Five AHL players who could represent their country at the 2018 Winter Olympics

As if we needed an excuse to watch more hockey... this upcoming AHL season will be one to watch closely.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Five AHL players who could represent their country at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Keystone Press

Earlier this week NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the league was working on plans to bar any AHL players on two-way contracts from participating in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang, South Korea. Interestingly, this still leaves the door open for any player on a one-way AHL deal to participate in the Games. So, while it's still very early in the selection process, we take our best stab at five AHL players who could play a role for their country in Pyeonchang.

Patrice Cormier - Manitoba Moose 
Currently playing for the Manitoba Moose, Cormier not only has NHL experience but has experience on the international stage playing for Canada twice at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Chris Conner - Lehigh Valley Phantoms 
Currently signed to a two-year contract with Lehigh Valley, Conner has played over 100 games in the NHL with the Penguins, Stars and Coyotes. He could be a solid forward up front for USA.

Chris Porter - Providence Bruins
The NHL veteran of over 200 games was once a fan favorite with the St Louis Blues. He recently signed a contract in the AHL with Providence and has experience representing USA at the 2010 World Championships.

Michael Paliotta - Toronto Marlies 
The former NCAA standout will play for the Toronto Marlies this season and has a lot of success for USA at international events, winning a gold medal at the Under 17 and Under 18 World Championships. He is also a Calder Cup champion, playing 8 playoff games with Lake Erie in 2016.

Darren Raddysh - Rockford IceHogs
Slated to play for Rockford this season, Raddysh has been a monster on the Erie Otters blue line these last few years in the OHL. He was a big part of the championship run by the Otters with 22 points in 22 playoff games and was named to the Mastercard Memorial Cup All-Star Team. He could be a nice dark horse piece for Canada on the blue line.

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