As a result of the National Hockey League (NHL) not pausing its season for the Winter Olympics, American college and semi-professional players from around the world suited up for the Olympic games wearing red, white and blue.

One player, left winger Garrett Roe, is a Vienna, Va. native, and while he did not graduate from Madison, he attended Wolftrap Elementary School and Kilmer Middle School before attending Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, a boarding school that has been described being “to hockey what Harvard is to law,” for high school. Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center Sidney Crosby also attended Shattuck-Saint Mary’s.

“Playing in the Olympics is always something you dream about growing up, and if given the chance, you try to chase that,” Roe said in an interview with InsideNOVA.com.

In college, Roe played for St. Cloud State University and graduated from the school in 2011. To date, he is the all-time assist leader at the university.

While in college in 2008, Roe was selected in the 7th round (183rd overall) by the Los Angeles Kings but did not start his professional career until 2011 when he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers and played for their minor league American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, for two seasons.\

Currently, Roe plays professional hockey for EV Zug, a Switzerland-based hockey team in the country’s top professional league. There, the 29-year-old leads the team in points, propelled by his 12 goals and 34 assists in 42 games played.

Roe lives in Switzerland full-time with his wife, Brittany, a Madison graduate. They return to the Vienna area each summer.

Roe thinks that he will be able to positively contribute to the U.S. team.

“I can play all over the lineup and I bring a high level of competitiveness,” Roe said. “In the Olympics, we hope to do something special.”