Team USA Announces Olympic Roster

The Olympics are going to look much different this year as teams across each country won't have any NHL active players on their roster. The good thing though? There's a bunch of talented hockey players heading to Beijing and it's going to be one hell of a hockey tournament.

Team USA kicked it off for the major players and announced their roster, a team that's going to be stacked with NCAA talent as 15 collegiate players were included. The team includes 16 skaters who are 23 years old or younger:

Up Front

PLAYER	AGE	CURRENT TEAM	NHL RIGHTS
Nick Abruzzese	22	Harvard (NCAA)	TOR
Ken Agostino	29	Torpedo (KHL)	None
Matty Beniers	19	Michigan (NCAA)	SEA
Brendan Brisson	20	Michigan (NCAA)	VGK
Noah Cates	22	Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)	PHI
Sean Farrell	20	Harvard (NCAA)	MTL
Sam Hentges	22	St. Cloud State (NCAA)	MIN
Matthew Knies	19	Minnesota (NCAA)	TOR
Marc McLaughlin	22	Boston College (NCAA)	None
Ben Meyers	23	Minnesota (NCAA)	None
Andy Miele	33	Torpedo (KHL)	None
Brian O'Neill	33	Jokerit (KHL)	None
Nick Shore	29	Novosibirsk (KHL)	None
Nathan Smith	23	Minnesota State (NCAA)	WPG

The forward group has a couple of top prospects including Matty Beniers who went second over at the 2021 NHL entry draft and Matthew Knies who the Toronto Maple Leafs are very high on.

Defensemen

PLAYER	AGE	CURRENT TEAM	NHL RIGHTS
Brian Cooper	28	IK Oskarshamn (SHL)	None
Brock Faber	19	Minnesota (NCAA)	LA
Drew Helleson	20	Boston College (NCAA)	COL
Steven Kampfer	33	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	None
Aaron Ness	31	Providence (AHL)	None
Nick Perbix	23	St. Cloud State (NCAA)	TB
Jake Sanderson	19	North Dakota (NCAA)	OTT
David Warsofsky	31	Ingolstadt (DEL)	None

Jake Sanderson will be the player to watch of this group as he has #1 defenseman potential and the Ottawa Senators can't wait to get him to Canada's capital. Lots of diverse experience in this group and it's going to be on the coaching staff to mix up the pairings accordingly.

Goalies

PLAYER	AGE	CURRENT TEAM	NHL RIGHTS
Drew Commesso	19	Boston University (NCAA)	CHI
Strauss Mann	23	Skelleftea (SHL)	None
Pat Nagle	34	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	None

While the Americans are usually considered powerhouses, it's worth noting the country hasn't won a medal since 2010 in Vancouver when Sidney Crosby sent them home with silver.