejci is well capable of transforming the side's fortunes with teammate Lukas Sedlak telling AP: “He’s really smart. He knows the game. He knows where to go.

"He thinks one step ahead, so he knows where all the players are going to be, so I think that’s his biggest strength.”

(ge GETTY IMAGES)

Shipachyov going for gold once more

Vadim Shipachyov and ROC made a winning start to the defence of their title from PyeongChang 2018.

The reigning champions beat Switzerland 1-0 and will be hoping to fare better than last year's World Championship where they finished fifth.

Shipachyov won gold on his World Championship debut in 2014 and won medals at the next three tournaments.

The 34-year-old made his name at SKA St. Petersburg before joining NHL side Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18.

After one goal in three games, he was suspended for refusing to play for the franchise's AHL affiliate before his contract was terminated.

Shipachyov returned to St. Petersburg but was unable to quite pick up where he left off and was only a peripheral figure in OAR's gold in PyeongChang.

After the Olympics, he joined Dynamo Moscow where he has recaptured his best form and now he is captaining ROC in Beijing.

Teammate Mikhail Grigorenko told AP: "He’s a great passer. He’s one of the best passers in the world and obviously the captain, I think he’s got good leadership, too."

(2017 Getty Images)
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