Seattle Kraken: Matty Beniers 2022 Olympic Hockey Tracker
Seattle Kraken 2021 first round pick Matty Beniers is on the United States Olympic Hockey Team. We will monitor his progress here. Updated (2/10/22)
University of Michigan center and Seattle Kraken 2021 first round pick Matty Beniers is on the USA Olympic Hockey Team. It came to be in a roundabout fashion, but he doesn’t mind how it happened, Beniers is happy to play.
This season COVID caused almost 100 NHL games to be postponed. In order to play makeup games without extending the 2021-22 season, the league decided to pull out of the Winter Olympics and use what would have been a two-week break to add back games to the master schedule.
In short, NHL players are out, and non-NHL players are in. One of the USA Selection Committee’s top choices was Beniers. This season, the sophomore center is tearing it up for Michigan with 16 goals and 36 points.
This isn’t his first time wearing the red, white, and blue of Team USA. Beniers played in the U-17, U-18, and U-20 (twice) World Junior Tournaments. He also played in last year’s World Cup, picking up a pair of points in six games.
Below is the Team USA schedule. As results come in, we will track Beniers’ progress.
Team USA Men’s Hockey Schedule
Thursday, February 10, 2022 – Preliminary Game 1 vs. China at National Indoor Stadium – 5:10 am PST – W, USA 8-China 0
Matty Beniers performance mirrored that of his team, beginning tentatively but gaining momentum throughout the game and dominating by the end. He got off to a rough start which included a bad for slashing in the first period. As Team USA became more comfortable their speed and skill shone through.
By the third period Beniers made him self at home behind China’s net to set up several scoring opportunities for his teammates. He scored a goal of his own with just over eight minutes left in the game. After taking a pass from Nick Abruzzese in the offensive zone, Beniers skated through the right circle and fired off a nasty snapshot to beat the goalie on his opposite side.
MATTY BENIERS IS A BAD MAN! 🥶🚨🇺🇸#WinterOlympics | @umichhockey
📺: @USA_Network and @peacockTV
💻: https://t.co/wa0GCADmEx pic.twitter.com/IXlTVzFK8N— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) February 10, 2022
Saturday, February 12, 2022 – Preliminary Game 2 vs. Canada at National Indoor Stadium – 8:10 pm PST (2/11/22) – USA Network.
Sunday, February 13, 2022 – Preliminary Game 3 vs. Germany at Wukesong Sport Center – 5:10 am PST – USA Network.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 – Qualification Round – Time, Location, and TV TBD – USA Network.
Wednesday, February 16, 2020 – Quarterfinals – Time and Location TBD – USA Network.
Friday, February 18, 2022 – Semifinals at National Indoor Stadium – Time TBD – USA Network.
Saturday, February 19, 2022 – Bronze Medal Game at National Indoor Stadium – 5:10 am PST – CNBC.
Sunday, February 20, 2022 – Gold Medal Game at National Indoor Stadium – 8:10 pm PST (2/19/22) – USA Network.
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Stay with us throughout the Olympics to keep tabs on Beniers.