NHL players are headed to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Which Hurricanes players might go?
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho was disappointed in 2018 by the NHL’s decision not to allow its players to participate in the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
“It has been a dream for me,” Aho said in an interview in 2018. “I think it is for every Finnish kid. It’s such a big thing in Finland and it was so much fun watching those games when I was growing up. Hopefully I will one day play in the Olympics.”
Aho may now get that chance with FInland at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, and he could be joined in China by a number of his teammates.
The NHL and the NHL Players Association jointly announced Friday that they’ve reached an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation for NHL players to compete. The NHL and NHLPA agreed to a pause in the NHL’s 2021-22 regular season to allow players to travel to Beijing and play for their countries, but with a caveat: there could be a decision to withdraw if COVID-19 conditions make participation unsafe.
“We understand how passionately NHL players feel about representing and competing for their countries,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Friday in a statement.
The Canes could be well-represented in Beijing.
Aho and forward Teuvo Teravainen could be on Finland’s national team. Forward Andrei Svechnikov could represent the Russia Olympic Committee (ROC) and forward Martin Necas on the Czech Republic team.
Team USA could consider Canes defensemen Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, and forward Vincent Trocheck.
Forward Nino Niederreiter could be on the Swiss team and goalie Frederik Andersen picked for Denmark’s national team — Denmark competing in its first Olympics. Forward Jesper Fast could be considered for the Swedish team. Forward Dominik Bokk, a Canes prospect who played last year in the AHL, could be on Germany’s team.
In 2018, haggling over the insurance and travels costs was an initial stumbling block to NHL players not going to PyeongChang, South Korea. The league also made an offer to the NHLPA that the players extend the collective bargaining agreement for three years in exchange for the players being able to go — an offer the NHLPA turned down.
“The Olympics is one of the tournaments you always dream about,” Teravainen said in an interview in 2018. “It’s kind of bad we can’t go. It’s disappointing. It’s four more years to wait so we’ll see what happens then, but it’s always been my dream.”
Former Canes captain Eric Staal won a gold medal with Canada in 2010 when the Canadians beat Team USA — with defenseman Tim Gleason, now the Canes’ new assistant coach — in the gold-medal game. Former Canes Joni Pitkanen, Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen all won Olympic bronze medals with .Finland.
Former Canes defenseman Justin Faulk was on Team USA for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:09 PM.
