NHL players aren’t going to the Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some familiar faces for Canadiens fans in Beijing.
Mark Barberio (Canada)
The 31-year-old Montreal native played 56 games for the Habs over two seasons before playing with the Avalanche for four seasons.
He’s been playing in the KHL since 2020.
Daniel Carr (Canada)
Carr played three seasons with the Canadiens, putting up his career highs in the 2017-2018 season when he had six goals and ten assists over 38 games.
David Desharnais (Canada)
David Desharnais played in 435 NHL games for the Canadiens, putting up 250 points (79 goals, 171 assists). During the 2011-2012 campaign, the Quebecer had the best year of his career, notching 16 goals and 44 assists in 81 games.
In February 2017, he was traded by the Canadiens to the Oilers before signing as a free agent with the New York Rangers that summer.
Currently, Desharnais plays with the HC Fribourg-Gottéron out of Switzerland.
Eric Staal (Canada)
Staal’s time as a Hab was short-lived but certainly memorable as he was along for their latest journey to the Stanley Cup Final. The 17-year NHL veteran serves as Team Canada’s captain.
Jordan Weal (Canada)
Jordan Weal spent five NHL seasons spread out across four teams (the Canadiens, Flyers, Kings, and Coyotes), two of which were with Montreal.
Yannick Weber (Switzerland)
Swiss defenceman Yannick Weber played 115 games for the Canadiens between 2008 and 2013. Too bad Weber and Weber never got a chance to play together…
This is actually Yannick Weber’s third trip to the Olympics, as he also represented Switzerland in 2014 and 2010.
Sven Andrighetto (Switzerland)
Sven Andrighetto will suit up for Team Switzerland. Habs fans might remember him putting up 11 goals and 17 apples as a Canadien from 2014 to 2017 before spending three years in Colorado.
Besides playing in the Olympics, Andrighetto is playing out a five-year contract with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League.
Raphael Diaz (Switzerland)
Raphael Diaz was a sound defenceman during his 129-game tenure as a Montreal Canadien. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2014 in a deal that brought fan favourite Dale Weise to la belle province.
Diaz is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron out of Switzerland.
Jacob De La Rose (Sweden)
Jacob De La Rose was drafted by the Habs 34th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He spent parts of four seasons with the Canadiens and never really found his footing in the big leagues.
Professionally, he’s playing back in Sweden for the Farjestad BK.
Christian Folin (Sweden)
The Canadiens are Christian Folin’s most recent taste of the NHL. He bounced around from the Wild to the Kings and Flyers before playing suiting up for 35 games with the Habs over two years.
Erik Gustafsson (Sweden)
Gustafsson’s time with the Canadiens was short. He was traded to Montreal last year for a 7th round pick in the 2022 draft and appeared in only five games.
Nikita Nesterov (Russian Olympic Committee)
Nikita Nesterov played in 13 games for the Canadiens during the 2016-17 campaign before spending some time with the Calgary Flames. He’s now playing in the KHL and is suiting up for the Russian Olympic Committee in Beijing.
Kenny Agostino (USA)
Agostino hopped around the NHL over six seasons, 36 games of which were with the Habs. He’ll be rivalling Team Canada as he represents Team USA in Beijing.
Jan Mysak (Czechia)
The Canadiens signed Jan Mysak to a three-year contract last spring.
The 19-year-old played in 13Â games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, netting two goals and amassing 14 shots.
The 5’11” and 175 lbs centerman also played 11 games with the HC Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga, where he tallied one assist and served 14 penalty minutes.
Mysak was a second-round selection of the Canadiens (48th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
CZECH him out for Team Czechia and look for him to join the Canadiens in the not too distant future afterwards.
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