LOS ANGELES, Jan 26, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Eric Staal headlined the list of
players named by Hockey Canada on Tuesday to represent the country in the
men's hockey tournament at next month's Beijing Olympics.

  Staal, who is the frontrunner to be named captain of Team Canada, will be
joined for next month's Olympics by an eclectic mix of pros, college players
and junior stars.

  Staal is one of just a few who are members of the Triple Gold Club, which
comprises players who have won an Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup and a
World Championship title.

  "We have a balance of some guys who played a lot of pro, some guys played
college, some guys are just getting their feet wet," said Staal, who was one
of 25 players announced Tuesday.

  "I love the look of our lineup and the balance that we have. Obviously you
have to get on the ice to get a feel of how it is all going to play out."

  The 37-year veteran went to the Stanley Cup finals with the Montreal
Canadiens last season, where they lost in four games to the Tampa Bay
Lightning.

  He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, won the
Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and gold at the 2007 World
Championships in Moscow.

  Staal played just four game this season in the American Hockey League and
is hoping that a strong showing in Beijing will land him a spot with an NHL
team once the Olympics are over. Canada has won three of the last five
Olympic gold medals in men's ice hockey.

  Canada's lineup also includes 2021 first overall NHL draft pick Owen Power,
third overall pick Mason McTavish and goaltender Devon Levi, who plays
college hockey in the United States for Northeastern University.

  Power, 19, became the first Canadian defenceman to score a hat trick in the
World Junior Championships in December at Edmonton, Alberta.

  He scored three goals against Czechia in the opening game before the
tournament was shut down due to a series of Covid-19 outbreaks.

  Twenty-year-old Levi is a standout with Northeastern, compiling a .948 save
percentage in 24 games this season.

  Forwards Josh Ho-Sang and David Desharnais are also heading to Beijing.

  Ho-Sang played 53 games for the New York Islanders over three seasons and
Desharnais is playing in the Swiss first division this season.

  The NHL decided last month not to send its players to the Beijing Olympics
because the owners wanted to use the break in the regular season to make up
games postponed and rescheduled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

  Team Canada's first game of the Olympic tournament is February 10 against
Germany.