U.S. men's Olympic hockey veterans help lead the way into quarterfinals

BEIJING — The credentials jump off the screen as you click through the names of the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team.

Forward Matty Beniers was the second overall pick by Seattle in the 2021 NHL draft.

Defenseman Jake Sanderson was the fifth overall pick by Ottawa in 2020.

Forward Brendan Brisson, who attended Shattuck St. Mary's, was the 29th overall pick by Las Vegas in 2020.

Forward Nathan Smith, from Minnesota State Mankato, is second in the NCAA in scoring.

They are a few of the 15 college players on the Olympic roster, representing some the best prospects in the world. Others have been selected in the top rounds of the draft. Others have filled up the scoresheet for their teams.

It takes more than a college All-Star team, however, to get through a tournament like the Olympics.

USA Hockey needed to fill out the roster with the right mix of veterans to create the right environment for the team to quickly jell and develop through each stage of the tournament. So far, it has. And Team USA finds itself in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night Minnesota time, awaiting Slovakia, who defeated Germany game on Monday night.

The U.S. returned only one player from its 2018 Olympics team, forward Brian O'Neill. He's contributed a goal and two assists while providing some guidance on what to expect in these Games.

O'Neill, for instance, wanted to see the younger players gain confidence early and carry it through the tournament. And, after taking some hits from China early in their opening game Thursday, they ended up with an 8-0 victory they could build on.

"In 2018 you [had] to get guys feeling good," O'Neill said after the China game. "Ryan Donato got off to a good start. We had a couple college guys get off to good starts. Ryan carried that confidence into the rest of that tournament. I think you'll see that for the rest of [this] tournament with the young kids."

It did carry over into a 4-2 victory against Canada in the second game of group play. But coach David Quinn felt their 3-2 win over Germany on Sunday was more complete in terms of playing with an edge.

In addition to the 33-year-old O'Neill, defenseman Steven Kampfer (33), defenseman Aaron Ness of Roseau, Minn., (31) and captain Andy Miele (33) are some of the veterans added to bring some experience and guidance to the younger group. Those four know how to produce, too.

Miele has four points in three games, and O'Neill and Kampfer each have three. Their work has allowed the younger players to thrive. Sean Farrell enters the quarterfinals leading all players with six points. Gophers forward Ben Myers has four.

The prospects have been the headliners. Fans love to see who the future stars might be. They probably prefer to see them at the World Juniors and the NHL players at the Olympics, but the big boys stayed home again.

There was a brief time when Wild General Manager Bill Guerin was the GM of the Olympic team. Before the media could start hammering him with roster questions, the NHL and its players decided not to participate. They had concerns over COVID protocols in Beijing, and a growing number of postponed games that would have to be made up during the Olympic window.

John Vanbiesbrouck replaced Guerin as GM and opted for a younger team sprinkled with players from other leagues. Five players compete in the Kontinental Hockey League, based in Russia. Three play in the American Hockey League. So far, it's been the right blend. The test will be how it stands up as the stakes get raised in the knockout rounds.

"We've really become a team in a short period of time," Quinn said. "And you can feel it in the locker room. You can feel it when you are just around the village. You know, these guys genuinely like each other and care for each other, in a short period of time."