There's lots hockey fans will miss with NHL's absence from Beijing Olympics

For diehard hockey fans, it's hardly shocking to learn the NHL and the NHL Players' Association officially withdrew Wednesday from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

After all, the two parties had already agreed to temporarily pause the NHL season from Dec. 22 to 25. And more than 15 per cent of NHL players are in COVID-19 protocols with the rise of the Omicron variant threatening to shut down professional sports leagues throughout North America.

At this point, there will still be an Olympic hockey tournament, and Canada will field a team.

But those who love the frozen game can be forgiven for wistfully wondering what might have been in a best-on-best Olympic showcase, especially given the NHL also skipped the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang South Korea.

WATCH | NHL players will not participate at Beijing Games:

Here are some of the things we'll miss the most:

Two generational talents, one sheet of ice: Sidney Crosby, 34, cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever play by scoring the golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Games. McDavid, 24, is arguably the most sensational hockey player on the planet at present. With Crosby on the back end of his career, the passing of the proverbial Olympic torch – from one superstar to the other – is not to be.

WATCH | Crosby scores legendary golden goal to win it for Canada in 2010:

Mr. McDavid meets the world: In Canada, the sensational exploits of the Edmonton Oilers captain are well known. For proof, watch the video evidence from Nov. 6 of No. 97 stickhandling through four New York Rangers before deking out goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Or roll the highlights from Nov. 19 when McDavid cut through three Winnipeg Jets and deposited the puck behind Connor Hellebuyck. Internationally, the Beijing Olympics presented McDavid with an opportunity to cement his place alongside the all-time greats on skates.

WATCH | McDavid puts on stickhandling showcase for insane goal:

WATCH | McDavid whizzes through Jets defenders for outstanding score:

A goaltending clinic for the ages: While a Team Canada with NHL players would have entered the Olympics as the favourite, goaltending could very well have proven their weakness. Russia understandably liked its chances with reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy in net. Sweden's Jacob Markstrom is enjoying a sensational season with a .933 save percentage and 1.94 goals against average for the Calgary Flames. Nashville's Juuse Saros is a rising star for Finland and the United States could choose between Jack Campbell, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Hellebuyck, the Vezina Trophy winner in 2020.

After missing the 2021-22 NHL season thus far, Montreal netminder Carey Price was doubtful for Canada, leaving the door open for Marc-Andre Fleury or Jordan Binnington to claim the starting role.

The Russian Rocket defies the clock: At age 36, the silver-haired Alex Ovechkin is playing some of the best hockey of his career for the Washington Capitals. He sits two points back of McDavid and Edmonton teammate Leon Draisaitl in the Art Ross Trophy race with 47 points in 31 games. We can only guess how many goals Ovechkin would have scored for Russia playing with Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Kucherov and Artemi Panarin.