7 Minnesotans To Play For US Hockey Team At Beijing Olympics

MINNESOTA — Seven Minnesotans are headed to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as members of Team USA's hockey team.

The U.S. men's hockey team roster includes 15 collegiate players, eight professionals from European leagues and two AHL players. Only one of the 25 players — forward Brian O'Neill — has been to the Olympics before, according to the team.

The Minnesotans on Team USA's hockey team include:

• Drew Helleson of Farmington. Defenseman. He is currently playing for Boston College.
• Nick Perbix of Elk River. Defenseman. He is currently playing for St. Cloud State University.
• Sam Hentges of New Brighton. Forward. He is currently playing for St. Cloud State University.
• Brock Faber of Maple Grove. Defenseman. He is currently playing for University of Minnesota.
• Noah Cates of Stillwater. Forward. He is currently playing for University of Minnesota Duluth.
• Ben Meyers of Delano. Forward. He is currently playing for University of Minnesota.
• Aaron Ness of Roseau. Forward. He is currently playing for the Providence Bruins.

The U.S. Olympic men's hockey team finished seventh among 12 teams at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The team's schedule gets underway Feb. 10 against China. The U.S. will also play Canada and Germany Feb. 12-13 in the preliminary round.