MONTREAL — Cole Caufield was 13 years old when he watched T.J. Oshie become “T.J. Sochi,” dragging the United States past Russia in spectacular style with four shootout goals at the 2014 Olympics.
As best-on-best international hockey returns this winter at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Caufield dreams of representing the U.S. on a similar stage, trading his Montreal Canadiens colours for different shades of red, white, and blue.
How much would it mean to the now 23-year-old from Mosinee, Wis.?
"Everything,” Caufield said. “Everybody wants to be part of that, something bigger than yourself and bigger than just a team, it's a country thing. That's pretty important and I think everybody's dream.
“To have it in Montreal, it'd be pretty cool too.”
Caufield, however, knows that dream of cracking the star-studded American roster could be out of reach this year.
Although he’s refound his scoring touch this season — tied for 10th in the NHL with 12 goals in 21 games entering Wednesday’s action — recent reports suggest he’s on the outside looking in for the Olympic tune-up tournament that begins Feb. 12 at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
All four countries — the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland — must submit their 23-player rosters by Monday before they’re announced next Wednesday.
Caufield insists his focus remains on improving his game, regardless of U.S. general manager Bill Guerin’s decision.
“Whatever happens, happens,” Caufield said. “It's not going to change how I work, not going to change how I play. At the end of the day, I'm still going to be cheering for USA, and I'm just going to keep working."
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis can relate to being on the bubble of a national team.
An undrafted player turned Hall of Famer, St. Louis first represented Canada as a 29-year-old at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, fresh off winning the Stanley Cup and Hart Memorial Trophy with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He made the 2006 Olympic team in Turin before being left off Canada’s gold-medal squad for Vancouver 2010. St. Louis experienced another snub in 2014 when Lightning and Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman excluded his own captain from the roster, until St. Louis replaced injured teammate Steven Stamkos.
“It's hard to make those teams,” St. Louis said. “You can do everything you can to position yourself and it doesn't guarantee it, because it's very competitive and there's guys left off. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're not good enough to be on that team.
“When those moments are there, as a player you drive for that, it was important to me to try to make (Team Canada).”
Caufield twice represented the U.S. at the world juniors, winning gold at the 2021 tournament in Edmonton.
Standing just five-foot-eight, the diminutive winger is a proven goal-scorer at all levels, from the U.S. National Development Team Program to the NCAA and the NHL, armed with a wicked wrist shot that beats goalies from near-impossible angles.
Caufield posted an underwhelming 28 goals last season with an uncharacteristically low 8.9 shooting percentage after shoulder surgery. This season, that percentage is way up to 24.0, although Caufield was goalless in five games on Wednesday.
While scoring is Caufield’s calling card, St. Louis believes his game has evolved.
"What I like about Cole is he's playing the whole game now,” St. Louis said. “He's not just scoring goals, he's playing both sides of the puck."
Caufield’s teammates certainly think he deserves a shot at 4 Nations.
“There definitely should be a spot for him on that team,” said rookie Lane Hutson, who’s also American. “It'd be fun to watch.”
“Not many guys can score goals as consistently as he does, from different areas on the ice,” Canadian centre Kirby Dach added. “But if Cole does go, I will not be cheering for the U.S.”
EKHOLM EYES SWEDEN
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm hopes he cracks Sweden’s blue line led by Lightning captain Victor Hedman.
The 34-year-old Ekholm missed out on opportunities to represent his country at the 2018 and 2022 Games because the NHL didn’t go to the Olympics, but isn’t dwelling on it.
“It's hard to miss something you've never had,” he said. “But obviously you would love to be in it.
“It's great for hockey that it's back, it's going to be a great showcase for our sport. Best on best is needed."
HOCKEY CLUBBING?
Utah Hockey Club sounded like a temporary name for a team that swiftly relocated from Arizona last off-season, but the idea is starting to stick for some players.
“That happens with any name,” Utah forward Nick Bjugstad said before Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win in Montreal. “Being from Minnesota when the Wild were announced, I thought that was bizarre, I didn't know if it was great name, and now, it just grows. People get used to it.”
The team announced six contenders in June: Utah Blizzard, Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC), Utah Mammoth, Utah Outlaws, Utah Venom and Utah Yeti.
As a soccer fan, forward Alex Kerfoot liked the idea of Utah HC.
“It's something that really hasn't been done in hockey yet, so that could be cool,” he said. “(But) if they want to come up with a mascot name and do that, we'd be happy with that too.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press