Team Canada 2010 Named

[Island Nucklehead]

So, the team is set.

Your team Canada for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics:

Goal:
Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Marc-Andre Fleury

Defense:
Scott Niedermayer (C)
Chris Pronger (A)
Dan Boyle
Shea Weber
Duncan Keith
Brent Seabrook
Drew Doughty

Forward:
Sidney Crosby (A)
Jarome Iginla (A)
Rick Nash
Dany Heatley
Ryan Getzlaf
Patrice Bergeron
Brendan Morrow
Patrick Marleau
Joe Thornton
Mike Richards
Jonathon Toews
Eric Staal
Corey Perry


I like this team. I think you can debate the lack of Jay Bouwmeester, Mike Green, Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St.Louis and Jeff Carter, but this team seems pretty solid to me.

Thoughts? Predictions? I'm pretty excited to watch this team play!


PS. No Phaneuf!

[Sid Dithers]

No big surpises. Maybe having JayBo in there instead of Seabrook or Doughty would have been more along my thinking, but no big deal. The forward group is probably almost exactly what I expected. Don't like Neidermeier with the C though. Crosby is the face of Canadian hockey and captain of a Stanley Cup champ before age 22. He should have been the guy.

[the toucan kid]

Glad (objectively) neither of the Flames d-men made it as I don't think either has ever really stacked up to their reputations. That said, especially JBO, but Dion too, are both at this time better hockey players than Scott Niedermayer. Hopefully, Scotty can pick it up one more time, but I'm not sure having your captain be possibly the worst player on the team is a good idea. Hell, never thought I'd be saying that about him of all people.

I think the Bergeron pick is a shrewd one. To me Morrow has always been a significant upgrade over Doan - so if it was between them, they chose wisely.

I do hope Lou gets a game or two in, but facts as they are, he hasn't been as good as the other two in recent times.

Might have put four or five guys on before Toews, but he's not an albatross or anything.

[rockalt]

I agree with both of you more or less. On defense, JBo was the only big omission. I like what he brings to the table and would have liked him on the team but I can't judge Doughty because I haven't seen him play. He must have been pretty impressive. Funny to think Scott Niedermeyer is the worst player on the team. I keep hearing about how poorly he's been playing. Has he really declined that much or do most agree he will turn it on when needed?

The forward group was a little more surprising I suppose. I'm sure the Bergeron pick was a bit of a shock but I was perhaps equally surprised by the selection of Morrow, Richards, Toews, and Staal (based on his play this year aside from Toews). I'm not a big fan of Toews. Frankly I don't see what the big deal is. He's an exciting up and comer but I really feel there others more deserving than him. One guy I think should have been there is Brad Richards. I've never been a huge fan of his (didn't think he was deserving of the elite contract he received) but he's really turned it on this year. He's a great two way player and has a Conn Smythe to boot. I would have had him on this team over Toews, Morrow, or Bergeron. I suppose it might have come down to positioning (we're pretty deep at centre).

One guy who has been a major disappointment has been Lecavalier. This guy was supposed to be elite and finally looked like he reached that status after the lockout only to slip back into mediocrity the last two seasons. I suppose he's got a ring and a couple of extremely productive seasons to boast but the guy is the definition of inconsistent. He played his way off this team all too quickly.

For some reason I'm a little underwhelmed by this team. I'm sure it's ultra-talented and probably the best on paper in this tournament (as usual) but I'm not sure how it stacks to previous teams. Maybe it's just me but I don't think these players match up to the greats of the 90s (Gretzky, Lemieux, Sakic, & Yzerman is pretty hard to beat). Should be a great Olympics regardless!

[the toucan kid]

Funny to think Scott Niedermeyer is the worst player on the team.

Well I didn't mean to say he was by a country mile or anything. He's declined sure, but I don't mean he's washed up. It's just that most of the team is a collection of young stars in their primes, where Nieds is the old man (with pedigree).

Personally I think having a captaincy for a team that comes together and splits in the blink of an eye is a bit ridiculous in the first place, so I guess it really doesn't matter who gets the ceremonial sweater brooch in this case.

Maybe it's just me but I don't think these players match up to the greats of the 90s (Gretzky, Lemieux, Sakic, & Yzerman is pretty hard to beat)

Probably no one here is as good as Lemieux was in the 90s. Gretz wasn't ungodly by then, and the other two, while great players, could conceivably be keeping company with a couple of these guys in 15 years. Most of these guys are still writing their legends, remember, so you might look back on this group and be astonished at the talent in the not to distant future.

[rockalt]

Probably no one here is as good as Lemieux was in the 90s. Gretz wasn't ungodly by then, and the other two, while great players, could conceivably be keeping company with a couple of these guys in 15 years. Most of these guys are still writing their legends, remember, so you might look back on this group and be astonished at the talent in the not to distant future.

Fair enough point. Obviously Crosby is the standout on the squad and there are some premier players on that list but I kind of liken it to the US dream team in the 1992 Olympics (basketball). Although the Americans are perennial favourites, none of their teams come close to ranking up with that squad.

Likewise, I don't think it gets better than a Gretzky-Lemieux led squad. I'm not talking late 90s here so much as early 90s (if NHL players were eligible). It's pretty hard to beat that 1-2. Perhaps it's nostalgia but looking at the "best moments of the decade" video and seeing that Lemieux potted 76 points in 43 games in his return (at the age of 35) is pretty inspiring.

