Canada’s Olympic team
Canada’s Olympic team
Men’s players for PyeongChang announced


Led by general manager Sean Burke and head coach Willie Desjardins, Hockey Canada unveiled its 25-man roster of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.
The two-time defending gold medallists will be relying most heavily on players from the KHL, the Russian league from which 13 of the 25 are currently playing.
In addition, four players come from the top Swiss league (NL), three from the Swedish league (SHL) and American league (AHL). Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) are providing one player each.
The youngest player on the roster is 25-year-old Christian Thomas (whose father, Steve, played at four World Championships, winning a gold and two silver) while the oldest is 37-year-old defenceman Chris Lee, who made his IIHF debut with Canada in sensational fashion at least year’s World Championship, helping the team win a silver medal.
This is a veteran and experienced team. The average age is 30.44, and only 8 of the 25 players are in their twenties. Interestingly, only Lee and Mat Robinson have never played in the NHL. At the other end, the team has three players with more than 700 NHL games to their credit: Chris Kelly (833), Derek Roy (738), and Rene Bourque (725).
“I think it’s fair to say there isn’t a player we didn’t look at,” Burke said. “We gave everyone a chance to make the team.”
“We want to be a tough team to play against,” Burke continued. “We have a lot of character. We have grit and character and skill. We have players who’ll do anything to win hockey games. This is the Olympic Games. It’s the greatest event we have. A lot of those players never dreamed they’d have this opportunity. We’re a hockey team, but we’re also representing Canada with all the other athletes who will be at the Olympics.”
“Most guys on this team have been told ‘no’ at some point in their careers,” started Desjardins. “No, they can’t play in the NHL. No, it’s over. But they’ve managed to battle and stuck with it. They didn’t give up. That’s their nature of being Canadian.”
The players will meet in Riga, Latvia, on 28th January and have 17 days before their first game of the Olympics. They’ll play three exhibition games leading up to PyeongChang during which time coach Desjardins will figure out who will be his starting goalie and which players will fulfill which roles.
“Our strength is in our depth,” Burke added. “Our defence is very mobile. They’re quick; they can move the puck. We don’t want to spend a lot of time in our end. And once we get the puck to our forwards, we have speed and skill. But we have a team that can be physical and play with grit if we need to.”
Team Canada 2018
Goaltenders | |
Justin Peters | b. Blyth, Ontario, August 30, 1986 |
Current team: | Kolner Haie (DEL) |
NHL experience: | 83 games with Carolina, Washington, Arizona |
IIHF experience: | 3rd GK at 2014 WM—did not play |
Kevin Poulin | b. Montreal, Quebec, April 12, 1990 |
Current team: | Medvescak Zagreb (EBEL) |
NHL experience: | 50 games with New York Islanders |
IIHF experience: | none |
Ben Scrivens | b. Spruce Grove, Alberta, September 11, 1986 |
Current team: | Salavat Yulaev (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 144 games with Toronto, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Montreal |
IIHF experience: | 2014 WM |
Defencemen | |
Stefan Elliott | b. North Vancouver, British Columbia, January 30, 1991 |
Current team: | HV 71 (SWE) |
NHL experience: | 84 games with Colorado, Arizona, Nashville |
IIHF experience: | 2009 WM18 |
Chay Genoway | b. Morden, Manitoba, December 20, 1986 |
Current team: | Lada Togliatti (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 1 game with Minnesota Wild |
IIHF experience: | none |
Cody Goloubef | b. Oakville, Ontario, November 30, 1989 |
Current team: | Stockton (AHL) |
NHL experience: | 129 games with Columbus, Colorado |
IIHF experience: | 2009 WM20 (gold) |
