The squad, announced Thursday by the Canadian federation, has 25 players from seven North American and European leagues. Together they have 5,544 NHL games under their belt, but none of them are currently playing in the league. The NHL refused to release its players for the Olympics.
Canada’s most decorated representative is Chris Kelly, 37 (833 NHL games), 2011 Stanley Cup winner with the Boston Bruins. Wolski, 31, played in the NHL from 2005 to 2013, representing five clubs: the Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals. In total, he played 451 NHL games, scored 99 goals and had 168 assists. Since 2013, he has participated in the KHL league in Russian clubs and in a Chinese club (Kunlun Red Star 2017).
The national team roster was selected by a group of managers and coaches led by Sean Burke.
“All of Canada, 36 million people, will support this team as it will show the world that we will always be a force to be reckoned with,” said Isabelle Charest, Canada’s Head of Olympic Mission.
Canada is a powerhouse in this sport. Maple Leaf hockey players have won 13 Olympic medals, including nine gold. They have triumphed in the last two Olympic Games in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014), where they beat the Swedes 3-0 in the final.
In Pyeongchang, the Canadians will start the competition on February 15 with a match against Switzerland (group A).
Canadian team:
goalkeepers: Justin Peters (Koelner Haie, DEL League), Kevin Poulin (Medvescak Zagreb, EBEL), Ben Scrivens (Slawat Jułajew Ufa, KHL);
defenders: Stefan Elliott (HV71 Joenkoeping, SHL), Chay Genoway (Lada Togliatti, KHL), Cody Goloubef (Stockton, AHL), Marc-Andre Gragnani (HC Dynamo Minsk, KHL), Chris Lee (Metalurg Magnitogorsk, KHL), Maxim Noreau ( SC Bern, NLA), Mat Robinson (CSKA Moscow, KHL), Karl Stollery (Dynamo Riga, KHL);
attackers: Rene Bourque (Djurgardens IF, SHL), Gilbert Brule (Kunlun Red Star, KHL), Andrew Ebbett (SC Bern, NLA), Quinton Howden (HC Dynamo Minsk, KHL), Chris Kelly (Belleville, AHL), Rob Klinkhammer (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL), Brandon Kozun (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL), Maxim Lapierre (HC Lugano, NLA), Eric O’Dell (HC Sochi, KHL), Mason Raymond (SC Bern, NLA), Derek Roy (Linkoeping HC, SHL), Christian Thomas (Scranton, AHL), Linden Vey (Barys Astana, KHL), Wojtek Wolski (Metalurg Magnitogorsk, KHL).
RM, PAP
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