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Olympic Preview 2022
No NHLers? No problem. The 2022 Olympics are packed with intriguing storylines, and we've got you covered with previews of both the women's and men's tournaments. In addition, this issue is packed with star power with features on Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, Sahsa Barkov and much, much more.
STILL SOLID AS A ROC
FAMILIARITY WILL NOT be a problem with Russia’s entry in Beijing. In fact, it will likely be the only team in the tournament whose players all play in the same league. With a strong domestic league in the KHL and the NHL not participating, Russian coach and former NHLer Alexei Zhamnov needn’t have looked any further than his own very large backyard to fill his roster. The Russians will, of course, be strong. Not Big Red Machine strong, but with a good mix of former NHLers and stars of the KHL, Russia will be a formidable opponent. And playing in a group along with the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark, the path to the medal round will be a linear one. There is a lot to like about the Russian roster, starting…
STEM THE TIDE
WHAT’S THAT OLD adage? When one door closes, another opens? Well, Team USA hopes the axiom applies to streaks, too. This past August, the Americans saw their run of five straight World Championship victories come to an end, but the Beijing Games bring with them the opportunity for the Americans to capture consecutive Olympic golds for the first time in program history. Tasked with making that a reality will be bench boss Joel Johnson and a roster featuring several fresh faces along with a host of the veteran staples who were there for the win in Pyeongchang. However, the club Johnson is leading into the 2022 Olympics hasn’t exactly been out-and-out dominant, particularly not against Canada. In fact, this U.S. outfit has had some trouble getting past its rival, dropping four…
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
COACHING IN THE pandemic era of professional hockey is a crash course in pragmatism, particularly at the minor-league levels. Just ask Manitoba Moose coach Mark Morrison. In an ideal world, Morrison would be spending his first campaign as head honcho on an AHL bench tossing Winnipeg Jets top prospect Cole Perfetti over the boards, sending Dylan Samberg and Ville Heinola out to defend in tight games and entrusting netminder Mikhail Berdin with securing two points on a near nightly basis. But when the NHL reintroduced taxi squads in late December amid COVID-19 outbreaks and the Omicron variant’s rapid spread, any blueprints Morrison had for his Moose roster weren’t worth the lineup cards they were written on. Arguably no AHL roster was hit harder by the taxi squads in terms of personnel…
DEBUT OF THE DANES
DENMARK JOINED THE IIHF in 1946 and has produced plenty of NHLers, but, unbelievably, 2022 marks its first time qualifying for the Olympics in men’s hockey. This incarnation of the Danes will obviously miss having current difference-making NHL scorers like Nikolaj Ehlers and Oliver Bjorkstrand, but the team possesses some strong veteran leadership. Two-way center Frans Nielsen is less than a year removed from competing in the NHL, while speedy left winger Mikkel Boedker only left after 2019-20. They’ll get support up front from swift left winger Frederik Storm, who has years of Swedish League experience and is currently one of the better offensive players in the German League. The Danes look the stablest from the net out – even without their best-ever goaltending export Frederik Andersen. Bet on Sebastian Dahm to…
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