The U.S. men's hockey team played without defenseman Jake Sanderson in the lineup against China, but they may get him back just in time to take on Canada.
Sanderson practiced with his U.S. teammates Friday morning in preparation for the tilt against their rivals from north of the border. He was late arriving to the 2022 Winter Olympics after being placed in COVID-19 protocols last week.
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Sanderson, just 19 years old, is considered one of the top defensive prospects in hockey. He was selected No. 5 overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators and is in the midst of a stellar collegiate campaign at the University of North Dakota, where he's posted seven goals and 24 total points in 21 games.
The Montana native helped guide the Americans to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championships and also served as the U.S.'s captain at the 2022 World Juniors before it was shut down due to COVID-19 concerns.
The clash between the U.S. and Canada is set for 11:10 p.m. ET Friday night. The game can be streamed on NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock, and it will be televised nationally on USA.