BEIJING — Building their roster around youth and speed paid off again with a victory for the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team.
A well-placed backhander by Brendan Brisson of Manhattan Beach and the University of Michigan held up as the decisive goal as the U.S. defeated Canada 4-2 in preliminary round play on Saturday at National Indoor Stadium. The Americans’ second goal was scored by Ben Meyers, a star at the University of Minnesota.
Brisson, a former L.A. Junior King, was drafted 29th by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL draft. Fifteen members of the American team are still playing in college and the team is young, a contrast to the older squad that represented the U.S. at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and finished seventh. This is the second straight Olympic hockey tournament without NHL players.
