The boys will be back in town

MILAN — Get ready, Italy — Seth Jarvis’ buddies are coming your way.

Five childhood friends of the Winnipeg-born NHL star are headed to Milan to cheer him on in person as he chases Olympic gold with Team Canada.

“Can’t wait to get there,” Sloan Tremblay told the Free Press on Wednesday.

“Whether we went or we didn’t, he knew he had our support. But just being able to be there is going to make it that much more special for all of us.”

This was not the original plan, considering Jarvis, who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes, wasn’t initially included on the Canadian roster announced on New Year’s Day. But a late injury to Tampa forward Brayden Point created a last-minute opening that Jarvis was asked to fill.

Speaking with the Free Press on Sunday after landing in Italy, Jarvis said he hoped his pals might be able to scramble and join him — the way they did last February at the 4 Nations Face-Off. They memorably drove 30 hours straight from Winnipeg to Boston after their flights were cancelled, becoming instant celebrities.

In true storybook fashion, Jarvis — who was a healthy scratch for the semifinal — was put in the lineup for the gold medal game, which Canada won 3-2 in overtime.

Milan, however, created a whole new set of challenges, especially at the last minute.

“They’re trying to figure it out. Its a tough trek for them but if they can find a way, they’ll make it out here,” said Jarvis.

Mission accomplished.

Air Canada — which is a corporate partner of Team Canada — played a major role, reaching out to the group and ultimately making arrangements to fly them out this weekend. And, fortunately, the group already had time scheduled off from the day-to-day realities of life, school and work.

“(Jarvis) was originally going to Cabo, and our plan was to meet him in Raleigh when he got back and spend some time with him,” said Tremblay.

“We were super thrilled when we heard the news (about Jarvis being included). It’s something that you dream about as a kid, and now he’s getting to live it.”

And they will as well.

Tremblay will be joined by Brian Hanna, Matt McLeod, Lucas Fry and Lucas Humble. They’ll arrive on Sunday, allowing them to see Canada’s final pool clash against France (9:40 a.m. CT) followed by the playoff round.

“I can’t really wrap my head around it yet,” said Tremblay. “We realize he has a commitment to the team, but I think it’s going to be a great experience. We couldn’t be more grateful to Air Canada for all their assistance with this.”

Humble and Fry are students at the University of Manitoba and were working in class when they got an unforgettable text from another friend last week.

“We were looking at slides of algae and the text says, ‘Looks like you’re not going to Raleigh anymore,’” said Humble.

“And we were like, ‘No way, he made the Olympics?’ We pulled up social media and sure enough, there was a post from the (Carolina) Hurricanes saying how Seth is now on the Canadian team.”

Study time was quickly turned into party time.

“We were freaking out in the middle of our lab, getting a few odd looks,” said Humble. “After the news came out, I don’t think we looked at another slide.”

Jarvis, 24, has become one of the NHL’s best personalities — which is no surprise to those who know him best.

When he initially was left off the Olympic roster, Jarvis delivered a tasty soundbite that quickly went viral:

“Sometimes you gotta eat a s—t sandwich and chew on it for a little bit,” he said.

To his credit, the 13th-overall pick from the 2020 draft didn’t pout and is on pace for a career season despite missing nine games with injury. The former standout at the Rink Academy in Winnipeg has 43 points (25 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games while delivering strong two-way play.

“Not too many guys have power-play goals, shorthanded goals, five-on-five goals, go down the list. I mean, he scored in every fashion,” said Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper.

“He can play any position, any time. And then listen, he made a great impression at 4 Nations and he was a phenomenal kid.”

It remains to be seen whether Jarvis immediately cracks the Canadian starting lineup or if some additional patience is required. The team is carrying 14 forwards, but only 13 are likely to dress for each game.

One of Jarvis or Sam Bennett, who was an injury replacement for Anthony Cirelli, are likely to be a healthy scratch for Thursday’s opener against Czechia (9:40 a.m. CT).

Canada also plays Switzerland on Friday (2:10 p.m. CT).

The puck drops on the men’s quarterfinals on Feb. 18, followed by the semifinals on Feb. 20. The bronze medal game is set for the penultimate day of competition, Feb. 21, with the gold medal game closing out the Olympics on Feb. 22.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre