"Outside of injuries, everyone will get to see the world's best hockey players ( aside from the Russians) compete for Olympic gold. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Mikko Rantanen, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak have all been superstars in the NHL for the better part of 10 years, and none of them have played in the Olympics. That changes in the next fortnight."
"Italy deliberately chose not to go after players with more NHL experience, instead opting for more familiar players. It wouldn't be the first time a team has drastically overperformed on home soil on the back of an incredible atmosphere. If Italian fans can bring their soccer supporter atmosphere to the hockey arena, they will provide a boost to their countrymen."
"The Italians are short on talent, but not on camaraderie or support. Could the Italians put a scare into Slovakia or Germany? With outstanding goaltending and some luck, they just might. The X factor is the crowd and the team's belief in itself. Though a run to a medal is unlikely, competitive games on home soil will only further crowd support and the belief that an upset is possible."
NHL participation restores a true best-on-best Olympic hockey tournament, bringing top NHL stars to the Games and fulfilling athletes' childhood dreams. Every country enters with distinct storylines, from omitted leading scorers to squads with no NHL talent. Tournament intrigue will hinge on team-specific X factors chosen to influence outcomes regardless of medal prospects. Host Italy prioritized familiar domestic players over NHL veterans and could leverage a fervent home crowd to elevate performance and create upsets. Strong goaltending, belief, and crowd atmosphere can enable underdog results, while contenders will need to manage those variables to secure gold.
Read at ESPN.com
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