Brayden Point to Miss Winter Olympics Due to Injury
Team Canada player Brayden Point will not participate in the Milan Cortina Olympics due to a lower-body injury. Seth Jarvis, a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes, has been named as his replacement. Point, 29 years old, hasn’t played for the Tampa Bay Lightning since January 12, when he appeared to injure his knee against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was placed on the injured list on January 16, and the team qualified his status as “week to week.” This week, Point was moved to the long-term injured list. Point had been skating since Saturday in the hope of recovering in time for the Olympic tournament, which begins on February 11. However, Team Canada announced that Jarvis would enter in place of the Lightning’s center. After a slow start to the season, Point accumulated 30 points in 37 games for Tampa Bay. Last season, he scored 42 goals in 77 games and also had a goal and an assist in Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship run. Point had the honor of being one of the first six players named to the Canadian Olympic roster, along with Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, and Sam Reinhart. Lightning coach Jon Cooper is the head coach of the Canadian team, while Tampa Bay general manager Julien Brisebois is part of the team’s management group. Point is the second Tampa Bay player to withdraw from the Olympics due to injury. Center Anthony Cirelli was replaced by Sam Bennett, center for the Florida Panthers, earlier this week. Jarvis, 24, was also part of Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, adding an assist in three games, but was excluded from their Olympic roster despite three consecutive seasons of at least 25 goals in the NHL. Jarvis has 25 goals and 18 assists in 48 games with the Hurricanes this season. After Carolina’s victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, Jarvis was asked about continuing to impress for Team Canada.The Milan Cortina Games mark the first time the NHL is sending its players to the Winter Olympics since 2014. The Canadian men have won gold in the two previous tournaments involving NHL players.I think I already missed that opportunity. I think that part is already done. I mean, you never know. I’m just trying to play the best hockey I can for the Hurricanes, and if that results in me somehow ending up in the Olympics, that would be great, but it’s definitely not my focus. I’m focusing on the guys here, the team here, and winning however we can.
Seth Jarvis
