Team USA Omission of Kali Flanagan is a Missed Opportunity

Kali Flanagan has quietly been one of the PWHL's best defenders this season. Her play has helped carry the Toronto Sceptres as the team limped along early in the 2024-25 season. It's why her most recent omission from USA's national team for the final stage of the Rivalry Series makes little sense.

Among American born defenders in the PWHL this season, only Megan Keller has more points than Flanagan, whose five points are tied with Jincy Roese, another Team USA snub, and Cayla Barnes.

Flanagan is fifth among American blueliners in ice time this season in the PWHL behind Savannah Harmon, Megan Keller, Lee Stecklein, and Roese. Playing more than 21-minutes per night with the Toronto Sceptres, Flanagan has provided consistency, but she's also highly skilled and unafraid to flash those talents.

Flanagan's mobility is perhaps her greatest asset as one of the top skaters in the league. She uses her skating to defend, but also transports the puck out of trouble, and often into the offensive zone with ease.

USA's blueline is often grounded in NCAA stars. That current list includes Caroline Harvey, Haley Winn, and Rory Guilday. But in this iteration of the Rivalry Series, which only features professional players, excluding Flanagan, and for that matter Jincy Roese, shows USA Hockey isn't interested in bringing the best possible roster to the Rivalry Series.

Their November roster featured 27 players. This time around USA is only bringing 21, including the bare minimum six defenders. Young defenders including Sydney Bard and Ally Simpson deserve looks, as they may factor into USA's future. Leaving Flanagan, who could help their roster now, and who as importantly at this event, could provide veteran guidance to these young players, a group that also include Simpson, Bard, and Montreal Victoire rookie Anna Wilgren, is a missed opportunity for the Americans.

Flanagan has an Olympic gold medal from 2018, and a World Championship gold from 2017. She was the PHF Defender of the Year in 2023, and has played in the PWHPA, PHF, and now PWHL. Her experience could, and should be invaluable to a ripe group of American defenders looking to gain experience against Canada's best.

Even if Team USA had no intention to bring Flanagan back to their national team at IIHF or Olympic events, at this point in her career, writing off the veteran guidance of Flanagan among rookie pros is the type of decision that will have adverse impacts in the long run for USA.