The Olympic Team

[mister slippery]

Brodeur

Luongo

Fleury

Boyle

Doughty

Keith

Neidermayer ©

Pronger

Seabrook

Weber

Bergeron

Crosby (A)

Getzlaf

Heatley

Iginla (A)

Marleau

Morrow

Nash

Perry

Richards

E. Staal

Thornton

Toews.

hmmmmm........ As long as Marty starts, I'm happy, but a total lack of Flames D seems odd.

[badams]

Scott Niedermayer will captain Team Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games, with Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Chris Pronger to serve as alternates.

The four players were among 23 named to Team Canada on Wednesday at an unveiling in Saskatoon, Sask.

Joining Niedermayer and Pronger on the blueline for Canada are Dan Boyle, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber and Brent Seabrook.

Rounding out Canada's forwards are Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow, Rich Nash, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton and Jonathan Toews.

Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and Roberto Luongo will be between the pipes for Canada.

Here's how Team Canada breaks down:

Forwards

Patrice Bergeron, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que. (Boston Bruins)

Sidney Crosby, Cole Harbour, N.S. (Pittsburgh Penguins) Alternate captain

Ryan Getzlaf, Regina, Sask. (Anaheim Ducks)

Dany Heatley, Calgary, Alta. (San Jose Sharks)

Jarome Iginla, St. Albert, Alta. (Calgary Flames) Alternate captain

Patrick Marleau, Aneroid Sask. (San Jose Sharks)

Brenden Morrow, Carlyle, Sask. (Dallas Stars)

Rick Nash, Brampton, Ont. (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Mike Richards, Kenora, Ont. (Philadelphia Flyers)

Corey Perry, Peterborough, Ont. (Anaheim Ducks)

Eric Staal, Thunder Bay, Ont. (Carolina Hurricanes)

Joe Thornton, St. Thomas, Ont. (San Jose Sharks)

Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg, Man. (Chicago Blackhawks)

Defence

Dan Boyle, Ottawa, Ont. (San Jose Sharks)

Drew Doughty, Ottawa, Ont. (LA Kings)

Duncan Keith, Penticton, B.C. (Chicago Blackhawks)

Scott Niedermayer, Cranbrook, B.C. (Anaheim Ducks) - Captain

Chris Pronger, Dryden, Ont. (Philadelphia Flyers) - Alternate captain

Brent Seabrook, Tsawwassen, B.C. (Chicago Blackhawks)

Shea Weber, Sicamous, B.C. (Nashville Predators)

Goalies

Roberto Luongo, Montreal, Que. (Vancouver Canucks)

Martin Brodeur, Montreal, Que. (New Jersey Devils)

Marc-Andre Fleury, Sorel, Que. (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Steve Yzerman and co. have made their decisions, but what could generate even more discussion is what players aren't on that list.

Notable forwards left out of the mix include Jeff Carter (Flyers), Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes), Ryan Smyth (LA Kings), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning), Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Mike Fisher (Ottawa Senators).

Of the goalies invited to Team Canada's Olympic orientation camp in August, Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes) and Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets) didn't make the cut.

Notable blueliners not named to the team include Mike Green of the Washington Capitals, the leading point-getting defenceman in the NHL; and Calgary Flames Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester.

Insider note: Team Canada's brass met until midnight Tuesday, and the most discussed topic was the seventh defenceman, according to TSN analyst Pierre McGuire. The two players they were talking about: Doughty and Bouwmeester.

Team Canada opens the 2010 Olympic Games on Feb. 16 against Norway. Vancouver marks the fourth Olympic Games with full NHL participation.

[Booche]

I am willing to bet you can tune into the Team 1200 in Ottawa at 3:01 pm to hear them whine how Fisher was robbed. Idiots.

[ollie]

I am willing to bet you can tune into the Team 1200 in Ottawa at 3:01 pm to hear them whine how Fisher was robbed. Idiots.

Spezza was robbed!

[badams]

I would rather have Carrie Underwood on the team over Fisher.

[Booche]

Whoa. I am paying slightly more attention now. Apparently I havent noticed the deficits in his defensive game, because I am assuming there must be, since Mike Green isnt on the team.

[PassedOutGuy]

I am willing to bet you can tune into the Team 1200 in Ottawa at 3:01 pm to hear them whine how Fisher was robbed. Idiots.

Spezza was robbed!

You rest your case.

[dave-O]

I'm not crazy about the Bergeron pick, but the rest looks bang on to me. I'm really happy about Seabrook and Doughty making the team. I haven't seen much of SJ this year so I can't really comment on Boyle.

I'd guess that Mike Green makes the taxi squad, just in case they need some offense.

[Booche]

I'm not crazy about the Bergeron pick

I didnt even notice that! Talk about a head-scratcher. You would think Yzerman would have learned from past experience. Rob Zamuner'd?

