PORTLAND, Maine — It's four hours of sports talk with the Mannix brothers when the clock hits 10 a.m. during the week. The Big Jab's "Middays with Mannix and Mannix" features brothers Jeff and Taylor, and the two cover national and local sports storylines.
On Thursday, Jeff spent a portion of his pre-show routine breaking down Team USA's men's hockey team. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the National Hockey League did not allow its players to compete in Beijing.
So, for the second straight Olympics, countries had to fill their rosters with younger players who are still in college or veteran players who have moved on from the NHL.
“This is a unique opportunity for some guys, and for some of them, this may be an opportunity to get themselves back on the radar," Mannix said.
Mannix spent the first 11 years of his life in Presque Isle watching "Hockey Night in Canada" for years. That early exposure to the game hooked him for life.
But even for the die-hard hockey fan, it wasn't easy to find familiar names on Team USA's roster.
There are no true Maine connections on the team this year. No one was born here or skated for the University of Maine. But captain Andy Miele is a name Portland Pirates fans should know.
While there is no Black Bear representation on Team USA, Adrian Holesinsky was named to the Slovakian team. Holensinky last played in Orono in 2020.
“So, when I saw that name, that was the immediate one for Team USA that I was like, 'Oh cool, I actually know somebody here," Mannix said. “He was a very talented player that jumped out at you.”
The current crop of college talent is legit, Mannix added. Massachusetts native Marc McLaughlin is the captain of Boston College and leads Hockey East, the conference in which UMaine competes, in scoring so far this year.
Unfortunately for his college team, McLaughlin is missing the annual Beanpot tournament, which features BC, Boston University, Northeastern, and Harvard.
Goalie Drew Commesso is another student-athlete missing the Beanpot. He and Northeastern goalie Devon Levi, who plays for Team Canada, will face off in China this February instead of going at it in Boston.
"You’ve got two Beanpot goalies not participating in the Beanpot, but [they] might be playing against each other in Beijing instead. So, the Beijing Beanpot? I guess," Mannix said.
As the clock moved closer and closer to his show, Jeff admitted the American team is an underdog in these games. Before the pool play round began, the U.S. was the sixth favorite in the tournament. The Americans finished seventh in the 2018 Winter Games.
“I think in the group stage, [USA] should be able to advance with China, Germany, and Canada," he said. “You get the right matchup in the quarterfinal and you absolutely can get to the medal round there and maybe get on the podium.”
Team USA jumped out to a 1-0 record in the games after handling China 8-0 Thursday morning. The team's first real test will come on Saturday when the team takes on rival Canada.
Another thing hockey fans need to pay attention to over the coming days is the fact that the Olympic ice is bigger than we're used to seeing during an NHL game.
“It opens the game up a little bit. It’s, you know, a good thing for guys who really like to handle the puck, guys who can skate," Mannix said.
He added the Americans need to focus on defense and goaltending if there is any chance of winning the first gold medal for the country since the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
That was the "Miracle on Ice," when the U.S. team beat the Soviet Union and Finland to finish atop the podium.
Now, this young American hockey squad is looking for a miracle of its own, 42 years later in Beijing.