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CHI SO W MPIC PREVIE WINTER OLY 2014 The Olympic puck drops this month in the highly anticipated 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Eleven Minnesotans will be wearing Red, White and Blue for the U.S. Men's and Women's Olympic teams. Minnesota Hockey Journal has compiled everything you need to know about this year's squads. Tune-In All games will be aired live, and featured games will be replayed during the evening. 2014 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Preliminary Tournament TV Schedule DATE OPPONENT TIME (CST) TV STATION Feb. 13 Slovakia 6:30 a.m. NBCSN Feb. 15 Russia 6:30 a.m. NBCSN Feb. 16 Slovenia 6:30 a.m. NBCSN Playoffs begin Feb. 18 with the Gold Medal game scheduled for 6 a.m., Feb. 23 on NBC. 2014 U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey Preliminary Tournament TV Schedule DATE OPPONENT TIME (CST) TV STATION Feb. 8 Finland 2 a.m. NBCSN Feb. 10 Switzerland 4 a.m. NBCSN Feb. 12 Canada 6 a.m. NBCSN Playoffs begin Feb. 16 with the Gold Medal game scheduled for 11 a.m., Feb. 20 on NBC. *ALL TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. State of Hockey in Red, White and Blue MEN David Backes (Spring Lake Park): Backes is a stalwart at center—and in the community. The Blues captain donated more than $24,000 worth of equipment to the Mankato Area Hockey Association this past November. Justin Faulk (South St. Paul): At just 21 years of age, Faulk is the youngest player on Team USA. Paul Martin (Elk River): Martin is getting a long-awaited chance at his first Olympic appearance. Ryan McDonagh (Mounds View): Steady Eddie on the blue line and widely considered one of the few "locks" for the roster. 14 T.J. Oshie (Warroad): Versatile, two-way forward with speed and intensity. Oshie is having a great NHL campaign this year. Zach Parise (Bloomington): All but penciled in as a top-line winger, Parise is the total package. Derek Stepan (Hastings): Speed, playmaking ability and defensive game should transition well on Olympic ice. Blake Wheeler (Robbinsdale): Skating, size and scoring could see Wheeler fill a variety of roles in the lineup. WO M E N Gigi Marvin (Warroad): The 2005 Ms. Hockey Award winner brings offensive punch from the back end. MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // FEBRUARY.2014 What would an All-Minnesota Olympic Team look like? Here's one projected roster. See the other possible selections and read the full scouting report at MinnesotaHockey.org. LEFT WING Zach Parise (Bloomington) Dustin Byfuglien (Roseau) Brock Nelson (Warroad) Ryan Carter (White Bear Lake) CENTER David Backes (Spring Lake Park) Derek Stepan (Hastings) Matt Cullen (Moorhead) Matt Hendricks (Blaine) RIGHT WING T.J. Oshie (Warroad) Blake Wheeler (Robbinsdale) Kyle Okposo (St. Paul) J.T. Brown (Rosemount) EXTRA FORWARDS Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka) Nick Bjugstad (Blaine) LEFT DEFENSE Paul Martin (Elk River) Ryan McDonagh (Mounds View) Nick Leddy (Eden Prairie) Alex Goligoski (Grand Rapids) RIGHT DEFENSE Justin Faulk (South St. Paul) Erik Johnson (Bloomington) Justin Braun (White Bear Lake) Matt Niskanen (Virginia) GOALIES Alex Stalock (South St. Paul) Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake) Mike Lee (Roseau) Anne Schleper (St. Cloud): Schleper, a rock on the blue line, was a five-year letterwinner in hockey, soccer and softball at St. Cloud Cathedral. Lee Stecklein (Roseville): The 19-year-old was born just four years before women's hockey was an Olympic sport—when Team USA won Gold in Nagano in 1998. J U S T I N FA U L K @ J U S T I N FA U L K 2 7 Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming support today! An absolute huge honor to be selected to Represent USA at the Olympics! #USAHockey PHOTOS: CAROLINA HURRICANES; USA HOCKEY TING TO SKA T H E 2 0 1 4 A L L - M I N N E S O TA O LY M P I C T E A M by Minnesota Hockey