No NHL players boosts Russian hopes for Olympic gold in men's hockey

Seven weeks before puck drop at what was supposed to be the first Olympics with NHL players since 2014, the league pulled the plug amid a rash of postponements for coronavirus-related reasons. Instead of getting the world’s best on Olympic ice for the sixth time since 1998, the tournament will now feature players from the college ranks in the U.S., professional leagues across Europe and the minors in North America.

The Russians again are favored to win gold after beating Germany in the 2018 final, thanks to the talent coming from the home-based Kontinental Hockey League that will shut down for the Olympics.

The lack of NHL players throws even more uncertainty into the competition, and the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden all are thinking they have a realistic chance of winning.

Canada has a legitimate chance to win its third gold in the last four Olympics thanks to some players with recent NHL experience. Eric Staal is by far the most accomplished player expected to take part in the tournament: a veteran of almost 1,400 NHL games who played for Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final last summer.

The U.S. is hoping a balance of young college stars and experienced pros in the American Hockey League and Europe adds up to its first Olympic men’s hockey medal since 2010.

The Russians in 2018 were an All-Star team compared to the rest of the tournament. The 2022 team isn’t as star-studded, but two-time Cup champion Slava Voynov is back, along with KHL leading scorer Vadim Shipachyov and former NHL forward Mikhail Grigorenko.

China will take part in men’s hockey at the Olympics for the first time as the host country. The team is made up of some homegrown talent and “heritage” players from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere who signed up years ago to represent China in this tournament.

Goalie Jeremy Smith and defenseman Jake Chelios are American. Captain Brandon Yip, defenseman Ryan Sproul and forward Spencer Foo are Canadian.

Finland probably stands the best chance of pulling off an upset, thanks to a team-first style that relies on good goaltending and structure. Recent NHL players Sami Vatanen, Leo Komarov, Markus Granlund and Valtteri Filppula also give Finland a major boost of talent.