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sports Diabierna 21 Januari 2022

Beijing Olympics will showcase hockey’s next generation

(AP) - The disappoint- Participating in 2018 did said. “They led in goals and
ment of the NHL not wonders for the likes of assists and played a really big
participating in the 2022 Terry, Greenway and Kapr- role on their team, so it’s just
Winter Olympics quickly izov. Terry leads the Anaheim something that we have to
turned to excitement for a Ducks in goals and points work towards and maybe we
handful of U.S. players at this season, while Kaprizov can be like that in Beijing.”
the world junior champi- is teammates with Greenway
onship. on the Wild and is tops on It’s possible because coach
Minnesota in scoring. David Quinn is certainly not
Matty Beniers, Jake Sander- going to bury young players
son and Brock Faber were to- While McDavid, MacKinnon at the end of the bench or
gether in Red Deer, Alberta, and Matthews point to Sid- scratch them from important
when USA Hockey’s John ney Crosby’s golden goal at games. Beniers, Brisson and
Vanbiesbrouck asked them to the 2010 Vancouver Games as Sanderson could be among
go to Beijing. the most memorable Olym- the U.S leaders in ice time
pic moment from childhood, at the Olympics before going
“I was kind of blown out of many of the young U.S. play- back to college and soon on
my shoes,” Beniers said. not to send players to Py- dent of hockey operations ers this time look more at T.J. to pro careers.
eongchang in 2018, it gave John Davidson, who broad- Oshie’s shootout in Sochi
All three said yes. While Con- Russian sniper Kirill Kapr- casted five Olympics, figures as the iconic highlight. For “The great part about it is
nor McDavid, Auston Mat- izov, Finnish defenseman the next step is the NHL. 20-year-old Brendan Bris- these guys are skilled play-
thews and Nathan MacKin- Miro Heiskanen and winger son, the performances of ers with a hardness to their
non will not get the chance to Eeli Tolvanen, and American “You never know: They could Terry, Greenway and Do- game that are committed to
play in their first Olympics, forwards Troy Terry, Ryan be here next year or the fol- nato in Pyeongchang stick playing in all three zones,”
the men’s hockey tourna- Donato and Jordan Green- lowing year,” Davidson said. out in large part because they Quinn said. “And that’s why
ment in Beijing could be a way opportunities to stand “This is a stage for them.” helped U.S. management they were drafted where they
showcase for the next genera- out. Kaprizov and Tolvanen learn to trust college players. were. That’s why they’re
tion of talent, with 2021 top were the second- and third- It’s also something of a do- going to be big parts of the
pick Owen Power expected leading scorers in that tour- over after the world juniors “I loved watching last time, team we have, and that’s why
to suit up for Canada and Be- nament, while Donato led were canceled midstream the U.S., seeing those college they’ve got great futures in
niers, Sanderson and Faber the U.S. in goals and Terry in because of virus concerns. guys have success,” Brisson the NHL.”
among eight U.S. players un- assists. That tournament was shut
der the age of 21. down roughly a week after
While Russia, Finland and the NHL withdrew from
“NHL players won’t be other European teams are go- Beijing, so the opportunity
there, but it’s still going to be ing with mostly older rosters snatched away became more
some pretty good hockey and from professional leagues, motivation for Beniers, Sand-
it’ll be really fun,” Sanderson the U.S. figured the kids are erson, Faber and Commesso
said. “There’s going to be re- all right: 15 of the 25 players to commit to the Olympics.
ally good talent there. To play named to the team are cur- “One door closes and anoth-
with Matty and Brock Faber rently in college, including er opens,” said Beniers, who
(and goalie) Drew Commes- 13 who have already been is expected to be the young-
so, I’m super excited.” drafted by an NHL team. est player in the tournament.
The precedent is there for the Vanbiesbrouck said the young “Something that not many
youngest players to be among players will have an immedi- people get the chance to par-
the best at the Olympics. ate impact on the team. Co- ticipate in.”
When the NHL decided lumbus Blue Jackets presi-

Rays say split-season plan with Montreal rejected by MLB

(AP) — The Tampa Bay became the Nationals for the
Rays’ proposed plan to 2005 season.
split the season between
Florida and Montreal has The Rays’ lease at Tropi-
been rejected by Major cana Field in St. Petersburg,
League Baseball. Florida, where the team has
played since its inaugural sea-
Rays principal owner Stu- son in 1998, expires after the
art Sternberg announced the 2027 season.
news on Thursday.
Since Sternberg took control
“Today’s news is flat-out de- in October 2005, the once-
flating,” Sternberg said. struggling franchise has been
a success on the field but not
The idea of playing in both at the box office.
the Tampa Bay area and Mon-
treal has been discussed over Despite reaching the World St. Petersburg mayor Ken council to put together the create a new and iconic full-
the past several years after Series in 2008 and 2020, the Welch feels a new stadium in best plan possible, which will time home for Major League
attempts to build a new full- Rays have annually ranked his city remains a possibility. work in conjunction with Baseball in St. Petersburg
time ballpark locally failed. near the bottom in atten- Governmental officials have my planned evolution of the while also achieving historic
dance. The Rays averaged been working on a redevel- Tropicana Field master de- equitable economic growth.”
Montreal had a big league about 9,500 for home games opment plan for the Tropi- velopment proposals,” Welch
team from 1969, when the last season, 28th in the ma- cana Field site. said in a statement. “With Sternberg said the team will
expansion Expos began play, jors and ahead of only Miami this collaborative approach, I definitely explore options in
through 2004. The Expos and Oakland. “We are working with our am confident we can partner the Tampa Bay area.
moved to Washington and county partners and city with the Tampa Bay Rays to