Can we have two hockey teams for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?

Hockey Canada unveils men’s camp invites

Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 10:02 AM ET | CTVOlympics.ca

The list of invitees for Canada’s 2010 Olympic men’s hockey team orientation camp features a mix of Olympic veterans and young up-and-comers.

On Thursday, Hockey Canada released a roster of 46 players who have been invited to the camp, including five goaltenders, 16 defencemen and 25 forwards. The camp will run from August 24-27 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary.

The list of players includes 40 players with senior international experience, either at the Olympics, IIHF World Championship or World Cup of Hockey/Canada Cup, while 36 of the 46 players played for either the National Junior Team or National Men’s Under-18 Team.

The list of five goalies includes three-time Olympian Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), and 2006 Olympian Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks). Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-André Fleury has been invited, as have Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes). Two-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Osgood was not invited, although many had debated his chances during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Just five of the 16 defencemen invited have Olympic experience: Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames), Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks), Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks),  Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers), and Robyn Regehr (Calgary Flames). Dion Phaneuf of the Flames gets his shot after being left off the 2006 roster for his youth. Rounding out the mix on defence are: Marc Staal (New York Rangers), Shea Weber (Nashville Predators), François Beauchemin (Anaheim Ducks), Brent Burns (Minnesota Wild), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Stéphane Robidas (Dallas Stars), Mike Green (Washington Capitals), Dan Hamhuis (Nashville Predators), and Chicago Blackhawks duo Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby highlights the list of forwards. The group of 25 has 11 from the 2006 Olympic team roster, including Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes), Simon Gagné (Philadelphia Flyers), Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators), Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames), Rick Nash (Columbusn Blue Jackets), Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche), Martin St-Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes), Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Ryan Smyth (Colorado Avalanche). Youngsters getting a chance are: Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers), Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks), Milan Lucic (Boston Bruins), Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks), Andy McDonald (St. Louis Blues), Brenden Morrow (Dallas Stars), Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) Michael Richards (Philadelphia Flyers), Derek Roy (Buffalo Sabres), Patrick Sharp (Chicago Blackhawks), Jordan Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./Pittsburgh, NHL) Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg, Man./Chicago, NHL) and Dan Cleary, who has impressed with the Detroit Red Wings. One youngster not included on the list is Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, who drew attention during his performance at the 2009 world championship.

“[Stamkos] was a guy we debated down to the last minute,” said Yzerman, noting that the depth at the centre position made it tough to narrow the forward group. “He’ll still be a player I watch this fall.”

Although three-time Olympian Sakic has been injured and missed much of the 2008-09 season, executive director Yzerman said he is a big part of this list.

“He’s been such a great player and an example to the young guys,” said Yzerman. “If he’s playing at the time, I want him at the camp.”

One name that few experts had on their projected rosters was Boston’s Milan Lucic, who has impressed with his muscle of late.

“He has potential to really add a dimension to this team that could really be beneficial,” said Yzerman. “He’s not there just because he’s a big, strong guy.”

Players not invited to the orientation camp can still be considered for both the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2010 IIHF World Championship. Although the 2002 and 2006 Olympic teams were comprised entirely of players who had been invited to camp.

“I’m very impressed with this list, and I think anyone that’s a fan of Canadian hockey should be impressed,” said Olympic hockey analyst Pierre McGuire. “They haven’t missed anyone at any of the positions, I think that’s a very strong list.”

Calgary was chosen as the city for the camp over Vancouver — site of the 2010 Olympics — because Calgary is where the women’s team and the sledge hockey team will also be training in August, and Hockey Canada wanted the unique opportunity to have the three gathered in one city.

Pierre McGuire unveils his picks for Canada’s Olympic Team

PIERRE MCGUIRE UNVEILS HIS PICKS FOR CANADA’S OLYMPIC TEAM
TSN.CA STAFF
2/16/2009 8:38:50 PM

The 23-man roster that will represent Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver has been set, or so it would seem if hockey analyst and former player/coach Pierre McGuire were executive director of Canada’s men’s hockey team.

With 365 days before the puck drops in the opening game of the tournament, McGuire unveiled the players he believes should make up the men’s national team – a list that includes 12 members of the old guard.

In the blue paint, Martin Brodeur was selected to be the starting goaltender for the country’s Olympic team. The 36-year-old has missed most of the 2008-09 NHL campaign following elbow surgery in November but with the Montreal native on the mend, McGuire feels his resume is too deep to ignore.

