Why Oilers' Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard missed Team Canada's Olympic roster, and what Connor McDavid said originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Edmonton Oilers are well represented on Team Canada's Olympics men's hockey roster by Connor McDavid.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey could've had much more, though.
Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard both missed the team despite having cases to be in Italy wearing the red maple leaf on their chest.
Instead, they'll both watch from home.
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Why did Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard miss the Olympics?
Both Oilers were simply the victim of being from a country with so many good options.
Canada appears to have picked Tom Wilson to be McDavid's gritty linemate, not Hyman.
The defensive group is talented, but Bouchard's scoring punch certainly would've helped. He's probably the tougher omission on paper.
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What Connor McDavid said about his missing teammates
After the roster reveal, McDavid gave a diplomatic but honest answer about this.
“I know how badly (Hyman) wanted to be on that team,” McDavid said, via CKPG. “He did everything he could possibly do to get back, maybe a touch too early just to give himself a bit more of a runway. And he’s played great. It is disappointing.”
In the end, McDavid will do everything he can to win a gold medal regardless of who's there with him. It just would've been a bit cooler for Edmonton to see more Oilers on the ice.
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