Three new players were announced to their respective Olympic rosters on Friday morning, including Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Joel Kiviranta. The Colorado Avalanche will be well-represented on the world stage.

Nelson was welcomed with the news of his inclusion on the roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics for Team USA. Nelson will make his first Olympic appearance representing the red, white, and blue.

Team Finland announced its roster shortly after. Former Av Mikko Rantanen was part of the preliminary six players announced to the roster. But now, his former teammates Lehkonen and Kiviranta are joining him.

The three aren’t the only Avalanche players to represent their country. Gabriel Landeskog will play for Sweden, Martin Necas will play for Czechia, and the trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews will represent Canada.

How Nelson made Team USA

 

Nelson will hoist the USA jersey over his head again, just a year after his strong play during the Four Nations Face-Off. In the four-game tournament, he didn’t record a point but was solid defensively.

Ultimately, his play attracted the eyes of the Avs and several other suitors by the trade deadline. Eventually, the New York Islanders traded him, and he has impressed.

 In his first full season in Colorado, there were tons of question marks about whether he fit. It could’ve put his chances of playing in the Olympics in jeopardy.

He has been great as the second line center, putting up 16 goals and 14 assists so far in 39 games. In the last five games alone, he has eight points.

It includes a three-point performance against his boyhood club, the highly talked-about Minnesota Wild. He was a key part of the big win against a high-caliber opponent who traded for fellow Team USA selection, defender Quinn Hughes.

Nelson’s play both offensively and defensively has been solid for the Avs. Hence, it seemed a simple decision for the US to bring the veteran back. He makes the team over the likes of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies.

No one is quite sure how Team USA will be built by the time February comes around. Nonetheless, Nelson will have his say as they try to bring home gold. A shot like this will certainly help.

How Lehkonen and Kiviranta made Team Finland

Lehkonen representing his home country is no surprise. He was involved in the Four Nations Face-Off, with an assist in three games. This year, he’s got 14 goals and 18 assists in 39 games.

He was on the top line, but has since moved down the lineup thanks to great depth for the Avalanche. He will certainly be involved as Finland makes its own push towards gold.

Surprisingly, the team also named Joel Kiviranta to Team Finland. He’s been a perennial fourth-liner throughout his entire career, and the stats back it up.


This year has been no different in Colorado, as he has only one goal and three assists in 21 games. He has had issues with injuries this season, including missing out on the New Year’s Eve win against the St. Louis Blues with a lower-body injury.

It sounds as though he won’t miss much time, not risking his Olympic ambitions. He will likely be a glue guy in the bottom six, perhaps thanks to injury to the Montreal Canadiens’ Patrik Laine, who will not be ready by February.

This new trio of announcements of Avs at the Olympics continues to show the strength amongst the roster. Nelson, Lehkonen, and Kiviranta show just that and will be competitive alongside several other Avalanche representatives as they strive for Olympic medals.