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Brianna Decker Out For Rest Of Olympics

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The Olympic women’s ice hockey event kicked off last night, with Canada dominating Switzerland but potentially losing Melodie Daoust after she left the game early holding her shoulder. Team Canada hasn’t provided an update on the star forward, only that she continues to be assessed by the medical staff.

It’s much worse for Team USA, who have confirmed to reporters including Erica L. Ayala of the PHF that Brianna Decker will miss the rest of the tournament. Decker was shown on crutches with a cast on her ankle and foot, after being stretchered off earlier in the game against Finland. The U.S. forward got tangled with a Finnish player behind the net partway through the first period and obviously did not return.

While the U.S. still took down Finland–the third-best team in the world–losing Decker is a huge blow in their quest to take home gold. The 30-year-old is an incredibly decorated member of the national program, with six World Championship and one Olympic gold medal. A Patty Kazmaier winner as the best player in college hockey, a CWHL Rookie of the Year and champion with multiple NWHL MVPs, and in her third Olympics, there are few players in the world that can bring Decker’s resume to international competition.

2022 Team USA Olympic Roster

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Though the official announcement is still an hour away, Frank Seravalli and Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff are reporting all 25 players that are expected to be named to Team USA for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The group includes players from the NCAA, AHL, and several overseas leagues.

The roster will be:

G Drew Commesso
G Strauss Mann
G Pat Nagle

D Brian Cooper
D Brock Faber
D Drew Helleson
D Steven Kampfer
D Aaron Ness
D Nick Perbix
D Jake Sanderson
D David Warsofsky

F Nick Abruzzese
F Kenny Agostino
F Matty Beniers
F Brendan Brisson
F Noah Cates
F Sean Farrell
F Sam Hentges
F Matthew Knies
F Marc McLaughlin
F Ben Meyers
F Andy Miele
F Brian O’Neill
F Nick Shore
F Nathan Smith

This group has a huge college contingent and also includes several players who were robbed of an opportunity to compete for a World Junior medal this year when the tournament was canceled.

In all, 13 NHL prospects are included on the team, including Beniers, the first-ever draft pick in Seattle Kraken history. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only club with two prospects, as Minnesota freshman Knies and Harvard sophomore Abruzzese both made the squad.

The tournament is set to kick-off for the U.S. on February 10 when they take on China, a nation that was given entry to the tournament because it is hosting the event.

USA Hockey Notes: Sanderson, Beniers, Brisson

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Ahead of USA Hockey’s roster unveiling tomorrow of the 25-man contingent that will head to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, a few names of players named to the team are leaking today. Per the Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Elliott Schlossman, one of those players is University of North Dakota defenseman (and Ottawa Senators prospect) Jake Sanderson. Sanderson, the fifth overall pick in 2020, has 22 points through 17 games as an assistant captain at UND. He’ll undoubtedly be a huge part of Team USA’s blueline in Beijing.

More Olympic notes for USA Hockey:

  • Seattle Kraken prospect Matty Beniers will also be on the final roster, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports. The 6’1″, 174-lb center is enjoying a great sophomore season at the University of Michigan with 26 points in 22 games. He’ll also likely be one of the team’s big go-to players without NHL talent on the team.
  • A second University of Michigan player will be going, per Wheeler — Vegas Golden Knights pick Brendan Brisson. The team’s 29th overall pick in 2020 has 27 points in 23 games there this year, and while he might not play as prominent a role as Beniers on the team, he’s a great two-way center who should be a great energy player for Team USA.

Team USA Forfeits World Junior Game; Enters Quarantine

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Dec 29: Another game has been forfeited, this time by Czechia. Finland will receive a 1-0 victory after a Czech player tested positive last night. The team will enter a quarantine like the U.S. and its status for tomorrow’s game against Austria is still to be determined.

For Team USA there might be some good news, as Bob McKenzie of TSN suggests that though the two players who tested positive have had that confirmed, the rest of the team is waiting for results this afternoon that could make them eligible to play against Sweden.

