The NHL has finally announced that they will be participating in the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022. It will be the first time in 8 years that NHL’s best will be facing off against each for their nations, after not being allowed to participate in the 2018 in PyeongChang. Everyone’s been quick to post their predictions and projections for each country and for the most part, there are plenty of similarities, but the discussions begin with the snubbed. So, which Boston Bruin will be invited to participate and will there be any grand snubs?
For Team Canada, the Boston Bruins will be well represented. Team Canada’s general manager, Doug Armstrong, appointed Tampa Bay Lightning’s head coach Jon Cooper to run the ship. Underneath Cooper, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was named as assistant coach, as were Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer, and New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz.
Joining Bruce Cassidy, will most likely be Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Patrice Bergeron has represented Canada on the International stage twice in the World Championships, once for the World Junior Championships, once in the Spengler Cup, twice in the Olympics, and once more in the World Cup of Hockey. He last represented his nation in 2016, where he formed a formidable trio with Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand, a line a lot of people are expecting to unite 6 years later.
As for Brad Marchand, this will be his first Olympic Games if chosen to participate. He has represented Canada before, twice at the World Junior Championships, once at the World Championships, and once again at the World Cup of Hockey. Since being selected to play at the World Cup, he has become one the league’s best wingers piling up 426 points in only 350 games. Marchand is as close to a lock as anyone for the 2022 Olympic Games.
Another country that could be very well represented by Boston Bruins could be the Czech Republic. David Pastrnak could very well be the best Czech player in the NHL right now so he would be the easiest choice to represent his nation. Other than Pastrnak, former Bruin David Krejci should find himself in the top 6, defenseman Jakub Zboril could get the nod as an extra defenseman, and a possible dark horse to make the team would be Tomas Nosek. Like Zboril, if Nosek were chosen, he would represent his country as an extra forward.
Charlie McAvoy looks primed for an important role on the backend for team USA. He will be joined by a very talented crop that could include Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, former Norris Trophy winner John Carlson, as well as Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. This looks to be one of the most skilled group of players that the United States has put onto the ice; forwards, defenseman, and goaltenders alike.
Newly acquired goaltender, Linus Ullmark looks ready to be the third goaltender invited to the Team Sweden, behind Jacob Markstrom and Robin Lehner. If the Bruins do end up signing Tuukka Rask before the Olympic Games, he would most likely get the nod as one of Finland’s goaltenders, and if Taylor Hall continues his impressive run from last season with the Bruins, he has an outside chance of cracking Team Canada’s bottom 6 or extra forward slot.
Whatever happens, the Bruins will be very well represented at the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. They have several locks to represent their nations like Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Mcavoy and Ullmark, while a few question marks remain for some players like Nosek, Zboril, and Hall.
