US Olympic Hockey Team 2022: Men's Roster, Jerseys and Predictions

The United States men's hockey team is viewed as a long shot to win the competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The absence of NHL players from the tournament will hurt the team's chances, and it would be a surprise if the squad makes it to the gold-medal match.

Collegiate and AHL players make up most of the American roster, with a few overseas-based players in China also competing for the United States.

Recent top-five NHL draft picks Matty Beniers and Jake Sanderson headline the young roster, which has just six players over the age of 30 on the roster.

The full roster and jerseys for the American men can be found here on the USA Hockey website.

            

USA Men's Hockey Schedule

Group Stage

Thursday February 10 vs. China (8:10 a.m. ET) 

Friday, February 11 vs. Canada (11:10 p.m. ET)

Sunday, February 13 vs. Germany (8:10 a.m. ET) 

        

Predictions

United States Finish 2nd in Group Stage

The United States and Germany will likely battle it out for second place in Group A.

Canada should be viewed as the favorite to top the pool, even though its own roster has been hurt by the absence of NHL players. But it does have some league experience in the form of Eric Staal and carries a ton of older players based overseas.

Fifteen members of the roster are 30 or older and that experience could help it navigate the group stage.

The Americans are relying on a number of younger skaters to take them far in Beijing. A win over Canada in the group stage seems unlikely, which makes the finale against Germany so important.

Each of the 12 teams advance to the knockout round, but a second-place finish should put the Americans in advantageous spot to make it to the quarterfinals via a playoff-round matchup against a third-place squad from one of the other groups.

The expectations will not be high going into the quarterfinals, but a confident group stage could help the Americans in the knockout phase.

          

Matty Beniers Emerges as Star of Team USA

Matty Beniers is expected to be one of the top American players in Beijing.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft has starred at the University of Michigan over the past two years, and he has produced 16 goals and 20 assists this season.

Beniers has plenty of international experience from the youth levels and could emerge as a top scorer within the American squad.

The 19-year-old may not be known by the casual hockey fans, but he could make a name for himself throughout the tournament.

If that happens, the hype surrounding Beniers' future with the Seattle Kraken will get even louder.

He won't be the only player asked to make major contributions, but he could be the X-factor for the Americans in the elimination round.