Seth Jarvis gives Hurricanes five players at Olympics

Flashback: Jarvis, a fan favorite in Raleigh, was left off Canada's initial Olympic roster last month despite strong production and being part of Canada's gold medal-winning squad at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off.

• The Athletic wrote that Canada simply had "an embarrassment of riches at forward," the position Jarvis plays. ESPN called it a "justified snub."

Driving the news: Jarvis is replacing injured Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point, Team Canada announced late Thursday.

The big picture: The Milano Cortina Games officially get underway Friday, and the men's hockey gold medal game is in a marquee spot on the final day.

State of play: Canada and the United States are widely considered favorites in men's Olympic hockey. The other countries taking Canes to the Games:

• 🇺🇸 USA: Defenseman Jaccob Slavin
• 🇫🇮 Finland: Forward Sebastian Aho
• 🇩🇰 Denmark: Forward Nikolaj Ehlers and goalie Frederik Andersen.

Zoom out: Carolina has made the NHL playoffs seven years in a row under head coach Rod Brind'Amour, and the team leads its division going into the Olympic break.

• A December injury sidelined Jarvis for eight games, but he still leads the team in goals and shots.

Fun fact: Jarvis turned 24 on Sunday — the same number he wears for the Canes.

What we're watching: The Canes may not arrive in Europe in time for Friday's opening ceremony.

• Their last game before the NHL Olympic break was Thursday night in New York.

What's next: Men's hockey games begin next week. NBC posts TV broadcast details online, and all events will stream live on Peacock.

• Preliminary round games are scheduled Feb. 11-15, with some play-in matches on Feb. 17.
• Quarterfinals are Feb. 18. Semifinals follow on Feb. 20.
• The bronze medal game is Feb. 21. The gold medal game is Feb. 22.