Can the Olympics change the university hockey season?

In early February 2018, UND second-year striker Ludvig Hoff left the Grand Forks for three weeks.

He flew across the Pacific and joined the Norwegian team at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Hoff wasn’t the only active college player to go.

St. Cloud State’s Will Borgen of Moorhead, Denver’s Troy Terry, Harvard’s Ryan Donato and Boston University’s Jordan Greenway all went to the Olympics to play for Team USA.

The NHL did not allow its players to go in 2018, which meant each country’s hockey association had to dig deeper into its player selection to find the Olympics.

It can happen again.

Although the NHL planned to allow its players to leave this time, the current COVID-19 epidemic in the NHL, which has closed the league until December 26, threatens the NHL’s participation in the Olympics. It seems more and more that NHL players are not leaving for Beijing.

Given the strong performance of college members four years ago, especially Donato and Terry, who finished 1-2 on the U.S. team in goals, the leagues could consider sweeping top college players again by February, which could completely overthrow this. season.

UND sophomore Jake Sanderson, one of the best players in the world without a NHL deal at the moment, would probably be one of the first calls to the U.S. Hockey.

Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff

Sanderson was predicted to be the best defender in the U.S. without NHL players.

Peters also predicted that other NCAA destinations could include Michigan Kent Johnson, Owen Power, Thomas Bordeleau, Brendan Brisson and Matty Beniers, Providence Parker Ford, Western Michigan Ronnie Attard, Minnesota Duluthin Noah Cates, MSU-Mankaton Nathan Smith and Fas Ryber Johnson. .

“I think things are changing fast every single day with COVID and what’s happening now in terms of protocols and things like that,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “I think we have to wait and see and prepare for these situations.”

Berry said an NHL coach told him that the Canadian team has a contingency plan to use mostly players who currently play professionally in Europe. In 2018, former UND captain Chay Genoway played in Canada, and it is believed that former UND Deputy Captain Corban Knight, who won the championship in Russia last season, would be a strong candidate this time around.

“Most of the players playing in Europe take these seats, but you always wonder if Jake Sanderson or Tyler Kleven will be tapped on the shoulder, if possible,” Berry said. “I hope the NHL guys get to play, but there are many things involved. We need to make sure we stay up to date and visit here every day and get to read what’s going on.”

UND have already played four games without Sanderson this season. He left two Minnesota against Duluth for illness and two against Colorado College for injury. Fighting Hawks won 3-1 in these games.

Sanderson and Kleven are currently with Team USA at the World Championships in Youth. They are expected back in early January.

If Sanderson is asked to attend the Olympics, he or other college players will not go to the slam dunk party.

In 2018, UMass defender Cale Makar was invited to play for Team Canada at the Olympics, but Makar refused to stay in Minutemen.

The strange nature of these Olympics may lead many colleges to follow Makar’s example. But there is no doubt that the opportunity to play in the Olympics and chase an Olympic medal is something that players find hard to miss.