A few hours later, McKenzie reports that Russia has also forfeited a game due to a positive test. Slovakia will get the 1-0 win, and Russia’s upcoming games are now in question.

Dec 28: The IIHF has announced that Team USA has been forced into a mandatory quarantine period at the World Juniors after two players tested positive for COVID-19. Because they are unable to participate in the scheduled game against Switzerland today, the U.S. has forfeited the match. It will be recorded as a 1-0 Swiss victory. The team’s quarantine status will be evaluated later on to determine if they will be able to participate in the next preliminary round game, scheduled for tomorrow against Sweden. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the positive test results could involve the team’s goaltending, though official word on player status has not been released.

Of note in a case like this, the IIHF decided not to include relegation for this year’s tournament because of the possibility of a series of forfeits, should a team experience a COVID outbreak. The U.S. is not in danger of falling out of the top division, though this obviously puts their chances at a medal in jeopardy. Switzerland and Russia will now be tied with Team USA in the Group B standings with one win and one loss. Should they also be forced to forfeit tomorrow’s game against the Swedes, it would be a difficult path to the quarter-finals.

The U.S. played Slovakia on December 26, who then played Sweden last night. Because of the condensed timeline of the event, it’s easy to see how an early outbreak could run rampant and end up putting the entire tournament in jeopardy.

John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. squad, released a statement:

We’re extremely disappointed, especially for our players. We’re operating in an ever-changing landscape and that’s very challenging. We’ve followed the tournament protocol from the outset and will continue to do everything we can to ensure our players have the opportunity to compete at the World Junior Championship. 

Armstrong, Guerin Among Staff No Longer Involved In Olympic Selections

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Dec 27: As expected, Quinn will take over the head coaching duties of Team USA. John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of USA Hockey, will serve as general manager–a position he already holds for the National Junior Team that is currently competing in Alberta. Without NHL participation, several members of that junior group could find themselves on the Olympic team in a few months.

Dec 22: The NHL isn’t going to the Olympics, and that doesn’t mean just Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane. The active NHL executives and coaches that had previously been announced will also be pulled out, meaning, for instance, that Bill Guerin is no longer the general manager of Team USA and Doug Armstrong is no longer with Team Canada.

For the U.S. the announcement that the managers and coaches will no longer be involved was made this morning, though no direct replacements have been officially named. David Quinn, formerly of the New York Rangers, has been linked to the head coaching position by several reports, including Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff. The U.S. management group is expected to name the final roster–one that will now be made up of players from college, the minor leagues, and European leagues–by mid-January. Peters projected a potential “Plan B” roster earlier this month.

For Canada, Armstrong confirmed to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he will step down as general manager. He’s handing the reins to Hockey Canada’s Scott Salmond who will now have to find a roster outside the NHL to compete at the Games, one that doesn’t have the luxury of the Spengler Cup later this month to prepare. In LeBrun’s interview with Armstrong, the St. Louis Blues manager confirms that Crosby would have been the team’s captain, something that was decided very early on. He also explained that they had already locked in “three full forward lines and two sets of D” with January 12 the date they would reveal the entire group.

The managers and coaches involved will all now have to focus on their own NHL schedules–ones that are currently on hold and seemingly changing by the hour.

USA Hockey Names Captains For WJC

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Another defenseman will lead his squad into the World Junior Championship that starts this weekend. Jake Sanderson has been named captain of the U.S. National Junior Team, where he can show exactly why the Ottawa Senators picked him fifth overall in 2020. He’ll be joined by Matty Beniers, Brock Faber, and Landon Slaggert who will serve as alternates for the tournament.

Head coach Nate Leaman explained that it’s not just these four who will lead the team:

The strength of this team is its leadership and we have a group of guys that have earned the letter on their jersey both on and off the ice. There are even more leaders in our locker room. We’re excited about this group overall, and for us to be successful, every player will need to find a way to lead.

