The NHL announced today that players will not participate in the Beijing Olympics due to the schedule being "materially disrupted" by COVID-related postponements. Some hockey fans have lamented that we will not see "Sidney Crosby" and "Connor McDavid" play on one team. To that I say, whatever! Real heads know the true treat is seeing Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Fillier on one team, anyway. But there are some things I am lamenting that I will not see at the Olympics this winter. Here is a list of them, in no particular order:
- Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider embracing after the two youngsters assist their idol and Team Germany captain Leon Draisaitl on his fifth goal of their first preliminary round game. (Sadly, this will not matter due to Philipp Grubauer letting in six soft goals in the first period.)
- A Tkachuk line.
- Andrew Mangiapane on Team Canada.
- Russia's Vasilevskiy-Shesterkin goalie tandem.
- Me being able to say the phrase "Olympic gold medalists Jerami Grant and Dylan Larkin."
- Zach Hyman on Team Canada.
- Freddie Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers starring in Denmark's Olympic men's hockey debut.
- Devon Toews on Team Canada.
- Thatcher Demko beating out Connor Hellebuyck for Team USA's starting goaltender job.
- Thomas Chabot on Team Canada.
- Gabriel Landeskog and William Nylander on one rather dashing Swedish line.
- Troy Terry on Team USA.
- Dan Vladar starting in net for the Czech team.
- Many nations being owned by Team USA's Adam Fox–Charlie McAvoy top pairing.
- John Tavares, Carey Price, and Sidney Crosby reprising their roles in a sequel to this video.
Those were some of my dreams. They are dead now, but it is probably for the best.
