NHL's absence from Olympics opens door for players with Minnesota ties

When the NHL decided last spring not to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, it opened the door for college players — formerly a staple of the Olympic team — to make the U.S. roster once again. Monday, St. Cloud State defenseman Will Borgen and Wild prospect Jordan Greenway of Boston University were among five players with Minnesota connections named to the men’s hockey team for February’s Winter Games.

Borgen, of Moorhead, and Greenway were joined by fellow collegians Troy Terry of Denver and Ryan Donato of Harvard on the 25-man roster for the Pyeongchang Olympics. The bulk of the team consists of Americans playing pro hockey in European leagues or the American Hockey League. Three other players with Minnesota ties—Bloomington native and former Gopher Ryan Stoa, former Wild defenseman Jonathon Blum and former St. Cloud State forward Garrett Roe—also made the team.

In addition to the four college players, the roster includes 15 with NHL experience. Former NHL forward Brian Gionta, an unsigned free agent, is the team’s captain and its oldest player at age 38. Gionta, a veteran of 15 NHL seasons who played in the 2006 Olympics, is the only player on the U.S. team with Olympic experience.

Former St. Cloud State forward Ryan Malone, who signed a professional tryout contract with the Wild last fall in hopes of playing in the Olympics, did not make the team. Malone had been playing with the Iowa Wild, but a team spokesman said Saturday he is no longer with the organization.

Coach Tony Granato, who will take a short break from his job as Wisconsin head coach to lead the Olympic team, promised a roster that would play with passion. Gionta echoed that Monday.

“You’ve got to go over there with a goal, and that goal is to come away with a gold medal,’’ said Gionta, who has been practicing with Rochester of the AHL to prepare for the Olympics. “The world stops to watch the Olympic Games. And to be able to be at that level representing your country, it’s a dream come true.

“I’m loving the opportunity to be able to do it again, especially at my age. I’m extremely excited about the prospect of going over there and winning gold.’’

The NHL has participated in the past five Olympics, dating to 1998. Though players wanted to continue, league officials decided the potential rewards of playing in Pyeongchang did not justify the disruption caused by a 17-day break in the league schedule.

That left USA Hockey to assemble a team from college players, Europe-based pros and players on AHL-only contracts. Its network of scouts evaluated about 100 players throughout the fall. Granato expected the core of the team to come from those who played in the Americans’ only pre-Olympic tournament, the Deutschland Cup.

The Olympic roster includes 15 players from that team, which went 0-3 and scored only four goals in losses to Russia, Slovakia and Germany.