Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong on goaltending, why some won't make the cut, and a plan B.

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing are rapidly approaching and that means there are some tough decisions ahead for those in charge of their respective national teams. This time around there will be a unique set of challenges presented due in part to concerns surrounding Covid both in the National Hockey League and at the Olympic Games themselves.

This week Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong shared his insight on some of those challenges. Perhaps his most interesting comments came when he was asked about contingency plans in the event that NHL players are barred from participating in the event over those Covid concerns. Although Armstrong has been tasked with building Canada's team for the Olympics, there is currently an entirely separate body hard at work on a second team should that problem arise.

"That's Scott Salmon and Hockey Canada that takes care of the other team," admitted Armstrong. "Our focus right now as NHL GMs and NHL coaches is if NHL players go."

Armstrong went on to clarify that he would in no way be involved if Hockey Canada were forced to enact that contingency plan.

"Everything we're doing is to create an NHL team and any secondary team is sort of created by Hockey Canada and we're not involved in that whatsoever," said Armstrong.

If the NHL does allow players to participate there will still be a ton of questions surrounding this team. One of the big ones is on the topic of who will be the starting goaltender for Team Canada, and Armstrong once again shared some interesting insight on this front. I personally would have expected to learn that Montreal Canadiens star goaltender Carey Price has been ruled out entirely, but it would appear that is not the case.

"We're hoping all the best for Carey," said Armstrong. "I hear he's getting back on the ice soon and I would say going into it, when everyone watched last year's playoffs, he was pencilled in as the guy. Now there's things that are so much more important than playing hockey and he's going through some of those things right now, and if he gets his game up and he wants to come and he's playing to that level he will be the guy again. obviously."

Last but not least Doug Armstrong shared some very interesting insight on why fans may be surprised at some of the players who don't make the cut. Armstrong stated that the team's long list of players had to be submitted in October, which means anyone having a hot start to this season won't be eligible if they weren't already included on that initial list.

I may be reading too much into Armstrong's comments here, but I definitely got the sense that he had someone in mind when making this particular statement.

"The part that a lot of people probably don't understand is that our long list had to be in, in early October," said Armstrong. "That's the list you're choosing from so you really eliminate any player having great starts this season from being part of the Olympic team. It's unfortunate for guys that are having great Octobers/Novembers that weren't on that long list that won't be part of the team but that's just the way it is for all the countries."