Utah Mammoth forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley are one step closer to cracking the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey roster.
Team USA released its 44-player orientation camp roster Tuesday morning. Keller and Cooley are both on it. It also includes every player from the second-place 4 Nations Face-Off team (minus Matthew Tkachuk, who is already named to the team but is unable to attend orientation camp).
Keller and Cooley were both left off the 4 Nations team, but they formed two thirds of the Americans’ top line at the World Championship this year, where Team USA won gold for the first time in 92 years. The two players combined for 22 points in the 10 games they played.
Keller captained that team.
New hockey fans might see that as a huge win for Keller, Cooley and Team USA on the surface, but that tournament always involves plenty of bottom-of-the-barrel players because those participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs can’t go, and many top-tier NHLers choose not to go for various reasons.
It’s Olympic gold that everyone dreams of.
USA’s 4 Nations team ultimately came up one goal short, losing to Team Canada in overtime of the gold medal game. They struggled to get meaningful offense out of some of their would-be top players, so they’ll likely look for a few more guys who can put the puck in the net.
Keller, 27, placed 11th in the NHL in points last season with 90. He was also third among Americans. He’s sometimes looked over due to his relatively small stature, but in an International Ice Hockey Federation-run tournament like the Olympics, physicality is much less prevalent than it was in the NHL-run 4 Nations tournament.
Cooley, 21, will have to have an excellent start to the season if he’s to beat out some of the more established players. That said, his defensive game could be good enough to get him in, even if his offense doesn’t explode off the bat.
The Americans have not won gold at any best-on best men’s hockey tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Their last Olympic gold came in 1980 — the one from the movie “Miracle.” They have never won Olympic gold since NHL players have been allowed to participate.
What is Olympic orientation camp?
In a press release, USA Hockey described its Olympic orientation camp as follows:
“The two-day gathering is largely an administrative and team-building event and includes no formal on-ice activity or public component.”
The event, which is held in Plymouth, Michigan, is not open to the media.
Team USA’s full orientation camp roster is available on the USA Hockey website.