Sanderson, a sophomore at the University of North Dakota, has improved his offensive game this season to go with a defensive repertoire that could likely have him hold his own in the NHL right now. In 15 games for the Fighting Hawks, he has 19 points and is obviously processing the game at a higher level when the puck is on his stick. There’s still work to be done if Sanderson’s going to become the true top-pairing player that the Senators hope for, but there’s little doubt he will dominate this tournament as a do-it-all defender for Team USA.

Beniers, the second-overall pick from 2021, is in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan and is once again playing at a point-per-game pace. With 22 points in 20 games he needs just two more to match the total he set in the shortened 2020-21 season, one which left many Michigan players wanting another crack at the NCAA tournament. The Seattle Kraken were happy to see him return but will likely be looking to sign Beniers as soon as possible, in order to start building their brand around the 19-year-old forward.

Faber, another member of the Los Angeles Kings’ huge number of high-end prospects, is a defenseman for the University of Minnesota, where he is in his sophomore season. While he has just nine points in 18 games this season, he showed at last year’s World Junior tournament that he can step directly into an offensive role if given the opportunity as well. It’s his mobility on the defensive end that stands out with Faber though, as he smoothly closes gaps and disrupts plays with extremely quick feet.

Slaggert, the lowest draft pick of the bunch, is a returnee to the team (they all are) after he played his way in during selection camp last year. The Chicago Blackhawks third-round pick from 2020, Slaggert has continued to take steps forward in his overall game while playing at Notre Dame but doesn’t provide the kind of offensive upside some of his teammates will. That doesn’t matter, as there’s absolutely no quit in Slaggert’s high-energy play which will set the tone for the U.S. squad every game.

USA Hockey Announces 2022 WJC Roster

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The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. For USA Hockey, selection camp is being held in Plymouth, Michigan, where the final roster has been picked. From a group of 31 players, 25 were selected to represent their country on the international stage.

The team, with their NHL affiliation:

G Drew Commesso (CHI)
G Kaidan Mbereko (2022 draft eligible)
G Dylan Silverstein (2022 draft eligible)

D Brock Faber (LAK)
D Luke Hughes (NJD)
D Wyatt Kaiser (CHI)
D Tyler Kleven (OTT)
D Ian Moore (ANA)
D Scott Morrow (CAR)
D Jack Peart (MIN)
D Jake Sanderson (OTT)

F Matty Beniers (SEA)
F Brett Berard (NYR)
F Logan Cooley (2022 draft eligible)
F Matt Coronato (CGY)
F Tanner Dickinson (STL)
F Dominic James (2022 draft eligible)
F Matthew Knies (TOR)
F Chaz Lucius (WPG)
F Carter Mazur (DET)
F Sasha Pastujov (ANA)
F Mackie Samoskevich (FLA)
F Red Savage (DET)
F Landon Slaggert (CHI)
F Ty Smilanic (FLA)

Luke Pavicich, Connor Kelley, Jacob Truscott, Declan McDonnell, Dylan Peterson were the final cuts from the team after some earlier changes. Interestingly enough, Peart, who replaced Sean Behrens as a late invite to selection camp has made the team. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic predicts some potential line combinations for the group, including a top defense pairing of Sanderson and Hughes, likely one of the best duos in the tournament.

USA Hockey Announces Preliminary 2022 WJC Roster

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December 12: USA Hockey has announced a slight roster change to its upcoming camp roster. Defenseman Sean Behrens (COL) of the University of Denver and forward Thomas Bordeleau (SJS) of the University of Michigan will no longer compete for a spot on the 2022 WJC roster. Defenseman Jack Peart (MIN) of St. Cloud State University will get a chance though as a late addition to the roster.

November 30: The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. For USA Hockey, selection camp will start in just two weeks in Plymouth, Michigan, where the final roster will need to be picked. Today 31 players were invited to that camp, a group that will be pared down to 25 that will travel to the tournament.

