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The official Olympic announcement is due Tuesday, but the IIHF apparently couldn’t wait to break the news a day early by posting the 25-man roster in a now-deleted tweet.
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Eric Staal is reportedly leading the diverse group of players that includes former NHL players (Daniel Winnik, Davis Desharnais, and Jason Demers), career minor leagues (Adam Tambellini), and at least two future stars we’re watching at the World Juniors in the last month (2021 No. 1 overall pick Owen Power and No. 3 pick Mason McTavish).
Staal, who won gold at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, is likely to wear the “C” as team captain. The 37-year-old last played in the NHL in July when he helped the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Since then, the free-agent forward has been training in Minnesota but is keeping his NHL options open.
“When the NHL and NHLPA decided they weren’t going to compete in the Olympics, there was a communication[from Staal]to let those people know he would be interested — and it was a mutual interest,” Staals said Agent Rick Curran told Postmedia earlier this month, adding that the Olympics could be a stepping stone to signing an NHL contract in time for the playoffs.
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“Eric wants to make sure that if an opportunity arises, he can step in and not take long to get ready.”
While Staal is the biggest name of the bunch, he’s not the only player with Olympic experience.
Eric O’Dell, who currently plays for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, was also part of the team that won bronze at the 2018 Olympics, where he scored one goal and has two points in six games.
Edward Pasquale (KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv) and Matt Tomkins (Frolunda in Sweden) are expected to fight for the first goalkeeping job. But don’t be surprised if 20-year-old Devon Levi, who represented Canada at last year’s World Junior Championships, steals the net.
A six-man alternate group will also be named Tuesday, which will reportedly include Michigan Wolverines forward Kent Johnson, who was the fifth pick overall in 2021.
FORWARD
Daniel Karr
Adam Crackell
David Desharnais
Landon Ferraro
Josh Ho-Sang
Corban Knight
Jack McBain
Mason McTavish
Eric O’Dell
Eric Staal
Ben street
Adam Tambellini
Jordan Wohl
Daniel Winnick
DEFENSE
Markus Barberio
Jason Demers
Brandon Gormley
Alex Grant
Maxim Noreau
Owen power
Matt Robinson
Tyler Wotherspoon
GOALKEEPER
Devon Levi
Edward Pasquale
Matt Tomkins
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