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China’s first men’s hockey game in the history of the Olympics did not go well.
Team USA hammered the Chinese, 8-0, in each team’s first game of the 2022 Olympics in a dominant performance that got out of hand early.
Sean Farrell, who plays at Harvard and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2020, netted a hat trick and added two assists. Brendan Brisson, Noah Cates, Brian O’Neill, Ben Meyers and Matty Beniers – who was drafted second-overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2021 – added goals.
China – whose team largely consisted of Americans and Canadiens who had played in the host Olympic country at some point – had a chance to score their first goal late in the third period on the power play, but was turned away by 19-year-old Blackhawks prospect Drew Commesso.
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On the other side, China goalie Jeremy Smith – who made appearances with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2016-17 season before moving to China’s KHL team, the Kunlun Red Stars – was overmatched from the jump, allowing eight goals on 55 shots.
The USA was originally expected to have NHL players on their Olympic roster, though COVID-19 forced the league to pull out at the last minute. So far, however, their services have not been necessary.
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