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BOSTON, MA (WBZ-AM) -- The US Olympic team has 244 athletes competing in Pyeongchang South Korea. Andover native John McCarthy is among them.
John McCarthy is 31 and is in his ninth season of playing professional hockey.
He is currently playing for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda and on January 1st was named a member of the US Men's Hockey Team.
"This is a big honor for me and I'm really excited to get it started," he says. There was no tryout or tournament. McCarthy says Olympic coach Tony Granato watched him play.
McCarthy explains what he's been doing since being selected. "We don't have like a training camp or anything, I've just continued to play for the Barracuda. The USA coaches have sent out some video clips and everything because we're only gonna have four or five skates before the first games," he said.
McCarthy is encouraged. "With the no NHL guys, it almost opens up the tournament to a lot more possibilities," he says. Chris Bourque, the son of hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, is on the team.
Chris Bourque plays for the AHL's Hershey Bears. Four team members are college players, including Ryan Donato of Harvard and BU's Jordan Greenway. Right now, the odds on favorite to win gold is the Olympic Athletes of Russia, so named because of the Team Russia doping ban.
So, could we see shades of 1980, the Miracle on Ice?
"I know the story,obviously seen the movie, and, you know , I went to college at BU and there was a pretty strong BU representation on that team, so, um it, that was a very cool story and it's inspirational," he said.
Team USA begins competing in Men's Hockey on February 14th against Slovenia.
WBZ NewsRadio1030's Mary Blake reports.