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WINSLOW TOWNSON-USA TODAY SPORTS (2)horse Germany to take the silver medal
in 2018. Ironically, the German talent in the
NHL has never been better, headlined by Leon
Draisaitl (bottom). Still, while Germany will be
missing six stars, the North American teams need
entirely new rosters, losing anchors like Draisaitl’s
Edmonton teammate Connor McDavid (top), who
would have starred for Canada. With NHLers, the
Big Six (Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland,
Czech Republic) would dominate. Now another
Germany-like Cinderella run is in the cards.Passing a baton from hand to hand in a footrace is
hard. So how is it done when racers are going feet-first
on a sled down a track at speeds around 90 mph?
Allow us to introduce the giant bull’s eye. In the
luge relay, a female competitor makes a run down
the course. At the finish, she hits a touch pad that
opens the starting gate for a male competitor. He
makes his run and then hits the bull’s eye, which
allows the doubles (two men) team to start. When
they hit the touch pad, the clock stops and the team
has its total time. Is it hectic? Yes. Is it one of the
coolest events in the Games? Absolugely.How would NHL
players have
changed things?
It’s easier to mention who’s not going. For many of
the Canadian players who won gold in Vancouver
in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, these Olympics were
supposed to be a swan song. Sidney Crosby is no
lock to make an Olympic roster when he’s 38 in
- Team USA’s Auston Matthews (right) may
end up being the greatest hockey player to ever
come out of the United States. But now he won’t
make his Olympic debut until he’s 28—at the
earliest. Expect teams to stock their rosters
with whomever they can find on short notice:
AHLers, college kids, and guys playing abroad.
With the top pros stuck
at home, who’s playing?
Hockey
How do you
have a luge
relay race?
Luge
well in women’s sports thanks to Title IX, the
civil rights law that applies to equal opportunity
in college athletics. Canada, is well, Canada. Is
it any surprise it produces stars like Marie-Philip
Poulin (right)?Olympics