Building Without A Carpenter

Aside from all the NHL talent not participating in the Pyeongchang Olympics, the most glaring omission from the hockey tournament has to be Alex Carpenter - a bonafide superstar on the American women's hockey team.

Carpenter, the 23-year-old daughter of former NHL 50-goal scorer Bobby Carpenter, led the Americans to a silver medal with four goals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. In 2015 she won the coveted Patty Kazmaier Award with Boston College as U.S. college hockey’s top female player. She also famously scored gold-medal overtime winner against Canada at the 2016 Women’s Worlds in Kamloops. Carpenter, currently with the CWHL’s Chinese team Kunlun Red Star Shenzhen, is a four-time world champion.

But she somehow did not make the American Olympic team.

Carpenter was not the only star cut by new coach Robb Stauber, a former NHL goaltender.

Megan Bozek was also left at home, despite being a tournament all-star in Sochi. She is a dominant defender, and above all a winner. She's won four world titles, two NCAA titles and NWHL Isobel Cup in recent years.

The moves are curious to say the least. Every roster decision USA makes is designed to defeat Canada as the two nations are undoubtedly favorites to meet in the gold medal game. It is hard to see how USA is stronger without these two.