Sabres prospect Owen Power joining Canada for Beijing Olympics

It looks like we will get another chance to see Owen Power play for Canada as the Buffalo Sabres prospect will make the roster for the Beijing Olympics.

With the Beijing Olympics a month away, it looks like Team Canada is leaving no stone unturned as they have prospect Owen Power on their list for the men’s hockey tournament.

For Buffalo Sabres fans, this is an intriguing development considering how many fans were disappointed with the NHL pulling the plug on the Olympics. Now the first overall pick will take advantage of the fact that he isn’t signed to an NHL contract making him eligible to go to the Olympics.

Power made headlines not too long ago when he became the first Canadian defenseman to record a hat trick at the World Juniors against Czechia. Unfortunately, he saw his tournament cut short because of COVID-19 issues.

This is a smart move by Canada considering there are many players that would be eligible for the tournament who are young, talented and have the experience they could use. To give you an idea, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler brought up this list of names who are being considered.

Interestingly enough, there are a couple of Sabres prospects is on the list in Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn who could join Power. On top of that former Sabres defenseman Cody Franson is being considered so Buffalo could have some strong representation.

While the other players remain question marks, seeing Power’s name included shows how highly regarded he is. It’s also surprising that the University of Michigan would let him go as well.

The 12-team men’s hockey tournament in Beijing opens on Feb. 9. The tournament is set to teams split into three groups of four, with each group winner and best second-place team automatically advancing to the quarterfinals after group play. After that, the other eight teams will be paired up and face each other in games to make up the other four quarterfinalists.

Canada was hit hard at the 2018 Olympics without NHL players but managed to win bronze. They are in a group with the United States, China and Germany.

What are your thoughts on Power being added to Team Canada? Can he be a standout at the tournament? Let us know in the comments below.