The announcement of the Team Canada men's hockey roster for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games is something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. But admittedly, when I envisioned it it was populated by one of the greatest collections of players in the history of the sport and not what I saw one commenter describe as a “who’s who of who?” 

The NHL’s withdrawal from the Olympics left fans and players alike sour. With the games being played early in the morning for viewers in North American time zone, interest in the tournament will likely be much lower than it otherwise would have been.

But fans shouldn’t dismiss this tournament out of hand, no matter how disappointed they are at losing the spectacle that could have been. The 2018 Games were extremely entertaining, with breakout performances by young players, star turns by future NHLers, close games and a thrilling gold medal game. With teams more open than last time to giving junior and college players a chance, fans will have the chance to watch some excellent prospects on the big stage.