Canada banks on blend of youth and NHL experience

Canada did not skew as young as the US, which has 11 under-23 players. Russia, Finland and other medal contenders went with mostly veteran rosters and stayed away from players in their early 20s.

Among the other Canada players with NHL experience are defenseman Jason Demers and forwards Daniel Winnik, David Desharnais and Josh Ho-Sang. Ho-Sang played 51 games with the New York Islanders and is now in the American Hockey League with Toronto.

"He's a guy that obviously has an incredible amount of skill and somebody that can get around the ice," Doan said. "I've talked to a few of his GMs in the last couple years, and his maturity and the way that he's grown as a person, they all rave about him."

Since the International Ice Hockey Federation allowed national teams to bring six-man taxi squads to Beijing, Canada named goaltender Justin Pogge, defensemen Morgan Ellis and John Gilmour, and forwards Kent Johnson, Max Veronneau and Chris DiDomenico as alternates. Johnson was the No 5 pick in last year's NHL draft by Columbus.

Canada is looking to win men's hockey gold for the third time in the past four Olympics. Eric O'Dell, Maxim Noreau and Mat Robinson are back from the 2018 team that left with bronze when the NHL also did not participate.

"We are going there to win a gold medal," Hockey Canada president Tom Renney said. "That is our job."

Agencies via Xinhua