Will Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield be an Olympic Snub?

Will Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield be an Olympic Snub?

As amazing as the Frozen Four was last year, there was one notable player snubbed from Team USA....and when you consider that the difference between gold and silver was a single goal, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t have made a difference. That player was Cole Caufield.

Many years ago, in 2008, I was talking to Brian Burke about a scorer who had been left off the 2006 Team USA roster. The 2006 Olympics took place in Italy... as they will again this year.... and they were an absolute disaster for both Team USA and Team Canada. Neither team earned a medal, as Henrik Lundqvist stole the show and led Sweden to gold.

Burke was part of putting that 2006 team together, and he spoke pretty freely about his opinions on the player who’d been left off. He said I could write about it as long as I didn’t mention who the player was. At the time, he told me something to the effect of: “The guy didn’t work hard enough, didn’t play a 200-foot game, and was too soft for that level.” This player had been a big scorer the year prior and was considered a snub by many in the media.

Then Burke said something I’ve never forgotten — something I don’t think enough people realize:

“These guys have two very separate careers: an NHL career and a USA Hockey career.”

So, let’s look at Caufield’s Team USA career:

• 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship (Bronze)

  Finished 2nd in tournament and team scoring with 18 points (14-4-18) in seven games.

  Led the tournament in goals (14), tying Alex Ovechkin’s individual tournament record, and set the all-time U.S. record for most goals in a single tournament.

  Became the 2nd all-time tournament goal scorer with 18 career goals at the Under-18 Men’s World Championship, making him the all-time U.S. goals leader in the event.

That was one hell of a start in his Team USA career.

However, after that, he made what might be seen as a mistake by not playing for Team USA at the World Championships until 2024. That tournament....held during the NHL playoffs... is viewed by USA Hockey as a responsibility, and players who are available but choose not to participate can take a hit in their USA Hockey careers.

Still… if Caufield continues at this pace, there’s no way he shouldn’t get an invite. I truly believe the U.S. would have used him in major ways had he been included in the Four Nations.

What say you?