Although the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing ended in disappointment for the U.S. men's team after going undefeated in preliminary round play, the impact contributions made by the young collegians on the roster have set the stage for a strong finish to the NCAA regular season and postseason schedules.
Four Massachusetts natives left their college teams to participate in the Olympics, benefiting from the opportunity to compete against top amateur and professional talent from around the globe.
Led by Harvard winger Sean Farrell (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Michigan center Matty Beniers (Hingham, Mass.), Team USA demonstrated the ability to generate quality offense off the rush and strong two-way play. Their performances are a positive indication that both should develop into NHL regulars eventually with the Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Kraken, respectively. Boston College center and captain Marc McLaughlin (North Billerica, Mass.) is an undrafted free agent once the Eagles play their last game. Hockey East’s leading goal scorer played a supporting role as an extra forward.
The Americans also benefited from superb play in net from Boston University sophomore Drew Commesso, who went 2-0, and was 3-0 on the international stage in starts split between the Olympics and the World Junior Championship in December. Commesso will get the opportunity to compete in the 2022 WJC reset, as the International Ice Hockey Federation announced last week that the world’s signature under-20 tournament will be held again in Alberta with improved pandemic protocols after the post-Christmas event was canceled.
All have set up intriguing storylines to follow. Here are four key questions that each player faces, along with what to expect from them to close out the current season.
