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U.S., Canada, among nations to name first players to Olympic men’s rosters

NBC Sports 10/9/2021 James O'Brien

Canada, the U.S., and other countries named the first three players to their 2022 Olympic hockey rosters this week

In the case of the United States, the first three Olympic hockey players are: Seth Jones, Patrick Kane, and Auston Matthews. After a big trade, Jones joined Kane on the Blackhawks, while Matthews stars for the Maple Leafs.

Stan Bowman, GM of both the Blackhawks and the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, spoke about Jones, Kane, and Matthews being the first three announced.

“It’s no secret we’re excited about the prospects of our team for the 2022 Games,” Bowman said. “Patrick, Auston and Seth reflect the high level of talent that will make up our final roster as we strive to bring gold back home to the U.S.”

Because it’s the Internet, some complained about Jones being announced over, say, reigning Norris winner Adam Fox. That’s likely to be a moot point once the full rosters are announced.

Canada’s first three men’s Olympic hockey players were announced as: Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Alex Pietrangelo.

While final Olympic rosters aren’t expected until sometime around January, fans can narrow down their own lists sooner. Each country must submit its long list of 50 players by Oct. 15.

The 2022 Olympic men’s hockey tournament is set for Feb. 9, while the gold-medal game is scheduled for Feb. 20. There’s a January 10 deadline for the NHL/NHLPA to pull out of the 2022 Winter Olympics if COVID numbers escalate.