SOCHI, Russia (AP) - On an American men’s hockey team with plenty of stars, T.J. Oshie often gets lost in the crowd. He was one of the last players picked for the roster and never has had a 20-goal season in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.
After he scored four shootout goals to carry the Americans to a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Russians in the Sochi Olympics on Saturday, everyone is going to want to know more about him.
So here’s a look:
FULL NAME: Timothy Leif Oshie.
BORN: Dec. 23, 1986.
GREW UP: Warroad, Minn., population 1,770.
AMATEUR CAREER: Oshie was born in Everett, Wash., but as a boy moved to Warroad in hockey-crazed Minnesota. Oshie starred at Warroad High School, a tiny powerhouse in the northwest corner of the state, right near the Canadian border. He led the Warriors to two state titles before playing three years in college at North Dakota.
PRO CAREER: Oshie was a first-round draft choice by the Blues in 2005. His entered the league in 2008, but his best season came in 2011-12 when he scored 19 goals and had 35 assists to help the Blues make the playoffs.
QUOTABLE: “I think you’re going to see T.J. Oshie become a household name after that display he put on. The kids’ll be out on the pond probably in Minnesota right now, throwing a 5-hole on the goalie three or four times in a row. He does a great job for us in St. Louis. That’s part of the reason he’s on this team, along with some of the other things you can’t put on the stat sheet.” - Team USA teammate and St. Louis Blues forward David Backes.
- By Jon Krawczynski - Twitter https://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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Associated Press reporters are filing dispatches about happenings in and around Sochi during the 2014 Winter Games. Follow AP journalists covering the Olympics on Twitter: https://apne.ws/1c3WMiu
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