US is youngest team at Olympics; Sanderson on way to Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — The United States is the youngest team in the men’s hockey tournament at this Olympics without NHL players. The average age is 25 compared to 27 for the Russians and 30 for Canada. The U.S. will soon add another young star to the group when defenseman Jake Sanderson arrives in Beijing. He had been stuck in Los Angeles in virus protocol. Sanderson is set to arrive hours after the U.S. opens the tournament against host China on Thursday (Feb. 10, 2022). The U.S. faces Canada and Germany this weekend before the knockout round begins.