Just because the NHL isn’t at the Olympics doesn’t mean we can’t bring the Olympics to the NHL.
The NHL opted out of competing at the Olympics, but the hockey world remains inextricably linked to the Winter Games. Flipping channels between gold medal winner Nathan Chen on the ice in Beijing and another gold medal winner Sidney Crosby on the ice in Pittsburgh seems natural, even if Crosby isn’t in Hockey Canada colors.
This week’s power rankings aim to bridge the gap between the NHL and the Olympics by relating each team to an Olympic athlete, competition or moment we’ve seen so far in Beijing.