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Former Canton, SUNY Potsdam standouts to hit the ice in Olympic hockey in Korea

Posted 2/9/18

By CRAIG FREILICH A Canton native and a former SUNY Potsdam player are representing their countries on the ice at the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang, Korea, and both are unique in different …

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Former Canton, SUNY Potsdam standouts to hit the ice in Olympic hockey in Korea

Posted

By CRAIG FREILICH

A Canton native and a former SUNY Potsdam player are representing their countries on the ice at the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang, Korea, and both are unique in different ways.

Canton’s Jordan Greenway, who has more family in Madrid and Potsdam, is a 6-foot-5 230-pound forward at Boston University who is missing the annual Beanpot Tournament for Boston-area teams to play in Pyeongchang. Greenway is the first African-American to play for Team USA in the Olympics.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Greenway said in an interview posted on the Boston University men’s hockey page today. “I hope I’m the first of many. And I hope I can inspire other kids to do the same thing.

“These are memories that I’ll have forever,” he says. “Being able to play for Team USA—it’s not a feeling that gets old, you know?”

Former SUNY Potsdam player Chris Lee, MacTier, Ont., is a defenseman with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a team in Russia that competes in the European KHL.

The six-foot-tall 187-pound defenseman was inducted into SUNY Potsdam's sports Hall of Fame in 2013. He was named an All-American while he played for the Bears. He was part of SUNY Potsdam’s 2000-01 team, which was the seventh-ranked Division III team in the nation with a program-best 20-8-3 mark.

He was scouted by NHL teams but was never picked up by them.

Lee’s distinction for Team Canada is that, at 37 years old, he is the oldest player on the squad.

There are at least of couple of local celebrations of Greenway’s Olympic participation planned.

On Sunday, Feb. 11, the Madrid Dam Music Series hosts their Mardi Gras celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Community Building, “and some of Jordan's Family will be with us to say hello,” said MDMS Chair Anna Campbell.

And Canton’s Stadium Sports Bar, 35 Main St., is planning special events around Team USA games.

A video from Canton Minor Hockey wishes Jordan Greenway good luck in the 2018 Winter Olympics, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhimQmkJP0Y.

Team USA’s first game is against Slovenia Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7:10 a.m.; they play against Slovakia Thursday, Feb. 15 at 10:10 p.m.; and they take on a Russian team at 7:10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17.

Team Canada starts its campaign Feb. 15 at 7:10 a.m. against Switzerland.

Playoffs for medals begin Monday, Feb. 19.