“A staple in the Canadian net since the 2002 Salt Lake City games, Martin Brodeur is Canada’s ultimate pressure-treated goaltender, winning three Stanley Cups, Olympic gold and a World Cup during a glittering professional career.”

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo is number two on the list. The hometown favourite is considered Brodeur’s heir apparent as Canada’s international goalie, partly on the strength of two gold medal performances at the World Championship.

Montreal’s Carey Price is McGuire’s third selection to represent the maple leaf. Struggling with his NHL team of late, Price won over the country at the 2007 World Junior Championship when he stared down the U.S. in a semifinal shootout showdown and then beat Russia for gold.

On the blueline, there are a lot of new faces wearing Canada’s crest with only two returning defenceman from the 2006 Torino Games – Jay Bouwmeester and Scott Niedermayer.

“Bouwmeester recorded a natural hat trick for Canada in winning consecutive gold’s at the 2003 World Championship, 2004 World Championship and 2004 World Cup,” McGuire commented, “while Niedermayer is the only player in hockey history to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, World Championship, World Cup, Memorial Cup and World Junior title.”

A member of the taxi squad in Torino, Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle is in the starting lineup for McGuire’s 2010 team.

“A coach’s dream, Boyle is a one-man transition team with all the right moves to move the puck forward and generate offence from the back end,” McGuire said.

Minnesota’s Brent Burns and Washington’s Mike Green are also called to represent their country by McGuire. Burns had a two-goal performance in Canada’s gold medal loss at the 2008 World Championship and earned tournament best defenceman honours while Green has established himself as the world’s best goal-scoring defenceman in less than two seasons, and a virtually unstoppable force on the power play.

Adding some grit to the backend, McGuire placed Flames hard-hitter Dion Phaneuf and Nashville Predators grinder Shea Weber on the Canadian squad.

“A high risk-high reward player, Phaneuf blasts slap shots – and opponents – in a style of play that screams: Beware if you dare to cross him,” said McGuire.

For Sicamous, B.C., native Weber, he may play in the heart of country music but he’s “pure rock and roll on the ice,” says McGuire, “combining toughness and talent as well as any NHL defenceman.”

Up front, Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier are two of seven Torino returnees to make McGuire’s squad.

A driving force on the Flames offence, Iginla will forever be remembered as the man whose clutch two-goal performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games helped deliver Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.

In Lecavalier, you get a big game player who set up the Stanley Cup winning goal in 2004 and four months later sent Canada to the World Cup final with an overtime goal versus the Czech Republic.

Also returning to the Games to represent their country, according to McGuire, is Phoenix’s Shane Doan, Philadelphia’s Simon Gagne, Ottawa’s Dany Heatley, Columbus’ Rick Nash and San Jose’s Joe Thornton.

Sidney Crosby was not a part of the squad that finished out of the medals at the Torino Games, but that omission won’t be repeated according to McGuire.

The native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, represented Canada only once at the senior level but he represented the country at the 2006 World Championships where he accumulated 16 points in just nine games to become the youngest player ever to lead the tournament in scoring.

Some players who have improved their stock this season in the NHL stood out to McGuire and did enough to make his team.

Philadelphia forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, and Boston’s Marc Savard are all having strong NHL campaigns and made enough of an impression on McGuire to round out Team Canada’s front line along with Dallas’ Brendan Morrow who should be there for Canada come 2010 despite missing most of the season with a torn ACL.

“Carter has followed up a sensational World Junior career for Canada by developing into an elite NHL goal-scorer,” said McGuire, “while teammate Richards is every bit the heart and soul player Philadelphia and Team Canada icon Bobby Clarke was, the player Richards is most often and most appropriately compared to.”

Getzlaf has been the very epitome of strength down the middle in the NHL after averaging a remarkable 1.5 points per game as a two-time World Jr. medalist.

Morrow has represented Canada five times in senior competition, but forged his place in the Canadian hockey consciousness with an awe-inspiring 2008 playoff performance for Dallas.

Boston’s Savard has never represented Canada at a major international event but is a point-per-game NHLer who holds a unique distinction for players of his skill level.

McGuire admitted that there were some very tough omissions when he completed his list.

“I think you have to start in goal, when you consider Carey Price and Steve Mason.  I don’t think anyone is going to debate Martin Brodeur or Roberto Luongo are going to be there so who gets to be the third guy.  I give Carey Price the edge because he’s from BC.  He’s played in that rink before.”

McGuire also had a very difficult choice to make for his final forward spot.

