Four Wolverines Named to US Olympic Hockey Team
1/13/2022 6:00:00 PM | Ice Hockey, Olympics
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Sophomores Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson of the University of Michigan hockey team have been named to the USA Hockey Olympic team it was announced on Thursday (Jan. 13) by USA Hockey. Also representing the red, white and blue are former Wolverines Strauss Mann and Steven Kampfer.
The quartet represents the first Wolverines to make the USA roster since 2018 and are the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th Michigan players to make the American roster. Beniers and Brisson are the first to make the Olympic roster while at Michigan.
Beniers was a member of the US World Championship team, winning a bronze medal last spring before being selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Draft -- the franchise's first draft selection. He was named alternate captain of the US World Junior Team this year, one year after capturing a gold medal at the event.
An alternate captain at Michigan, Beniers recently hit 50 points in his career with 22 goals and 28 assists in 46 games. This season, he leads the team in power-play goals (seven) and with 26 points, he ranks 11th in the nation.
Brisson won a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship with Team USA. A first-round selection of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Draft, Brisson is the top goal-scorer for Michigan with 14 tallies. He is second on the team in points with 27, ranking him eighth in the nation. His 14 goals rank him fifth. Brisson also is second in the nation in game-winning goals with four.
The Big Ten Goaltender of the Year in 2019-20, Mann has been lighting it up in the Swedish Hockey League with Skelleftea. He leads the league in goals-against average with a 1.99 and save percentage at .927. At Michigan, Mann was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and a two-time All-Big Ten selection. Team captain in 2020-21, he was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, finishing his Michigan career with 35 wins, 11 shutouts, 1,970 saves and four assists. He owns the single-season record for GAA and save percentage and is second all-time in Michigan history in both categories.
A Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins, Kampfer signed with the Bruins after his senior season at Michigan. A member of the Class of 2010, Kampfer helped the Wolverines to two CCHA Championships in 2008 and 2010. The Ann Arbor native also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers during his 10-year NHL stint, playing 231 games. A 2007 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Kampfer signed with Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in July 2021. He recently signed an extension, keeping him there through the end of 2022-23 season. In 46 games this season, Kampfer has 30 points, is third on the team in scoring and was recently named to the KHL All-Star team.
Team USA will open Olympic competition on Feb. 10 vs. host nation China in a preliminary game. The U.S. is set to face Canada on Feb. 12 and Germany on Feb. 13 before qualification playoffs begin on Feb. 15. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Feb. 16, with the semifinals on Feb. 19 and medal games on Feb. 19 and 20.
Notes
• Michigan hockey has had 16 Olympians (15 players, 1 head coach)
• U.S. Olympic team members include Willard Ikola (1956), John Matchefts (1956), Jeff Norton 1988), David Roberts (1994), Mike Knuble (2006), Jack Johnson (2010), Max Pacioretty (2014) and Chad Kolarik (2018).
• Ikola and Matchefts won silver in 1956; Johnson won silver in 2010.
• Canada's Bob White won a bronze medal in 1959, one year before enrolling at Michigan.