Marc-Andre Gragnani | b. Montreal, Quebec, March 11, 1987 |
Current team: | HC Dinamo Minsk (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 78 games with Buffalo, Vancouver, Carolina, New Jersey |
IIHF experience: | 2005 WM18 (silver), 2011 WM |
Chris Lee | b. MacTier, Ontario, October 3, 1980 |
Current team: | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) |
NHL experience: | none |
IIHF experience: | 2017 WM (silver) |
Maxim Noreau | b. Montreal, Quebec, May 24, 1987 |
Current team: | SC Bern (SUI) |
NHL experience: | 6 games with Minnesota |
IIHF experience: | none |
Mat Robinson | b. Calgary, Alberta, June 20, 1986 |
Current team: | CSKA Moscow (KHL) |
NHL experience: | none |
IIHF experience: | none |
Karl Stollery | b. Camrose, Alberta, November 21, 1987 |
Current team: | Dinamo Riga (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 23 games with Colorado, San Jose, New Jersey |
IIHF experience: | none |
Forwards | |
Rene Bourque | b. Lac La Biche, Alberta, December 10, 1981 |
Current team: | Djurgardens IF (SWE) |
NHL experience: | 725 games with Chicago, Calgary, Montreal, Anaheim, Columbus, Colorado |
IIHF experience: | 2010 WM |
Gilbert Brule | b. Edmonton, Alberta, January 1, 1987 |
Current team: | Kunlun Red Star (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 299 games with Columbus, Edmonton, Phoenix |
IIHF experience: | none |
Andrew Ebbett | b. Vernon, British Columbia, January 2, 1983 |
Current team: | SC Bern (SUI) |
NHL experience: | 224 games with Anaheim, Chicago, Minnesota, Phoenix, Vancouver, Pittsburgh |
IIHF experience: | none |
Quinton Howden | b. Oak Bank, Manitoba, January 21, 1992 |
Current team: | Dinamo Minsk (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 97 games with Florida, Winnipeg |
IIHF experience: | 2010 WM 18, 2011 WM20 (silver), 2012 WM 20 (bronze) |
Chris Kelly | b. Toronto, Ontario, November 11, 1980 |
Current team: | Belleville (AHL) |
NHL experience: | 833 games with Ottawa, Boston |
IIHF experience: | none |
Rob Klinkhammer | b. Lethbridge, Alberta, August 12, 1986 |
Current team: | Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 193 games with Chicago, Ottawa, Phoenix, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Edmonton |
IIHF experience: | none |
Brandon Kozun | b. Los Angeles, California, March 8, 1990 |
Current team: | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 20 games with Toronto |
IIHF experience: | 2010 WM20 (silver) |
Maxim Lapierre | b. St. Leonard, Quebec, March 29, 1985 |
Current team: | HC Lugano (SUI) |
NHL experience: | 614 games with Montreal, Anaheim, Vancouver, St. Louis, Pittsburgh |
IIHF experience: | none |
Eric O’Dell | b. Ottawa, Ontario, June 21, 1990 |
Current team: | HC Sochi (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 41 games with Winnipeg |
IIHF experience: | 2008 WM18 (gold) |
Mason Raymond | b. Cochrane, Alberta, September 17, 1985 |
Current team: | SC Bern (SUI) |
NHL experience: | 546 games with Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Anaheim |
IIHF experience: | 2010 WM |
Derek Roy | b. Ottawa, Ontario, May 4, 1983 |
Current team: | Linkoping HC (SWE) |
NHL experience: | 738 games with Buffalo, Dallas, Vancouver, St. Louis, Nashville, Edmonton |
IIHF experience: | 2003 WM 20 (silver), 2008 WM (silver), 2009 WM (silver) |
Christian Thomas | b. Toronto, Ontario, May 26, 1992 |
Current team: | Wilkes Barre/Scranton (AHL) |
NHL experience: | 27 games with NY Rangers, Montreal, Arizona |
IIHF experience: | 2010 WM18 |
Linden Vey | b. Wakaw, Saskatchewan, July 17, 1991 |
Current team: | Barys Astana (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 138 games with Los Angeles, Vancouver, Calgary |
IIHF experience: | none |
Wojtek Wolski | b. Zabrze, Poland, February 24, 1986 |
Current team: | Kunlun Red Stars (KHL) |
NHL experience: | 451 games with Colorado, Phoenix, NY Rangers, Florida, Washington |
IIHF experience: | none |
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