I thought the picks started at Crosby.

[Jaimoe]

Bergeron was picked for a number of reasons: he's played on the same line with Crosby on several different occassions (and the two are great friends, which doesn't hurt); he's a great two-way player; he's not soft; and plays well defensively. Yzerman said that when they were scouting other Bruins, Bergeron was the best player on the ice.

Dave-O, there isn't a "taxi squad" this year.

[Booche]

While driving to a dr's apoointment, I just had to tune in and listen to Team 1200. Of course Jason York was complaining because Fisher didnt make the team (lets be serious, he wouldnt be a shoe-in to make the B squad either) and after he was done a caller phoned in to complain that Heatley made the cut.

People like that shouldnt be allowed to watch. Take your bias and shove it up your ass.

[Jaimoe]

I'm glad they took that whole Sharks line, but both Joe and Marleau haven't been good playoff performers, which of course is a worry. The Green omission doesn't bug me because Doughty is better all-round.

I was listening to Mike Brophy today and he was saying how Canada lacks depth since "we" no longer can talk about having a competetive B team. Fuck you Brophy. How good would a B Finn or B Russian team look? I generally like the guy, but that really bugged me. Screw Fisher too.

[ollie]

Why no talk about Cammalleri?

[Hal Johnson]

I like the team. I'm glad all the predictions are finally over, and Im glad Stall made it over any of the other flavours of the month. And if Stevie Y says Bergeron is on the team because he can score, AND he does all the other little things right, I trust him. Now Im off to create a Teows and Doughty for NHL 07 on my PS2. Hello Round Robin 8 team tourney, good bye sleep!!

Edited December 30, 2009 by Guest

[rubberdinghy]

All I knows is I cannot WAIT!

[rubberdinghy]

Are you fucking kidding me....me scared

Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes),

Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks),

Semyon Varlamov (Washington Capitals)

Defence

Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins),

Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers),

Dmitri Kalinin (Salavat Ufa),

Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA Moscow),

Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens),

Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan),

Fedor Tyutin (Columbus Blue Jackets),

Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa Senators)

Forwards

Maxim Afinogenov (Atlanta Thrashers),

Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings),

Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk),

Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers),

Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Ufa),

Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins),

Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan),

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), Alexander Radulov (Salavat Ufa),

Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals),

Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan),

Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat Ufa)

[Jaimoe]

Yeah, the Ruskies have great forwards and perhaps the two best power-forwards in the game. But their D isn't too scary and neither are their goalies (although they are solid). I can't believe the Czechs left off Hejduk because he's not 100 per cent coming off an injury. He looks prretty good tonight against the Sens.

[Booche]

But their D isn't too scary and neither are their goalies (although they are solid).

Their top 2 pairings should be fine when you consider Markov, Gonchar and Volchenkov are mining the points but none of us have a clue what these non-NHL'ers will bring.

And dont you DARE knock their goalies. Knock on wood you fucker. Lord knows this tournament is more about goaltending than anything else (Hasek in Nagano). If one of them gets hot at the right time, that offence should be able to do enough damage to keep them moving along.

Its easy to see that Canada has the most solid goaltending depth but timing is everything.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Guest
a?

[Guest Low Roller]

Most of the KHLers on that list have NHL experience, so I don't think they are that much of an unknown commodity. The Russian team looks real scary and it should be a good final.

Interesting to note Konstantin Korneyev. I remember him from the World Championships last year and he was Russia's top defencemen for sure. He's been a constant on the Russian team since 2002 when he played for the juniors. He's a Montreal Canadiens draft pick who never crossed the pond. I wonder if Markov can work some of his ruskie magic to convince him to try out North America next year?

[Booche]

The Russian team looks real scary and it should be a good final.

What final???

[Kanada Kev]

Yeah! What final? Russia vs. Czechs?

I ain't believing Canada's in the Gold Medal match until they earn their berth.

Remember 1998? UGH! We were at Gretzky's for the Gold Medal game at the NHLPA party. Yup ... bit of a downer considering Canada didn't even medal

[Guest Low Roller]

The Russian team looks real scary and it should be a good final.

What final???

Tongue-in-cheek comment which makes the assumption that Canada will be in the final against the Russians. Sorry for using a literary device that`s beyond your comprehension.

[Kanada Kev]

purple? emoticon? [color:purple]you new to the interwebs?

Go Canada Go

I can't wait for this Olympic hockey to start!

Like it was said earlier, goaltending will be key. With the three greats that we have on the roster, at least one should be able to step up. They've gotta earn it on their first try as every friggin' game counts so much.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Guest

[Booche]

Hahaha, the fans at Fenway booed Komisarek's name when he got announced to the Olympic team. I wonder if the little kid wearing that jersey is going to end up with a Roller complex.

[Hal Johnson]

I like the American team. I hope they win a few games (but not too many).