Winter Olympics 2018: Brian Gionta has a golden opportunity for a second chance

After the NHL cast him aside, Brian Gionta will be skating for gold in South Korea and possibly a second chance at playing in the pros.

When the NHL announced that it would not be sending players to the Olympics this year many players were upset. Young stars like Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews both are losing an opportunity to represent their country on the largest stage. However, this same announcement was a fresh chance for NHL veterans looking to earn their next contract, keep their dreams alive, or live out one final chapter of their career.

When last season ended Brian Gionta had just finished his 17th season and his third as captain of the Buffalo Sabres. He had expected he would be getting another contract with another team, but his phone never rang; Brian Gionta was and still is considered an NHL free agent. Then he was given a lifeline.

Because Gionta isn’t on an active NHL roster, he’s allowed to participate with Team USA in the Winter Olympics. Not only was Gionta added to the team but he was eventually made the captain of the squad which will take the ice in South Korea.

He will be leading a group of former NHL players who the game cast off: Mark Arcobello, Matt Gilroy, and James Wisniewski. Also joining him will be college prospects Will Borgen and Jordan Greenway. Professionals from other leagues like David Leggio and Ryan Stoa will be skating alongside him as well. All of these men will be playing for gold in the Olympics but they’ll also be playing for something else — a second chance at a contract in the NHL.

All eyes will be on South Korea in the world of hockey, and a good performance by any of the veteran players could result in a return to the pros.

Next: Why the NHL got it wrong skipping the Olympics

The NHL deciding to sit this Olympics out left many hockey fans puzzled. Sitting out the Olympics in South Korea — a country where the sport is trying to gain more exposure — seemed counterproductive. But where the league may have missed the mark, it has presented something that otherwise wouldn’t have existed: An opportunity for players the game left behind to live their dreams and show the world they still have what it takes.

Brian Gionta isn’t just the captain of Team USA, he’s the face of this new movement.