After a long hiatus, National Hockey League players are finally competing at the Winter Olympics for their respective home countries. For a myriad of reasons over the last twelve years, the league was against interrupting their season, so Milan will feature the first appearance of NHL players on Olympic ice since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Lucas Hary, a rising star on the New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Club, is elated about this new change.
“I am excited to see Jack Hughes, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby. They are All-Star players from their country, and in the NHL, they are the best players in the league. Seeing them play for their country will be watching history on ice,” Hary said.
Despite its name, the NHL comprises both American and Canadian teams. As a result, the majority of players from the league who have been selected for the Winter Olympics will be playing for Team USA or Team Canada. Hary explains that both teams have strong lineups. However, as many other hockey fans have expressed, he is disappointed that certain top players weren’t recruited.
“I think that both the USA and Canada have strong lines, but they are not the strongest in my opinion because Team USA didn’t recruit star players like Jason Roberson and Cole Caufield. Team Canada has a strong line, but I think they left off a few good players like Connor Bedard and Wyatt Johnston,” Hary said.
New Jersey Devils fan Abigail Mun is also excited to see NHL players on the international stage.
“I don’t usually pay that much attention to the Olympics, but I know I will definitely tune in this year to watch my favorite players representing their countries,” Mun said.
She’s especially hopeful that players will better hone their skills during the games, consequently returning from Milan with more experience.
“Playing alongside the best talent from their home countries will be a great experience and can help sharpen skills and build confidence. Especially for the Devils, seeing as they have been struggling recently, I hope the Olympic break allows them to bring back renewed leadership and a stronger competitive mindset. If they perform well internationally, hopefully that momentum can carry over and help energize the locker room,” Mun said.
Mun adds that the Olympic break could also be beneficial for players who aren’t participating in the games.
“For those not selected, there is also the advantage of rest from playing multiple games a week,” Mun said.
When the games officially start, Mun looks forward to seeing new interactions between players who wouldn’t ever typically be teammates.
“I’m excited to see players like Jack, Bratt, and Hischier go from playing with each other to against each other and seeing their play dynamic with a completely different team. I’m also looking forward to seeing Jack and Quinn Hughes play together at their second Winter Olympics, which is hopefully a preview of when Quinn eventually gets traded to the Devils,” Mun said.
After seeing Team USA and Team Canada’s lineups, Mun also admits that Canada has an edge.
“Unfortunately, I have to say that Team Canada’s lineup is stronger. With forwards like Crosby, McDavid, Celebrini, and Mackinnon, along with arguably the best defenseman in the league, Makar, Team Canada seems unbeatable even with Team USA’s strong roster,” Mun said.
Demarest math teacher Michael Ives is also a Devils fan and has similar thoughts.
“I would love USA to win, but Canada is really strong. Should be a great game!” Ives said.
Regardless of who will take gold, NHL fans agree that the dynamic of the Olympics will be unique from ordinary games.
Ives is interested to see how players will perform outside of their usual comfort zone.
“It is always cool to see our favorite NHL players competing on an Olympic level. The energy of those games is always crazy high,” Ives said.
Hary agrees, emphasizing that the reemergence of the NHL will bring even greater competitive edge than the two Olympic cycles prior.
“I feel like the games will be much more intense, and it’ll be interesting to watch the best players from each country. It feels like a new era of hockey at the Olympics,” Hary said.
