Canadiens: Canadian team’s unlikely lineup at the Beijing Olympics

Although NHL players love representing their countries at the Olympics, sometimes it is simply impossible for them to do so. At the start of the 2021 NHL Christmas break, the league and the NHLPA reached an understanding that would prevent their players from participating in the 2022 Beijing Olympics while the COVID-19 pandemic raged.

It was a bitter disappointment, especially for the players who never had the opportunity to participate in the Olympic tournament. When the league announced that players would be allowed to participate in September 2021, many said it would be a dream come true. Connor McDavid was quoted as saying that winning a gold medal for his country was the same as winning a cup for his team. Unfortunately for McDavid and company, the pandemic had other plans.

However, one man’s loss is another man’s gain and the exit from the NHL meant that national teams had to find replacement players quickly. For some former Montreal Canadiens, that meant preparing for Team Canada at the Olympics for the first time or, for some, having one last swan song on the international stage. Marc Barberio, Morgan Ellis, Adam Cracknell and Eddie Pascale had short stays in the Canadiens organization before wearing the national jersey in Beijing.

There were, however, some former Canadiens fans who probably remember more; Jordan Weal, David Desharnais and Eric Staal all had longer stays in Montreal and varying levels of success, it must be said.

The acquisition of commercial term

Back in his GM days in Montreal, Marc Bergevin had a knack for making underwhelming acquisitions at the trade deadline and 2019 was no exception. In the run-up to that year’s deadline, he acquired Christian Folin, Dale Weise, Nate Thompson and Jordan Weal. The Canadiens would be Folin’s last team in the NHL, as he would return to Europe the following season. Weise would head to Russia after the 2019-2020 season and Weal would join her after the 2020-2021 season. However, I will give GM props to Nate Thompson. He was a big veteran presence among the youth and instantly became “Uncle Nate.”

Although Jordan Weal only played two more seasons in the Canadiens organization, he achieved some success overseas participating in three seasons in the KHL with the Kazan Ak-Bars and Moscow Dynamo, where he finished his career with 77 points in 66 games.

In five games played in Beijing, Weal scored three goals and two assists. Including three points in Canada’s playoff game against China. His performance helped the Canadians qualify for the quarter-finals with a 7-2 victory over the host country. Canada’s journey in Beijing would end with a 2-0 defeat to Sweden, who finished fourth in the competition.

The first central placeholder

Desharnais was never called up and had to fight every step of the way to earn his place in the NHL. At just six feet tall, he didn’t have the stereotypical build of an NHL player, but still, he worked his way through the Canadiens organization and found instant chemistry with one of the Canadiens’ brightest prospects; Max Pacioretty, chosen in the first round of the 2007 draft.

In his first full season with the Canadiens, Desharnais had 60 points in 81 games, while Pacioretty had 65 in 79 games. The small center would never be able to replicate his early success, but he remained in line with the future captain for years. A portion of the Habs faithful felt he didn’t deserve his spot and when he signed a four-year, $14 million contract, he soon became the official scapegoat. Montreal’s then-mayor Denis Coderre even got in on the action, tweeting that Desharnais should be demoted to the AHL, much to the annoyance of his teammates. The former number 51 had the last laugh when Coderre lost the municipal elections to Valerie Plante.

Bergevin ended up trading him to the Edmonton Oilers for Brandon Davidson and the following summer he signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers. He then moved to Europe, spending a year in the KHL before playing in the Swiss league for a few seasons.

When Canada called for the 2022 Olympics, he was having his best season at Fribourg-Gotteron HC. At the Games, Desharnais was named alternate captain, but was only able to provide one assist in Canada’s five games. Still, the Laurier-Station native will always be able to say that he skated for his country in the Olympics and proudly wore an “A” on his jersey.

The proven leader

After the Canadiens’ Cinderella story run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, Staal was unable to find a contract for the following season. Once Team Canada was called up, he played four games in the AHL to prepare. A member of Canada’s reserve team at the 2006 Turin Olympics, Staal was a starting member of the Vancouver 2010 team that won the gold medal in overtime in the famous “Crosby Golden Goal.”

If NHL players had been allowed to go to Beijing, Staal wouldn’t have gotten that swansong appearance at the Olympics. In five games, Staal’s older brother scored four points in the tournament and wore the captain’s C. His performance was good enough to earn him a final NHL contract with the Florida Panthers.

It was recently announced that, after not playing in the 2023-2024 campaign, the former Carolina Hurricanes captain signed a one-day contract with the team to retire in the city where he won his only Stanley Cup. The 39-year-old certainly left his mark on the franchise’s history.

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