Patrick Sharp continued to make his case to be on Canada’s Olympic hockey team.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward scored a hat trick - and all three goals were beauties - in his team’s 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Sharp is up to 25 goals on the season, with Friday marking the second time in the last five games that he’s recorded a hat trick.
On his first goal, he was all around the puck - first with a scoring chance in front of the New Jersey net, then he forced a turnover and a few seconds later the puck was back on his stick, then off it in a split second and in the net with a wicked wrist shot.
Hockey Canada’s Olympic brass will name the roster for Canada’s team in the men’s hockey competition on Jan. 7. Sharp’s play this season - not to mention his contributions to the Blackhawks dating back to 2005-06 - has to get him in consideration for a roster spot.
Jonathan Toews, part of the 2010 Canadian team that won gold who is expected to be at the 2014 Olympics as well, has already backed his teammate Sharp to make the cut for Sochi.
“He has shown everything he can do throughout his career, since the last Olympics, and throughout this season. I don’t think there are any holes in his game,” Toews recently told the Chicago Tribune.