The invitees, with their NHL affiliation:

G Drew Commesso (CHI)
G Kaidan Mbereko (2022 draft eligible)
G Luke Pavicich (2022 draft eligible)
G Dylan Silverstein (2022 draft eligible)

D Brock Faber (LAK)
D Luke Hughes (NJD)
D Wyatt Kaiser (CHI)
D Connor Kelley (CHI)
D Tyler Kleven (OTT)
D Ian Moore (ANA)
D Scott Morrow (CAR)
D Jack Peart (MIN)
D Jake Sanderson (OTT)
D Jacob Truscott (VAN)

F Matty Beniers (SEA)
F Brett Berard (NYR)
F Logan Cooley (2022 draft eligible)
F Matt Coronato (CGY)
F Tanner Dickinson (STL)
F Dominic James (2022 draft eligible)
F Matthew Knies (TOR)
F Chaz Lucius (WPG)
F Carter Mazur (DET)
F Declan McDonnell (TBL)
F Sasha Pastujov (ANA)
F Dylan Peterson (STL)
F Mackie Samoskevich (FLA)
F Red Savage (DET)
F Landon Slaggert (CHI)
F Ty Smilanic (FLA)

While this group perhaps doesn’t inspire the same level of excitement that has been around the U.S. WJC rosters the last few years, it’s still headlined by some outstanding prospects including Sanderson, Beniers, and Hughes. All three were top-five NHL picks and are locks to make the team in key roles. The team also notably has a lot of size and length on defense, with Behrens the only invitee that comes in under 6’0″.

Snapshots: Team USA, Wild, Ghost Pirates

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When Stan Bowman stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, he also removed himself from the position of Team USA general manager for the upcoming Olympics. According to Steven Ellis of The Hockey News, that position is expected to go to Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who had previously been serving as AGM for the team.

Guerin, who had previously been involved in an investigation hailing back to his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was cleared recently by the U.S. Center for SafeSport according to Ellis. (UPDATE: Katie Strang of The Athletic reports that it is not quite that simple, and Guerin has not been cleared of wrongdoing as the case has not even progressed to the level of complainant interviews yet.)

  • The Minnesota Wild may be facing a COVID protocol situation, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The team is waiting for further testing and canceled practice today, as they prepare for their game tomorrow night. Russo believes at least two players are expected to be moved into the protocol, while the Wild are going to recall Kyle Rau, Connor Dewar and Jon Lizotte from the AHL.
  • The ECHL has announced their newest franchise, set to join the league in 2022-23. The Savannah Ghost Pirates will start play next season and sport green and black as their primary colors.

Snapshots: Wilson, Three Stars, Cash

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Last year, Colin Wilson opened up in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, explaining that he had been dealing with untreated obsessive-compulsive disorder throughout his career. He was trying to educate young players on the importance of mental health and the risks that a professional career brought him.

Today, Wilson released an addendum titled “Addiction” in which he fully admits his addiction to drugs, use of Ambien and cocaine, and hopes to spread increased awareness following the recent fentanyl-contributed death of former NHL forward Jimmy Hayes. Wilson’s new piece is a worthwhile–if difficult–read for all sports fans.

  • The league has announced the Three Stars for last week, with Kyle Connor taking home top spot after racking up five goals and eight points in three games. The point total was the same for Connor McDavid, who was the week’s second star, while Ilya Sorokin posted an outstanding .971 save percentage with two shutouts to earn third place. Sorokin was the first Islanders’ goaltender to post shutouts in consecutive days as he held the fort while Semyon Varlamov recovered from injury.
  • One of the greatest sled hockey players of all time has announced his retirement, as Steve Cash will end his playing days after 16 seasons in goal for the U.S. National Team. Cash has three Paralympic Winter Games gold medals (and a bronze), eight World Championship gold medals, and lost just 16 games in regulation during his more than 150 starts for Team USA.

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