The preliminary-round games in the men's Olympic hockey tournament are now complete. Sudden-death knockouts begin on Feb. 18.
For many countries, speculation about rosters and plans for 2014 began the day after Canada captured the gold in Vancouver in 2010. The Olympics are only a 10-day tournament, but the impact of the wins and losses resonates for years in the hockey-mad nations that participate.
No matter how carefully the experts from each country analyze and strategize, there are always surprises in such a short tournament. Injuries play a massive role, and talented teams don't always mesh into a cohesive unit in time to play their best hockey.
Starting up front and working our way back, here's a look at 10 of the top individual stars of the 2014 Olympic tournament, how each one has performed so far and what to expect as we head into the elimination games on a quest for one gold-medal team on Sunday.
Begin Slideshow
...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Carol Schram
Olympic Hockey 2014: Stock Watch for Top Superstars in Sochi
February 17th, 2014 by Carol Schram Leave a reply »
Advertisement