Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews named to Team USA

No surprise as to who the players are!

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HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews named to Team USA
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While the Canadian Olympic team begins to take shape, the same holds true for Team USA. And the Americans have their first three players on their roster that will be taking the ice in Beijing on February 9. 

The players in question are none other than Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, as well as a pair of Chicago Blackhawks in Patrick Kane and Seth Jones

"It's no secret we're excited about the prospects of our team for the 2022 Games," said USA Hockey general manager Stan Bowman, who also runs the Chicago NHL team. "Patrick, Auston and Seth reflect the high level of talent that will make up our final roster as we strive to bring gold back home to the U.S."

Team USA will be looking for their 1st gold medal win since the improbable run in 1980, led by coach Herb Brooks. 

Meanwhile, Team Canada selected reigning NHL MVP Connor McDavid, former MVP Sidney Crosby, and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. 

"We've got it pretty well nailed down," Canada GM Doug Armstrong told The Associated Press by phone this week. "There's a couple of tweaks that we're going to have to make here before it has to go in, but I would say we're one of the countries that you wish it didn't exist because your remaining guys are going to have a great October, November, Decembers, but so be it. That's just the way it has to be. Just because of the depth of the Canadian hockey program, you want to try and make that list as accurate as possible."

Each team's rosters will consist of three goaltenders and 22 skaters. The NHL and NHLPA will have until January to have the chance to pull out of the Olympics should additional complications from the COVID-19 pandemic arise. 

Source: CBC