This Mason Raymond goal gives us hope for hockey at the 2018 Olympics

It’s getting more difficult to get excited about the upcoming men’s hockey tournament at the 2018 Olympics. Without the NHL’s involvement, we’re missing out on some stacked teams. It’s just not quite the same getting hyped about guys who are currently playing in Sweden.

But at the Sochi Hockey Open, a preliminary event to get ready for the Olympic tournament, Canada’s Mason Raymond gave us a glimmer of hope that the action in Pyeongchang could still be awesome. I mean, look at this dang goal against the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk:

Raymond, who will play for SC Bern in Switzerland next season, manages to pick up the puck with his stick and wrap it top shelf over the goaltender’s shoulder from behind the net. Presumably the goalie thought he had this situation under wraps once he got side to side and established position against the post. Think again! He probably wasn’t expecting Raymond to show off some lacrosse skills while slinging the puck over his shoulder pad.

Here’s another angle:

Without the NHL’s long list of superstars to pick from, Raymond is a good example of the kind of player Team Canada will target for the Olympics. He’s a 31-year-old former NHL forward who bounced around the league for a few seasons before departing this summer to go Switzerland. At his peak, he recorded 45 points for the Maple Leafs during the 2013-14 season.

Presumably the Olympic opportunity is part of the benefit of leaving North America for Raymond, who never would’ve had a chance to represent his country with the NHL involved.

And, hey, if he can keep scoring goals like this one in Pyeongchang, that’ll go a long way toward making the Olympic men’s hockey tournament worth tuning in. The game’s best may not be there, but the replacements can hopefully put on a pretty good show, too.