Phoenix Coyotes - Olympic Hopefuls

The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith (Canada), defenseman Keith Yandle (USA), defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Sweden) and left wing Lauri Korpikoski (Finland) have been invited to National Men’s Hockey Orientation Camps in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Smith is one of 47 players who was invited to Canada’s camp in Calgary, Alberta from Aug. 25-28, Yandle is one of 48 players invited to the USA’s camp from Aug. 26-27 in Arlington, Va., Ekman-Larsson is one of 35 players invited to Sweden’s camp in Stockholm, Sweden from Aug. 12-14 while Korpikoski is one of 54 players invited to Finland’s camp. The 31-year-old Smith signed a six-year contract extension with the Coyotes on June 30. He went 15-12-10 with a 2.58 GAA and a .910 SV% in 34 games with the Coyotes in 2012-13. His five shutouts were tied for first in the NHL. In four starts for Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland, Smith posted a 1.65 goals against average (GAA) and a .944 save percentage (SV%). The Kingston, Ontario native registered a 38-18-10 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .930 SV% in a career-high 67 games with the Coyotes in 2011-12. His career-high 38 wins ranked fourth in the NHL while his eight shutouts finished tied for third in the league and matched the single-season franchise record. He also established a new single-season franchise mark in SV% while his GAA and wins ranked second on the single-season franchise list. Smith went on to post a 9-7-3 record with a 1.99 GAA and a .944 SV% in 16 starts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Coyotes reached the Western Conference Final for the first time in franchise history. Smith has a 53-30-15 record with a .924 SV% and a 2.33 GAA in two seasons in Phoenix. His 13 career shutouts with the Coyotes rank fifth all-time in franchise history. In 263 career NHL games with the Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, Smith is 120-96-34 with a 2.57 GAA, .913 SV% and 24 shutouts. He is 10-8-3 with a 1.88 GAA, .945 SV% and three shutouts in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Smith was originally drafted by Dallas in the fifth-round (161st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

The 26-year-old Yandle led the Coyotes in scoring in 2012-13 with 10-20-30 in 48 games. He ranked tied for fourth among all NHL defensemen in scoring and was second in shots (130). The Boston, Mass., native is a two-time NHL All-Star (2011 and 2012) and has recorded 53-164-217 in 413 career NHL games. He registered career highs in assists (48) and points (59) in 2010-11. He ranked second among all NHL defensemen in assists and third in points in that season. He has posted 3-16-19 in 27 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Yandle has international experience representing the USA at the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany where he posted 1-3-4 in six games. He was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the fourth-round (105th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

The 22-year-old Ekman-Larsson recorded 3-21-24 in 48 games in 2012-13. He set career highs in goals (13), assists (19), points (32) and games played (82) in 2011-12. In three NHL seasons, he has recorded 17-50-67 in 178 games. He has registered 1-3-4 in 16 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Karlskrona, Sweden native represented Sweden at the 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Championships. He recorded 1-2-3 in nine games and won a Bronze Medal with Sweden at the 2010 World Championship in Germany. He won a Silver Medal with Sweden at the 2011 World Championship in Slovakia where he recorded 1-3-4 in seven games. Ekman-Larsson was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the first round (sixth overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

The 26-year-old Korpikoski recorded 6-5-11 in 36 games in 2012-13. He played in a career-high 82 games in 2011-12 and ranked fifth on the Coyotes in scoring with 17-20-37. During the 2010-11 season, Korpikoski set career highs in goals (19), assists (21), points (40) and game-winning goals (4). In five NHL seasons with the Coyotes and New York Rangers, Korpikoski has played in 336 games, registering 53-60-113. He has also appeared in 30 Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording 2-3-5. The Turku, Finland native represented Finland at the 2010 and 2013 IIHF World Championships. He played in seven games in the 2010 World Championship in Germany. He recorded 3-2-5 in eight games at the 2013 World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. Phoenix acquired Korpikoski from the New York Rangers in exchange for Enver Lisin on July 13, 2009. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the first round (19th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

The Czech Republic has yet to announce the players invited to its Olympic Camp.