Kenny Agostino achieving life goals at Beijing 2022

Even before Kenny Agostino scored a crucial goal for Team USA against Canada in the men’s ice hockey preliminary round, he had realised a lifelong dream.

The 29-year-old left-winger was drafted into the U.S. roster in late December after the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that its players would not participate at Beijing 2022.

And he says the phone call confirming his inclusion at Beijing 2022 was a life-changing moment.

"It's definitely a phone call I don't think I'll ever forget," he told the Morristown Daily Record in January. "I absolutely love the Olympic Winter Games.

"As a kid growing up, my three biggest dreams in hockey were to win the Frozen Four, which I was fortunate enough to accomplish (at Yale); to win a Stanley Cup — unfortunately, that didn't happen — and to go to the Olympics, which is definitely a dream come true."

Now that he’s here in Beijing, Agostini is targeting Team USA’s first men's hockey medal since silver at Vancouver 2010.

An experienced head with an eye for goal

Agostino is one of the most experienced players in what is Team USA’s youngest squad since 1994.

He is one of six players among the 25-man group with NHL experience, which means he’ll be one of the characters his teammates will be looking to as they try and progress through the competition.

Agostino made his NHL debut in March 2014 for the Calgary Flames and played 10 games for the Canadian side.

Spells at St Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs followed as he made 86 starts, registering eight goals and 22 assists.

He then joined AHL club Chicago Wolves and was named the AHL MVP after an 83-point season in 2016-17.

After making one appearance for the Leafs last season, he joined Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) side Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod where he has notched 20 goals and 20 assists in 46 games and earned a contract extension for a second season.

Agostino is currently the second-top scoring American in the league.

"I love scoring goals,” he said. “There's nothing like scoring goals. I hope that's something I'm asked to do with this [USA] team."

A strong start at Beijing 2022

Agostino scored USA's fourth in their first victory over Canada at an Olympic Winter Games since the prelim rounds at Vancouver 2010.

He graduated from Delbarton School in New Jersey in 2010 as its all-time leading scorer with 50 goals and 33 assists as a senior.

His coach at Delbarton, Bruce Shatel, thinks the occasion is made for the forward.

"In the Olympics, he's going to have a ton of pressure to perform for your country, but he's not going to worry about being re-signed, or to play in your next game.

"I think you're going to see great things from him at the Games."

Dreaming of gold

Team USA are certainly showing signs of being able to mount a podium charge.

They beat China 8-0 in their first match before the impressive showing against a Canada side featuring three of the top five picks in the 2021 NHL Draft.

"The kids can play, I think it’s safe to say," Agostino said of his young teammates after the match. "It’s clear we’ve got a lot of speed and a lot of talent.”

The average age in the squad is 25.1, and 15 of them are currently playing College hockey, including Sean Farrell, Ben Meyers and Noah Cates.

It’s also clear that despite their fledgling status, Team USA are not just in Beijing for the experience.

“I want to win a gold medal, plain and simple,” admitted Agostino. “That's what everyone's goal is. That's our team goal.”

Victory over Germany in their final preliminary match on Sunday (13 February) would send USA through to the quarter-finals on Wednesday.