Don't mind me though. I can't really be objective as I'm unable to watch games on a regular basis these days, so I don't have a great read on a lot of these players. I'm sure this team will have several HOF'rs in 20 years time.

[the toucan kid]

It's pretty hard to beat that 1-2.

Arguably number one and two of all-time, so you're right on that count.

[Cornuck]

I hope that amount of Sharks in the lineup doesn't curse anything.

[Island Nucklehead]

I hope that amount of Sharks in the lineup doesn't curse anything.

Can't see it happening. The team is picked and coached by pure winners. Their Captain, who's getting a fair amount of slack on these forums, has won everything there is to win in hockey.

I think this team is poised to do great things. LOVE the amount of BC boys on the back end. I also love the Doughty pick. He may be 20, but Yzerman isn't falling into the same trap Gretzky did in Torino. Even though he is young, he plays in the best league on earth and has excelled and won on the international stage already.

The forward group was a little more surprising I suppose. I'm sure the Bergeron pick was a bit of a shock but I was perhaps equally surprised by the selection of Morrow, Richards, Toews, and Staal (based on his play this year aside from Toews). I'm not a big fan of Toews. Frankly I don't see what the big deal is. He's an exciting up and comer but I really feel there others more deserving than him. One guy I think should have been there is Brad Richards. I've never been a huge fan of his (didn't think he was deserving of the elite contract he received) but he's really turned it on this year. He's a great two way player and has a Conn Smythe to boot. I would have had him on this team over Toews, Morrow, or Bergeron. I suppose it might have come down to positioning (we're pretty deep at centre).

Bergeron is having a great season, and I think that if he didn't have such a horrid injury history he probably would be on this team on a regular basis. I'm not exactly sold on the Bergeron-Crosby chemistry theory because I think Bergeron makes this team on his own merrits, but they have had some great times together in the past and if that continues that's great for us.

Brad Richards did kind of get left behind, but as you said there are better players at centre, and we certainly took a bunch of them. Some will have to play wing.

I don't know why you'd be shocked at the selection of Mike Richards and Eric Staal. Richards is the best defensive forward Canada has. He (like his team) is having a bit of a downer year... but he is certainly capable of playing in this tournament, and playing any role this team asks him to. Staal is a genetic freak. Large frame, good speed, great hands, cup winner and it looks like he's turning his season around at the right time too. I think Eric Staal could very well be a difference maker for Canada.

For some reason I'm a little underwhelmed by this team. I'm sure it's ultra-talented and probably the best on paper in this tournament (as usual) but I'm not sure how it stacks to previous teams. Maybe it's just me but I don't think these players match up to the greats of the 90s (Gretzky, Lemieux, Sakic, & Yzerman is pretty hard to beat). Should be a great Olympics regardless!

Curious comment, but I can somewhat agree. As others have posted some of these guys will go down in history as some of the best players ever. Long gone are the days when 120+ point seasons were considered "good" years. The talent is certainly there. You could take our fourth line of forwards and put them on almost any team in the tourney as their first line (Russia and Sweden might take issue with that, but it's close regardless). Likewise, I think our D is easily the most talented and deepest. What other team can afford to leave off the highest scoring defenseman in hockey, because he's not good enough in his own zone? We also win in goalies. Miller is having a great season, but you take Brodeur-Luongo any day.

[the toucan kid]

You could take our fourth line of forwards and put them on almost any team in the tourney as their first line (Russia and Sweden might take issue with that, but it's close regardless).

Probably underestimating our competition by a fair margin in my opinion.

We also win in goalies. Miller is having a great season, but you take Brodeur-Luongo any day.

The Russians might have us beat in forwards. Datsyuk/Oveckin and Malkin/Kovalchuk in terms of pure firepower is impossible to match in my opinion.

We win on D by a fair margin. However, in net, I take Miller right now. If he ends up tourney MVP and the Americans shock us all... Well it wouldn't stun me.

[Jovorock]

Phaneuf has been the most over rated player I have ever seen, I don't think he was in the top ten or fifteen if you asked Yzerman honestly! Niedermayer is still a top 2-4 d-man Canada has, if some of think Jbo or Dion would be better you must have still be heavy on the eggnog.

I like this team and think Iginla on the checking line is great. Bergeron and Crosby have great chemistry and have showed it twice, add Nash into the mix and it's illegal what those three will do.

In a twisted way I hope Brodeur gets the starting job, it would be better for the Canucks? How TSN has hinted that Fleury might get the backup job makes me wonder? I can't see it but they think because he has a Stanley Cup ring makes him more qualified than Luongo?

I do think the Canadians will win the gold, Russians silver and Swedes Bronze?

[the toucan kid]

Niedermayer is still a top 2-4 d-man Canada has, if some of think Jbo or Dion would be better you must have still be heavy on the eggnog.

I'm usually heavy on something, but if you have watched Nieds this year you would have a hard time saying that here and now he's as good as JBo.

[dexter_r]

This line-up gets me supper excited!

[svts]

This line-up gets me supper excited!

What's with the random thread bumps?

[rats19]

Dexter is a noob and he is just trying to fit in somehow. Besides that was super exciting..err supper