Canada vs. Germany Prediction: 2022 Olympic Mens Hockey Odds
The Canadian mens national hockey team will open the 2022 Beijing Olympics in a rare spot as they sit outside of the top three tournament favourites. Canada begins their tournament draw against Germany on Thursday at 8:10 a.m. EST.
Canada is a -286 moneyline favourite to win on the Olympic mens hockey odds, with a total of 5.0.
Canada vs. Germany Olympic Odds and Betting
The Canadians are -145 favourites to win in regulation, which is key in this tournament as regulation wins are worth three points, overtime wins are worth two points and overtime losses are worth one point. Germany is a +195 underdog on the moneyline and +285 to win in regulation. A draw at the end of regulation is +340.
Since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, Canada is 14-1-1 against Germany, with the one draw coming at the 2001 IIHF World Championship in Germany. Germany knocked Canada out of the 2018 Olympics with a 4-3 win in the semifinals and they will return 10 players from that silver medal-winning team. Canada will return three players from their bronze medal-winning team.
Team Canada
Canadian general manager Shane Doan opted for a blend of youth and experience to fill out the roster. The most notable name is 19-year-old Owen Power, last year’s first overall pick in the NHL draft. Power leads all NCAA defenceman with 26 points (3G, 23A) in 24 games. Doan also took 18-year-old Mason Mason McTavish from the OHL, who was the third overall pick in 2021.
The team will be captained by by 37-year-old Eric Staal, who was on the 2010 team that won gold at the Vancouver Olympics. Staal easily has the most NHL experience with 1,293 career games under his belt. Other players with the most NHL experience include Daniel Winnik (894 NHL games), Jason Demers (699), David Desharnais (524), Mark Barberio (272) and Adam Cracknell (210). Returning players from the 2018 squad include forward Eric O’Dell and defencemen Maxim Noreau and Mat Robinson.
Devon Levi, who leads the NCAA with nine shutouts, should compete for the starters job in net as a 20-year-old. Ed Pasquale, last year’s KHL Goalie of the Year, is another candidate to start.
Former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton will take over duties as the bench boss after Claude Julien was unable to travel to Beijing. Julien slipped on the ice at a pre-Olympic practice and broke his ribs.
Team Canada Roster
Goaltenders: Devon Levi, Northeastern University (NCAA); Edward Pasquale, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL); Matt Tomkins, Frolunda HC (SHL)
Defencemen: Brandon Gormley, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL); Alex Grant, Jokerit Helsinki (KHL); Owen Power, University of Michigan (NCAA); Tyler Wotherspoon, Utica (AHL); Mat Robinson, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL); Mark Barberio, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL); Maxim Noreau, ZSC Lions (NL); Jason Demers, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
Forwards: Daniel Carr, HC Lugano (NL); Corban Knight, Avangard Omsk (KHL); Ben Street, EHC Red Bull Munchen (DEL); Jack McBain, Boston College (NCAA); Eric Staal, Iowa (AHL); Adam Tambellini, Rogle BK (SHL); Eric O’Dell, Dynamo Moscow (KHL); Daniel Winnik, Geneve-Servette HC (NL); Adam Cracknell, Bakersfield (AHL); Mason McTavish, Hamilton (OHL); Landon Ferraro, Kolner Haie (DEL); David Desharnais, HC Fribourg-Gotteron (NL); Jordan Weal, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL); Josh Ho-Sang, Toronto (AHL)
Team Germany
Germany smashed expectation in 2018, missing gold by less than a minute. They gave up the tying goal with 56 seconds left in the gold medal game, before Kirill Kaprizov scored in overtime to win it for the Russians. That silver medal remains the best result the German men’s team has ever had at an Olympic Games and with 10 returning players, they’re a legitimate threat in Beijing.
The Germans will also return 19 players from the 2021 World Championship team that placed fourth on NHL-sized ice. That should alleviate some concern over how Germany will handle a smaller ice surface. Unlike in 2018, this tournament will be played on NHL-sized ice, which is 15 feet smaller than international rinks. Patrick Hager is back after leading the team in scoring in 2018 with seven points (3G, 4A) in seven games.
Tobias Rieder, who played 478 career NHL games over seven seasons, is one of six players on the roster with NHL experience. He’ll be joined by NHL veterans Tom Kuhnhackle (232 games), Dominik Kahun (186, played with Edmonton last year), and Korbinian Holzer (206).
The team will be coached by Toni Soderholm, who took over for Marco Sturm following the 2018 Olympics. Under Soderholm, Germany finished sixth at the 2019 Worlds and fourth at the 2021 Worlds.
Canada vs. Germany Score Prediction
Canada 3
Germany 1