“When you look at the forward position it’s Shane Doan versus Jonathan Toews.  Toews is a great leader and when you look at his performance in Leksand,Sweden during the World Juniors was unbelievable.  But I’ve watched Shane Doan play in international competitions; I’ve watched him be a leader.  I know he has 22 goals this year for Phoenix.  He’s done all the little things right so I give him a bit of a veteran edge because of all the pressure that’s going to be on this team in Vancouver.  I think Doan can settle everything down and that’s why he gets a bit of an edge.”

McGuire’s Team Canada Lines

Goaltenders
Brodeur
Luongo
Price

Defence Pairings
Bouwmeester – Niedermayer
Phaneuf – Weber
Burns – Green
Boyle

Forward Lines
Crosby – Lecavalier – Iginla
Heatley – Getzlaf – Nash
Carter – Thornton – Gagne
Morrow – Richards – Doan
Savard

TEAM CANADA BABYYYY!

This had me LOL-ing in the middle of stats review!

RADICAL IDEAS TO SPICE UP THE NHL SKILLS COMPETITION
by JAMES DUTHIE (1/26/2009 2:30:04 PM)

Alex Ovechkin’s hat and glasses routine Saturday night in the ”Breakaway Challenge” (seriously, could we have a ”Re-name the Event contest” for next year?) was exactly the kind of crowd-pleasing silliness the skills competition has been lacking.

Though, the way he had promoted it to me (”It’ll be crazy!”), I was kind of expecting he’d go top shelf on a 360 spin-o-rama while juggling seven flaming sticks riding a wild mustang.  Blindfolded.

Oh well.  At least it was something.

But we still desperately need more radical ideas to spice up the skills.

Like, say, these:

- The shooting accuracy competition should replace its old-fashioned blue and red targets with pictures of Sean Avery’s face.  Dion Phaneuf, Jarret Stoll, their girlfriends, and any Dallas Star will be allowed to participate.  Shooting accuracy scores will skyrocket.

- The fastest skater event, where competitors do a timed lap of the ice, has always lacked intensity.  In our version, hulking Zdeno Chara will be caged at centre ice, and competitors will be forced to shout something derogatory about him.  Chara will then be freed, and a dramatic, potentially lethal chase will ensue.  We expect new records to be set in the fastest skater event.

- The elimination shootout event will now feature only two competitors: Gary Bettman and Jim Balsillie.  Bettman in net, Balsillie, the shooter.  He scores, he gets to buy a team.  He misses, he has to buy the Islanders.

- The goalies are always sacrificial lambs on All-Star weekend.  They get no defense in the game, and no one wants them to save anything in the skills shootout.  So it’s time they got their own event.  It will be the hockey equivalent of that arcade favourite Whack-A-Mole.  As a steady line of players skate in and out of the crease, goaltenders will take aim at their calves.  Scores will be determined based on number and depth of lacerations.  Bonus points if medical attention is required on ice.

- 47 year-old Chris Chelios and 43 year-old Claude Lemieux will engage in a classic decathlon for the NHL’s two senior citizens.  Events include: reading an eye chart, mall walking (we might need an extra venue for that), and seeing how long they can go between pees at night.

- The hardest shot event has always lacked visual appeal.  What’s exciting about watching a player fire a puck into the empty net and then see a number pop up on a radar gun?  Our version will be renamed the ”Hardest Blocked Shot”.  Anton Volchenkov will dive in front of all of them.  The winner will be determined by the volume and length of Anton’s groans.  (Why do I think Volchenkov might actually go for this?)

- Three-on-three Celebrity Girlfriend Shinny!  Featuring, from the Eastern Conference: Carrie Underwood (Mike Fisher), Hilary Duff (Mike Comrie), and Tammy Horton (Nathan’s wife, Playboy model).  They would face off against a strong Western Conference squad led by Rachel Hunter (Jared Stoll), Elisha Cuthbert (Phaneuf), and Willa Ford (Mike Modano).

I would watch this.  In fact I would PVR this, and watch it nightly.

From tsn.ca, click here

Q&A with Eric Staal

Q: When you’re playing the game, do you ever decide to fight guys like Georges Laraque or Derek Boogaard, just to act tough?
A: [Laughs] It would be a lot less painful, but my guy in the video game is just as smart as I am on the ice, so he won’t fight.

LOL. AHAHAHHAHA.

Full Q&A session here.

Love is Hockey.

My new favourite video!
Canada is hockey.