Teddy Purcell of St. John’s is another step closer to playing for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Purcell was named to the Canadian team’s roster for The Channel Cup, a three-game tournament in Moscow scheduled for Dec. 13-17.
The 32-year-old forward, with eight years of full-time NHL experience, was part of the Canadian team that competed in the 2017 Karjala Cup in Finland last month.
The Channel Cup is the second of three evaluation tournaments the Canadians will take part in before selecting the Olympic roster.
The third tournament is set for late December in Switzerland.
Purcell is currently playing for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Even if Purcell makes the Canadian squad, there is a possibility he might not play as there is some discussion about Russia not permitting KHL players to take part in the Olympics if that country is banned for part or all of the PyeongChang Games because of a doping scandal.
There is another player on the Canadian roster with ties to St. John’s. Eric O’Dell, who played four seasons for the St. John’s IceCaps while in the Winnipeg Jets system, will wear the maple leaf.
