Calgary Flames’ Michael Frolik’s Case for the Non-Olympics
By Ramina Shlah
With an unfortunate conclusion, NHL players won’t be going to the Olympics in 2018. Let’s look at Calgary Flames forward Michael Frolik’s case for making Team Czech Republic at the Olympics if there was one.
With an unfortunate ending with the NHL and the IOC not being able to come to an agreement, NHL players will not be allowed to go to the Winter Olympics in 2018. Like we mentioned when we talked about Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau‘s case for making the Olympics and Mikael Backlund’s case too, if there were one, it seemed like a lot of people were against this decision.
But according to NHL.com, they ran a poll and supposedly, in the United States, 73 percent said they were not in favor of taking a break for the Olympics. In Canada, it was 53 percent against the break. The NHL has participated in every Winter Olympics since 1998.
Michael Frolik has had several international appearances before. Even at the Olympics back in 2014. So unlike Backlund and Gaudreau, he’s already had that Olympic experience. However, Team Czech finished in 6th place, so he’s never had an Olympic medal before.
Related Story: Mikael Backlund's Case for the Non-Olympics
And while he’s still gotten the chance to play at the Olympics, he was still obviously very upset by this decision.
Via Calgary Herald:
"You have a chance to meet the other athletes and sit with them, and that was cool. And just the experience and the atmosphere there was great. As a little kid, we won gold in Nagano and I know how big it was at home, so always Olympics were really special.[…]It was a little bit of a surprise for me. I thought they were going to make a deal. It’s a little disappointing. I’ve been lucky to play Olympics once, so at least I have that under my belt. But going for a second time, to have that chance would be nice.But we’ll see. It’s not in my hands. I can’t do anything about it."
Like we did with Backlund and Gaudreau, let’s take a look at why Frolik would make the Olympics again if there was one. Let’s start off with him on an international stage.
International
Like I mentioned, Frolik’s already appeared at an Olympics before. He’s also played at the World Juniors U18 three times, World Juniors four times, the World Championship twice, and most recently, he appeared at the World Cup of Hockey back in September.
He’s won two WJC18 Bronze medals, one WJC Bronze medal, and two WC bronze medals.
He would have played at the World Championship this past May, but he had some wrist problems, and he wasn’t medically cleared yet to play by then.
When Frolik made the Olympics back in 2014, Jaromir Jagr and Ales Hemsky both did as well. I mean, obviously other players did too. It wasn’t just those three representing Team Czech. Although that’d be neat to see. But no, I mention those two players because they’re both right wings – like Michael Frolik.
Jagr has since retired from international play and Hemsky suffered an injury last season that kept him out of the lineup for close to six months. However at the 2014 Olympics, he was the highest scorer for Team Czech with three goals and four points in five games. So he may still make it for the imaginary Olympics. But we know Jagr wouldn’t.
There are however two RW who weren’t at the Olympics last time, but who would potentially make it this time: Radim Vrbata and David Pastrnak. So it may be a battle, but let’s look at why Frolik would make it.
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Frolik’s Case
In the last two seasons with the Calgary Flames, Michael Frolik is ninth among all Czech skaters in points with 76. He’s fifth among RW, but one of them ahead of him is Jagr, so we can count him out. He’s also tied in fourth for +/- with 14, but the only RW ahead of him is again Jagr. And while those stats are impressive, there’s another reason he would make Team Czech.
His penalty killing.
When Frolik made the team in 2014, his point production was nowhere near where it’s at right now, but he still made the team. Why? Well, he’s always been known as an effective penalty-killer. Him and Backlund this season as the first penalty killing unit were a force. And because of that, he has four short-handed goals and seven short-handed points in the last two years.
Furthermore, out of all Czech skaters in the last two seasons, he has the most SH shots (36), second most SH blocks among forwards (28), second most SH takeaways (18), and has spent the second most amount of TOI during the PK among forwards with 406:44. I mean, I will say that the Flames did have somewhat of a discipline problem this past season, but nonetheless, he’s spent over six hours total just on the PK the last two years and it hasn’t affected his +/-. That’s impressive.
I will say that this past season, in the second half, his point production did slow down a little bit. But like I briefly mentioned earlier, he did suffer a wrist injury in December that was only revealed in the off-season, so that could explain it. However, he still aided in providing that secondary scoring even when his wrist wasn’t 100%.
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Frolik’s made the Olympics once and he would have most likely made it again. He already has a Stanley Cup under his belt. It would be nice to get an Olympic Gold Medal to also add to his resume.