Well, dear reader. It seems that time is finally upon us. It's the moment where we get to see superstars like Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes grace the ice for the United States. That's right. The men are stepping on the ice for the Olympics, this time, in hockey form.
Are you ready to wake up to pounds of spaghetti, espressos, and hockey to occupy your time? I am, which is why I bought penne with me this week. I'm ready to munch on my pasta like I'm a professional wrestler promoting something for Time Warner. Perhaps I could get a gig in WCW.
Oh wait, they're gone?
But let's look on the bright side. We still have Olympic hockey ahead of us. While many American citizens (and global denizens) were put to sleep by the Super Bowl, many hockey fans were anxiously waiting for the action to begin in Milan. Lo and behold, we have the ladies and the gents getting us started.
But let's focus on the men since the action begins for them on Wednesday. Which Golden Knights players from the past should we watch for? What rules are changing from the NHL game? Here's a complete dive into everything Olympics-related for the Golden Knights fan.
Which former Golden Knights are playing in the tournament?
Team Canada has some noteworthy former Golden Knights on its roster. That consists of Nick Suzuki and Logan Thompson, players who've grown into impactful players for their respective teams.
Finland has Erik Haula, who's currently spending his time in Nashville with Jonathan Marchessault. While fans might be (somewhat) disappointed with Jack Eichel not being Team USA's Captain, they can take solace in seeing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare being France's Captain.
Surprisingly, a former Golden Knights Stanley Cup champion represents Team Latvia: Teddy Blueger. Slovakia has Tomas Tatar, who went on the Stanley Cup Final run with the 2017-18 team. Aside from the current representation, the Golden Knights have plenty of former names on the roster, too.
What's different with the NHL rules and the Olympic rules?
The first thing you'll notice from the Olympic rules is that you can be ejected for fighting. That's right, dear reader. The Olympic Committee wants to maintain a pristine image despite past years of doping.
Man, that was one of the best parts of the game, too. Oh well...
But what about overtimes and shootouts, you ask? Well, the preliminary action will see a five-minute three-on-three overtime. After that, it's a five-player shootout to determine the winner. Those five minutes bump up to 10 minutes in the quarterfinals and the semifinals. But that's where the shootout fun ends.
The gold medal game will see 20 minutes of three-on-three sudden death action. Only until the next team scores will we have a winner. Imagine having Part Two of the 4 Nations Face-Off from last season!
"But what about the point system, you intriguing guru of hockey knowledge?"
Well, here's how it goes. You get three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win, and one point for an overtime/shootout loss. Some hockey fans have called for a complete overhaul of the NHL's current point system since, well, people are hating Vegas for "abusing the system." Still, this would be a nice transition for hockey fans, rewarding teams for trying in overtime.
What does the Olympic schedule look like?
Feb. 11
Slovakia v Finland (9:40 am CT)
Sweden vs Italy (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 12
Switzerland v France (5:10 am CT)
Czechia v Canada (9:40 am CT)
Latvia v United States (2:10 pm CT)
Germany v Denmark (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 13
Finland v Sweden (5:10 am CT)
Italy v Slovakia (5:10 am CT)
France v Czechia (9:40 am CT)
Canada v Switzerland (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 14
Sweden v Slovakia (5:10 am CT)
Germany v Latvia (5:10 am CT)
Finland v Italy (9:40 am CT)
United States v Denmark (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 15
Switzerland v Czechia (5:10 am CT)
Canada v France (9:40 am CT)
Denmark v Latvia (12:10 pm CT)
United States v Germany (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 17
Playoff Round Game 1 (5:10 am CT)
Playoff Round Game 2 (5:10 am CT)
Playoff Round Game 3 (9:40 am CT)
Playoff Round Game 4 (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 18
Quarterfinal 1 (5:10 am CT)
Quarterfinal 2 (9:40 am CT)
Quarterfinal 3 (11:10 am CT)
Quarterfinal 4 (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 20
Semifinal 1 (9:40 am CT)
Semifinal 2 (2:10 pm CT)
Feb. 21
Bronze Medal Game (1:40 pm CT)
Feb. 22
Gold Medal Game (7:10 am CT)
Get your popcorn and pasta ready, my friend. This Olympic season's going to be exciting.