The U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team was announced today a few hours after the women’s team was unveiled at the Winter Classic in The Big House.
The women’s team was led by Amanda Kessel and four others with Minnesota ties, and the men’s team, not surprisingly, tops that mark.
The list of 10 skaters either from Minnesota, playing for the Wild, or that played for the Gophers is headed by winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Minnesota’s $196 million duo.
Parise has missed Minnesota’s last four games with a foot injury, a hinderance that is rumored to be a stress fracture, but he is expected to be ready for Sochi.
Suter is consistently at the top of the league in time spent on the ice, and is second on the Wild with 22 assists.
Also on the roster is Warroad high school alum T.J. Oshie, who said he was “in a bit of shock” he made the team.
Closing out the Minnesota ties are former Gophers Phil Kessel, Blake Wheeler, and Paul Martin, UMD alum Justin Faulk, and Minnesota natives Ryan Mcdonagh, David Backes, and Derek Stepan.
13 of the members of the team were on the 2010 squad that lost to Canada in the gold medal game, and the U.S. begins its revenge tour Feb. 12 in Russia.
