And an Olympic trip would be a huge makeup for the massive disappointment over the collapse of the World Juniors, where Canada was 2-0 and Power became the first Canadian defenseman ever to notch a hat trick in a game. His lone shot at a gold medal in that event is gone and Power admitted players began to wonder if they were going to get to the medal round of the tournament when positive Covid cases and forfeits started piling up.
“You saw the first cases come up in the tournament and you kind of got that thought in the back of your head,” Power told TSN. “When we got called down for the meeting it was actually the same text we got when we shut down last year in Michigan. As soon as we got that, I had a pretty good feeling that the tournament was going to be over.”
Covid is the big issue with the Olympics too. If Power suddenly has a positive test in China, he could be subject to the onerous quarantines that had NHL players queasy. Imagine him being stuck in China for 3-5 weeks – yes, weeks – and be stranded overseas well after the Games are over. It could jeopardize his entire season at Michigan, which was the whole reason for him to return to school and not come directly to Buffalo.
In many eyes, Power would be a second-pair defenseman for the Sabres right now. He returned to school to get the college lifestyle he lost out on last year as a freshman due to the pandemic, and to make another run at a national championship. China seems like an odd risk to take for what’s now going to be a watered-down Olympic tournament.