Dallas Stars to watch for in the 2022 Winter Olympics

News broke last week that a new bargaining agreement will allow NHL players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Such is a massive win for fans wanting to see their favorite Dallas Stars on the men’s international ice. Today, we’re looking at some Stars most likely headed to tournament in Beijing this February.

Joe Pavelski, United States

Count us in on welcoming Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski back to the American’s roster for his third Olympics trip. We envision Pavelski wearing the “C” on his sweater while anchoring the 2nd or 3rd line. Such scenario might not be popular among fans that will scowl at Pavelski’s age.

Pavelski’s Team USA selection could result in younger players being snubbed. However, we envision the American roster will be infused with plenty of youth to include Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, and the Hughes brothers. A lineup loaded with young, United States talent will require chiseled vets like Pavelski to keep the squad grounded.

Pavelski was a member of the United States’ incredible, silver medal run at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. In 2014, Pavelski put up 5 points in 6 games during Team USA’s underwhelming showing in Sochi.

The U.S. will put their deepest roster on the international ice in 2022. We think they’ll roster a younger team than Canada, a fact that would come with a lack in Olympic experience. Speaking of experience, it seems American Olympic hero T.J. Oshie will be on the roster bubble, if at all.

Alexander Radulov, Russia

Alexander Radulov will be back as a top player for the Russian team that was banned from the 2018 tournament. The Dallas Stars winger led the Russians with 6 points in 5 games during the 2014 Olympics. Russia finished 5th in Sochi after losing their quarterfinal game to Finland.

Russia will have completed their 4-year IOC ban due to doping come the 2022 tournament in Beijing. Players were allowed to compete in the 2018 Olympics under the “Olympics Athletes from Russia” (OAR) banner. OAR, led by Ilya Kovalchuk and Kirill Kaprizov, won the tournament after beating Germany in the gold medal game.

The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics was the first without NHL players since 1998. The lack of an agreement between the NHL, IOC, and IIHF stemmed from debate over who would cover costs. Thankfully, the agreement for the 2022 games is in place and will provide a much more memorable tournament than the last iteration.

“Finnish Mafia”, Finland

Expect a huge Dallas Stars presence on Finland’s roster with candidates Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Jani Hakaanpa.

The Fins will likely be led by a group of forwards that are under the age of 30. Such includes Hintz, who was a major contributor to Finland’s gold medal in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Classic.

It will be a treat to Stars fans to see Hintz, Heiskanen, and Lindell experience their first Olympic games. We have hope Hakaanpa is also included, but he might find himself on the wrong side of the roster bubble. The Fins have no shortage of options on the defensive end to include non-Stars Rasmus Ristolainen and Sami Vatanen. It is also more difficult to take advantage of Hakaanpa’s size on the faster and more open international ice.

Finland finished 2-1 in their group round robin before losing to Canada in the 2018 tournament quarterfinals. However, the Fins remain one of the top international men’s ice hockey teams. The country has won 2 Olympic silver and 4 bronze medals dating back to the 1988 games in Calgary. Finland also won silver in the 2021 and gold in the 2019 IIHF World Championships.