One of the most amazing reasons why this upset was considered such a phenomenon was that Team USA’s roster was made up entirely of amateur athletes. These days, though—and really, ever since the dominance of the men’s basketball “Dream Team” at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona—fans have come to expect that professional athletes will be the ones competing at Olympic events. So for hockey players and fans, it was a blow to learn in late December 2021 that the U.S.’s National Hockey League won’t let any of its pro players participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. At first, the NHL was onboard with its players joining Team USA at the 2022 Games. Sure, there had been a problem in 2018 (there were financial issues that couldn’t be sorted out), but there was an agreement in place for both 2022 and 2026. Dates were set aside in the calendar. That is, until COVID. “Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events—50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23—Olympic participation is no longer feasible,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettmansaid in a Dec. 22 statement. “We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made… but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts. We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026.” The league then set out to reschedule the time set aside for Olympic Games for their own NHL schedule. While the NHL’s decision has been mischaracterized in some places as a “boycott,” a handful of hockey fans have been serious about boycotting the upcoming NHL All-Star Game (set for Saturday, Feb. 5, right after the Olympics get underway) in protest. So, who’s playing on the U.S. Men’s Ice Hockey Team this year? A mix of college and other players. Of the 25 players announced for the team, 15 of them (or 60 percent) are college players. Some play for European leagues, while others are former NHL players. There’s only one returning team member from the 2018 Games: Brian O’Neill, who plays for Finland’s Jokerit team. In contrast, 15 of the 23 players on the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team are returning. That could be in part because the Women’s Team won gold in 2018; the last time the American Men’s Ice Hockey Team won gold was in 1980–the Miracle on Ice. For everyone who is dazzled by a Dream Team that brings together an Avengers-level squad who is confident about their ability to win by 40-plus points every night, there are also people who tune in for the underdog, Miracle on Ice stories where the unbelievable can happen. So, don’t panic just yet! Keep reading to find out more about the situation and the team that still could take the 2022 U.S. Ice Hockey Men’s Team to gold.
Is there Ice Hockey in the Olympics?
Men’s ice hockey has been played at the Olympics since 1920, when it was played in the summer (!!). It was soon switched to the Winter Games in 1924. Women’s ice hockey didn’t take place at the Olympics until the 1988 Games in Nagano, Japan, which was coincidentally the same year professional athletes were permitted to join Olympic ice hockey teams.
Why are NHL Players not in the 2022 Winter Olympics?
In fact, NHL players weren’t allowed to play in the Olympic Games from 1988 to 2014. That changed in 2018 because of financial considerations; this year, COVID has stopped Olympic dreams for NHL players yet again. But everyone is crossing their fingers for 2026, which is still on the books!
Do professional hockey players play in the Olympics?
Yes, they do. But that wasn’t always the case in the Olympics at large. Olympic athletes were supposed to be amateurs. In fact, athletes were punished in some way if they were paid. For example, in 1913, Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals because he was discovered to have played baseball in the minor leagues—and got paid for it. Today, professionals are permitted to compete in the Olympics. As far as ice hockey, the NHL has certainly had players in the Olympics before, and while the National Hockey League might be out of the picture this year, they’re not the only professional game in town. The lone returning team member from 2018, O’Neill, plays for Jokerit in the Kontinental Hockey League, an international, professional league that includes clubs in Russia, China Finland, Latvia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. There are seven others on the team who belong to European leagues.In addition, there are two players from the American Hockey League joining the team this year. And of course, former NHL players can also still play for the American hockey team. On the 2022 team, there are six players who have NHL experience of some kind.
Who is on the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team?
Nick Abruzzese (forward)
Kenny Agostino (forward)
Matty Beniers (forward)
Brendan Brisson (forward)
Noah Cates (forward)
Sean Farrell (forward)
Sam Hentges (forward)
Matthew Knies (forward)
Marc McLaughlin (forward)
Ben Meyers (forward)
Andy Miele (forward)
Brian O’Neill (forward)
Nick Shore (forward)
Nathan Smith (forward)
Brian Cooper (defenseman)
Brock Faber (defenseman)
Drew Helleson (defenseman)
Steven Kampfer (defenseman)
Aaron Ness (defenseman)
Nick Perbix (defenseman)
Jake Sanderson (defenseman)
David Warsofsky (defenseman)
Drew Commesso (goaltender)
Strauss Mann (goaltender)
Pat Nagle (goaltender)
How can you watch the 2022 Winter Olympics?
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games are happening from February 4-20 (Men’s Hockey will start February 9) and will air on all NBC and NBC-owned channels, including the Olympic channel. The Peacock streaming service will also air events. Want more choices? Check out our guide to streaming the 2022 Winter Olympics. Next, Meet the Men’s Figure Skaters Competing for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics—And Find Out Who’s Got the Best Shot at Gold
