Blackhawks guide to 2018 Olympics men’s hockey tournament
Eleven players and one assistant coach have ties to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks won’t have any players competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics, but will have some old faces playing.
This year’s tournament will be much different without the participation of the NHL, which declined to stop its season to send players to Pyeongchang. Instead the teams are made of mostly European players, including ex-NHL players.
Three groups of four teams will compete in three preliminary round games with one against every other team in their group before advancing to a four-round single elimination portion of the tournament. All 12 teams will advance past the group stage, with the winner of each group, along with the highest ranking runner-up, getting a first-round bye in the elimination stage.
Finland has the largest contingent with ties to the Hawks at four. Canada has three and the United States two. The Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden each have one.
Here’s a list of every former Hawks that’ll be in the tournament:
Canada
Rene Bourque (2005-08)
Andrew Ebbett (2009)
Rob Klinkhammer (2008-11)
Czech Republic
Jiri Sekac (2016)
Germany
Christian Ehroff (2016)
Finland
Lasse Kukkonen (2003 draft pick, 2003-04, 2006-07)
Sami Lepisto (2011-12)
Marko Anttila (2004 draft pick, never played in NHL)
Petri Kontiola (2004 draft pick, 2007-09)
Sweden
Viktor Stalberg (2010-13)
United States
Chris Chelios (1990-1999) as an assistant coach
James Wisniewski (2002 draft pick, 2005-09)
There will also be six other players that might look familiar as they played for the Rockford IceHogs and the Chicago Wolves.
Former IceHogs
Daryl Boyle of Germany
Mathis Olimb of Norway
Former Wolves players
Sergei Andronov of Russia
Henrik Odegaard of Norway
Adam Polasek of Czech Republic
Fredrik Pettersson of Sweden
And here’s the complete schedule. All times are Central:
Group A
Canada
Czech Republic
Switzerland
South Korea
Thursday, February 15
Czech Republic vs. South Korea (6:10 a.m.)
Canada vs. Switzerland (6:10 a.m.)
Friday, February 16 (Game takes place in Pyeongchang on Saturday, Feb. 17)
Canada vs. Czech Republic (9:10 p.m.)
Saturday, February 17
Switzerland vs. South Korea (1:40 a.m.)
Sunday, February 18
Czech Republic vs. Switzerland (1:40 a.m.)
Canada vs. South Korea (6:10 a.m.)
Group B
United States
Olympic Athletes from Russia
Slovenia
Slovakia
Wednesday, February 14
United States vs. Slovenia (6:10 a.m.)
Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. Slovakia (6:10 a.m.)
Thursday, February 15 (Game takes place in Pyeongchang on Friday, Feb. 16)
United States vs. Slovakia (9:10 p.m.)
Friday, February 16
Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. Slovenia (1:40 a.m.)
Saturday, February 17
Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. United States (6:10 a.m.)
Slovakia vs. Slovenia (6:10 a.m.)
Group C
Sweden
Finland
Norway
Germany
Wednesday, February 14 (Game takes place in Pyeongchang on Thursday, Feb. 15)
Finland vs. Germany (9:10 p.m.)
Thursday, February 15
Norway vs. Sweden (1:40 a.m.)
Friday, February 16
Finland vs. Norway (6:10 a.m.)
Sweden vs. Germany (6:10 a.m.)
Saturday, February 17 (Game takes place in Pyeongchang on Sunday, Feb. 18)
Norway vs. Germany (9:10 p.m.)
Sunday, February 18
Sweden vs. Finland (6:10 a.m.)
Bracket
After pool play, the teams will be ranked, with the top four squads receiving byes into the quarterfinals.
Playoff Round (Monday, Feb. 19 and Tuesday, Feb. 20)
No. 8 vs. No. 9
No. 5 vs. No. 12
No. 6 vs. No. 11
No. 7 vs. No. 10
Quarterfinals (Tuesday, Feb. 20 and Wednesday, Feb. 21)
No. 1 vs. winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9
No. 4 vs. winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12
No. 3 vs. winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11
No. 2 vs. winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10
Semifinals
No. 1 vs. No. 8 or No. 9 winner vs. No. 4 vs. No. 5 or No. 12 winner
No. 3 vs. No. 6 or No. 11 winner vs. No. 2 vs. No. 7 or No. 10 winner
3rd-Place Game (Friday, Feb. 23)
Loser of semifinal No. 1 vs. Loser of semifinal No. 2
Final (Saturday, Feb. 24)
Winner of semifinal No. 1 vs. winner of semifinal No. 2
