5 hockey players that should go to the Olympics for Team Canada
5. Marc-Andre Fleury
This might be a controversial opinion considering Marc-Andre Fleury wasn’t on the Team Canada roster in 2014 despite being a popular goalie in hockey. However, despite his age, I think he’s only gotten better as he’s gone on. Having recently won the Vezina for the 20-21 season, Fleury currently sits at #3 on the NHL’s All-Time list for number of wins. Even at 36, he was still a strong part of the Golden Knights’ cup run to the third round.
Fleury would definitely bring a veteran approach to the Olympics and we know from his years on the Penguins and the Golden Knights that he can handle the pressure of playing for his country on an international stage. To be honest, I don’t know why he wasn’t picked in 2014, based on the fact that his good years far outweigh his bad years. Every goalie has bad games, but that doesn’t mean they can’t bring it when it counts.
This would also be a good match for Team Canada because Marc-Andre Fleury has played with many of the athletes projected to be on the team, so the chemistry is already there. He’s a perfect fit for the team, and I think it’s time that Fleury had his moment on the international stage.
4. Cale Makar
Despite being just a year after his rookie season, Cale Makar is the defenseman on everyone’s minds when thinking of Team Canada. After winning the Calder in the 2019-2020 season, he had an impressive year in the 56 game season with the Avalanche. He’s simply made an impression on the NHL and that’s why, despite being only 22, he’s on everyone’s projected list to be on Team Canada.
He might not bring veteran experience, but he has experience on the international stage as a winner of the World Juniors 2018. He also rehabilitated his college hockey team from almost nothing on pure talent alone. We know he can bring something to the Olympic team as well. He’s already proven himself as a leader on the ice for the defensemen on the Avalanche, and I think he will do the same for the Olympics.
Despite the shortened season, Makar earned 44 points, ranking him #4 on the Avalanche, tied with Andre Burakovsky. He scored 8 goals and 36 assists in the regular season and 2 goals and 8 assists in the playoffs, where the Avalanche got to round two. He’s a strong defenseman and player, and the Olympics will not only benefit from his experience in college hockey and in the NHL, but it will also give Makar experience to bring to the Avalanche.
3. Nathan Mackinnon
A teammate of Cale Makar, Nathan Mackinnon is an all-star by any means. He was still a rookie in 2014 when the NHL last went to the Olympics, but now that he’s a veteran, he has the experience needed for the Olympic team and the talent for it as well. I even think he could be featured on the first line with the experience he has from good and bad years with the Avalanche. With a strong presence in the locker room and on the ice, he’s perfect for the team.
Mackinnon also has international experience, competing in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and 2014, 2015, and 2017 IIHF World Cup. Even though this would be his first time in the Olympics, it certainly wouldn’t be his first time on the world stage playing with athletes of an Olympic caliber. Not only will he bring veteran experience that he didn’t have the last time NHL athletes competed at the Olympics, with his experience in international hockey, but he’ll also be able to help the younger players (ie: Cale Makar).
His numbers point to being a strong contender for the Olympics as well. He’s consistently in scoring 90+ points in his last three 82 game regular seasons, and in the shortened season he ranked second on the Avalanche with 65 points (20 goals and 45 assists). In the playoffs he also shone, leading the Avalanche with 8 goals and 7 assists for a total of 15 points in two rounds.
2. Connor McDavid
An obvious choice, Connor McDavid has been setting records since he started in the NHL. The Art Ross, Hart, and Ted Lindsay winner was drafted in 2015, so he wasn’t around the NHL when they went to the Olympics in 2014, but had he been, I’m guessing he would have been selected as an extra at the time. He’s impressed the hockey community since his time in Junior Hockey, crowning him as The Next One or “McJesus” by his colleagues and his fans.
Connor McDavid also has probably the most experience on the world stage of the players so far, as he was captain of the World Cup of Hockey North American team, and captain of the 2018 IIHF World Championship team. Honestly, if anyone is going to give Sidney Crosby a run for the captainship of the Olympic team, it’s going to be Connor McDavid. He’s also competed twice at the IIHF World Juniors Championship, was named to the tournament all-star team, and won gold at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
His numbers don’t lie either, he’s scored 100+ points four times in his career, including the shortened 56-game season. In the most recent season, he scored 33 goals and 72 assists, recording 105 points, a feat that led him to break the record of the highest percentage of goals assisted on or scored in a season.
Speaking of Sidney Crosby…
1. Sidney Crosby
Despite his age, the most obvious choice for the team is Sidney Crosby. Not only is he the player with the most Olympics experience on this list, having been to and won gold at both the 2014 and the 2010 Olympics, but he’s also captained the Pittsburgh Penguins for 14 years, making him the most experienced captain on the list. He’s also known for scoring Canada’s Golden Goal in the 2010 Olympics.
I believe that he’s also likely to be captain of Team Canada. He was an alternate at the 2010 Olympics, and captained the team in 2014. He more than likely has more experience than most people that will be on the team, and it would be incredible to have that veteran experience. With three Stanley Cups under his belt, and just about every other award a hockey player can receive, Crosby has quite a resume to bring to this year’s Olympic team.
His numbers are impressive as well, with him scoring over 100 points six times in his career with the Penguins. This year, with 62 points in 55 games and a time on ice average of 20:24, he’s proven that he hasn’t slowed down despite his age, and there are more than a few reasons that he should be on the Olympic team.
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It would be a tragic loss if Sidney Crosby didn’t participate in the 2022 Olympics. He’s been impressing people in the hockey world since his PeeWee hockey days, and he’s known as one of the best players in the world, so he’ll be an invaluable addition to the team.