Will these Boston Bruins play in another Winter Olympics?
With COVID cases rising in the NHL, the league has been shutting down teams left and right, most recently putting all games and facilities on pause until after Christmas.
That doesn’t bode well with the Olympics on the horizon. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are less than two months away and it feels like fans won’t be seeing their favorite NHL players representing their countries.
Many executives in the league did not want to send the players to the Olympics anyway, with the rise of COVID causing concerns even before the season. Now that COVID is an issue again, it feels inevitable that the Olympic plug will be pulled, with a final decision from the NHL expected to come this week.
If the NHL doesn’t end up sending its players to Beijing, how does affect some of the Boston Bruins players who would have gone? Will they get to play in the Olympics again? Let’s look at all the Olympic candidates and the potential for another Winter Games in their future.
Patrice Bergeron – Canada
Beijing would have been Bergeron’s third trip to the Olympics. He previously played for Canada in 2010 and 2014, winning gold medals in both tournaments.
Despite playing in 13 games, Bergeron did not score a goal in his first two Olympics. He tallied a single assist in 2010 before adding two helpers in 2014. He would have had a chance to bury his first career Olympic goal in 2022, but with the Bruins captain sitting at 36 years old, it’s hard to see Bergeron suiting up for Canada at the age of 40. The two gold medals will have to do.
Verdict – Won’t play in another Olympics
Brad Marchand – Canada
Like Bergeron, Marchand was in line to play on Canada in Beijing. While he hasn’t played in an Olympics, Marchand was an integral part of Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where his eight points ranked second behind just linemate Sidney Crosby.
Marchand is 33 so he’ll be 37 by the time the 2026 Milano Cortina Games are set. Normally this would be a red flag, but is it fair to say Marchand has only gotten better as he’s gotten older, even while in his 30’s? In a non-COVID world, a 100-point season was very well in the realm of possibility this season for Marchand.
He might not be a guarantee like he would have been this February, but you got to think Marchand plays in at least one Olympics before he calls it quits.
Verdict – Will play in another Olympics
Taylor Hall – Canada
Hall had a steep mountain to climb to get selected for Team Canada for Beijing. It’s always a deep, deep team and Hall likely would have been one of the last cuts at forward.
The Bruins winger is 30 years old and hasn’t exactly lived up to the bill of a No. 1 pick. Hall has had flashes here and there (see 2017-18 season), but otherwise, he hasn’t been consistent enough that I can see him playing at a Team Canada-caliber level in 2026. If he can’t do it at age 30, how’s he going to do it at 34?
Verdict – Won’t play in another Olympics
Charlie McAvoy – USA
I’ll keep it simple – at just age 24 years old, McAvoy is already a top defenseman in the NHL. He would have been a key component to Team USA’s blueline this February and he’s only going to get better. The U.S. blue line could look nearly the exact same in 2026 as it would have looked in 2022.
Verdict – Will play in another Olympics
David Pastrnak – Czech Republic
The shift winger would have been one of, if not the top player on Czech Republic in Beijing. Pastrnak has yet to play in an Olympics, but at just 25 years old, another Olympics or two is expected for him in the future.
Verdict – Will play in another Olympics
Tomas Nosek – Czech Republic
Nosek is 29 years old, so he’ll be 33 by the time 2026 rolls around. He likely would have played a bottom-six role for Czech Republic. It feels like this was his one chance at representing his country at the Olympics, with Czech having a top-heavy group at forward.
Verdict – Won’t play in another Olympics
Jakub Zboril – Czech Republic
Jakub Zboril was in line to be either a bottom-pair on extra defenseman on the Czech team. It would have boiled down to whether the team wanted experience/age or promising talent.
The blue line is quite weak for the country, and Zboril could even be a top-four skater by the time he’s 28 at the Olympics in Milano Cortina.
Verdict – Will play in another Olympics
Linus Ullmark – Sweden
There was a good possibility Linus Ullmark would have been the third goalie for Sweden this February behind Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom. Given that Ullmark is younger than the other two, the likelihood of him playing in 2026 for his country is high.
Markstrom will be 35 and Lehner will be 34 in 2026. That’s not to say they won’t be capable goaltenders, but age will likely take a toll. The only true threat that is coming through the ranks that could compete with Ullmark is 2021 first-rounder Jesper Wallstedt.
Verdict – Will play in another Olympics
Erik Haula – Finland
Haula wasn’t a guarantee on Finland’s squad for this February. His play so far with the Bruins hasn’t stood out, but he would have provided veteran experience in a fourth-line/extra forward role.
Given his age (30) and the fact that even in his prime, he wasn’t a shoe-in for a spot, it would be unlikely to see Haula repping Finland in Milano Cortina.
Verdict – Won’t play in another Olympics
Tuukka Rask – Finland
OK so he’s not an official member of the Bruins but, we’re a pro-Tuukka group here at Causeway Crowd and it’s likely he’ll be a member of the team at some point in 2022.
That said, a Tuukka Rask retirement has felt inevitable for a couple years now. Between the injuries and how vocal he has been about it, there are questions whether he’s playing in the NHL next season, let alone in 2026.
I would say 2026 is definitely out of the question … but is 2022? Rask is a free agent, and as long as he’s not under an NHL contract, the NHL’s decision to not send its players, when it comes, won’t affect him. We saw that in 2018 with Brian Gionta, who was a free agent, played in the Olympics, then signed with the Bruins after.
As much as the Olympics would be a great mini tune-up for Rask if/when he returns to Boston, with all the COVID concerns and coming off an injury, it doesn’t seem like the smartest choice. Plus, Rask did get the chance to play in Sochi in 2014, so an Olympics participation has already been checked off for Rask.
Verdict – Won’t play in another Olympics