Jake Sanderson In COVID Protocol Ahead Of Olympics
The Olympics men’s hockey tournament is set to start next week and the U.S. squad is hoping that a talented young defender will be able to join them for the first game. Jake Sanderson is in COVID protocol according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald and has not yet traveled to Beijing to join the rest of the group. Sanderson remains in Los Angeles, where the team hopes he will provide negative tests to be cleared to travel.
Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff adds that Steven Kampfer and Andy Miele are also in the protocol, though they are already in Beijing and isolating there. Losing both Sanderson and Kampfer would certainly be a big blow to the U.S. squad, as they were expected to carry significant responsibility on the back end.
The fifth-overall pick in 2020, Sanderson is a star for the University of North Dakota and will likely soon be patrolling the blue line of the Ottawa Senators. Still just 19, he missed a chance to secure his second World Junior gold medal when the tournament was canceled earlier this year. He’ll hopefully be going for Olympic gold instead, though his status is still very unclear with just a few days before the event is set to begin.
Canada meanwhile has canceled practice for a second consecutive day according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, though no explanation was given at this point.
2022 Team USA Olympic Roster
Though the official announcement is still an hour away, Frank Seravalli and Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff are reporting all 25 players that are expected to be named to Team USA for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The group includes players from the NCAA, AHL, and several overseas leagues.
The roster will be:
G Drew Commesso
G Strauss Mann
G Pat Nagle
D Brian Cooper
D Brock Faber
D Drew Helleson
D Steven Kampfer
D Aaron Ness
D Nick Perbix
D Jake Sanderson
D David Warsofsky
F Nick Abruzzese
F Kenny Agostino
F Matty Beniers
F Brendan Brisson
F Noah Cates
F Sean Farrell
F Sam Hentges
F Matthew Knies
F Marc McLaughlin
F Ben Meyers
F Andy Miele
F Brian O’Neill
F Nick Shore
F Nathan Smith
This group has a huge college contingent and also includes several players who were robbed of an opportunity to compete for a World Junior medal this year when the tournament was canceled.
In all, 13 NHL prospects are included on the team, including Beniers, the first-ever draft pick in Seattle Kraken history. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only club with two prospects, as Minnesota freshman Knies and Harvard sophomore Abruzzese both made the squad.
The tournament is set to kick-off for the U.S. on February 10 when they take on China, a nation that was given entry to the tournament because it is hosting the event.
Coyotes Place Andy Miele On Unconditional Waivers
Andy Miele‘s time in North America appears to be coming to an end…again. Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports (Twitter link) that the center has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
A prolific scorer at the college level, the 32-year-old has carved out a reasonable career for himself as a top producer at the lower levels but it has failed to materialize into much of an NHL opportunity as he has just 15 games under his belt, all with Arizona in his first stint with the team after he left Miami (Ohio).
Last July, he decided to make the trek back from the KHL and signed a two-year deal with the Coyotes that guaranteed him at least $350K per year. However, he never made it past the AHL and while he was quite productive with the Tucson Roadrunners with 15 goals and 33 assists in 58 games, it sounds as if he wants to go back overseas as he was linked to return to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod where he spent the 2018-19 campaign.
Assuming he clears waivers at 11 AM CT on Sunday, the Coyotes will be able to release Miele from his contract with no salary cap penalty.