Canadian Olympic Hockey team selection bitch/moan thread.

[alecjonsludge]

The selection press conference is coming up in a couple of hours.No matter who Stevie Y picks,he and his crew are bound to be scrutinized.There are going to be 3-6 players left off this squad, all of whom are world class talents.

My picks:
Goal: Brodeur/Luongo/Fleury
Brodeur is probably your starter,based on his pedigree and his performance so far this year.Look for Luongo to step in if Brodeur slips up. Fleury has played in a lot of big games the past 2 years,but he's here as an observer.

Defence:
Niedermayer/Pronger/Weber/Boyle/Keith/Seabrook/Doughty
-Who's not on the list is probably more debatable. Phaneuf,Boumeester,Regher and Green are all great D-men,but I suspect will be left off this team.Green's risky play will probably hurt him,although he'd make an excellent PP quaterback.

Offence:
Nash/Crosby/Bergeron
Heatley/Thorton/Marleau
Eric Staal/Iginla/Richards
Getzlaf/Perry/Toews
Jordan Staal

Again,lots of room for debate.Nash,Crosby,and the 3 Sharks are all a given.After that there's a lot of room for arguement.Bergeron,although not at the summer camp played his way on to this team.Factor in his past success playing with Crosby(WJC,WC) as well. Richards admittingly has struggled of late, but he's on the team I picked for one reason: Ovechkin. The road to the gold medal goes through the Russian team,so Canada would have to meet them sometime.Richards gave him fits in the WJC as well as the NHL playoffs 2 years ago and no one lays a hit or a hurt quite like Richards. Both Staals might also be questionable, but Eric gives you that big body presence as well as the ability to move the puck. Jordan is under the radar in Pittsburgh, but Canada is going to need someone to kill those penalties that Richards and Pronger are no doubt going to take. He can also fill in at any 3 of the forward positions as well.

The 3 Tampa guys (St.Louis/Lecavalier/Stamkos),Cammalleri,and Patrick Sharp are all victims of the numbers game.Brendon Morrow may very well take Jordan Staal's spot,it's an either/or situation.

[thejuggernaut]

The selection press conference is coming up in a couple of hours.No matter who Stevie Y picks,he and his crew are bound to be scrutinized.There are going to be 3-6 players left off this squad, all of whom are world class talents.

My picks:
Goal: Brodeur/Luongo/Fleury
Brodeur is probably your starter,based on his pedigree and his performance so far this year.Look for Luongo to step in if Brodeur slips up. Fleury has played in a lot of big games the past 2 years,but he's here as an observer.

Defence:
Niedermayer/Pronger/Weber/Boyle/Keith/Seabrook/Doughty
-Who's not on the list is probably more debatable. Phaneuf,Boumeester,Regher and Green are all great D-men,but I suspect will be left off this team.Green's risky play will probably hurt him,although he'd make an excellent PP quaterback.

Offence:
Nash/Crosby/Bergeron
Heatley/Thorton/Marleau
Eric Staal/Iginla/Richards
Getzlaf/Perry/Toews
Jordan Staal

Again,lots of room for debate.Nash,Crosby,and the 3 Sharks are all a given.After that there's a lot of room for arguement.Bergeron,although not at the summer camp played his way on to this team.Factor in his past success playing with Crosby(WJC,WC) as well. Richards admittingly has struggled of late, but he's on the team I picked for one reason: Ovechkin. The road to the gold medal goes through the Russian team,so Canada would have to meet them sometime.Richards gave him fits in the WJC as well as the NHL playoffs 2 years ago and no one lays a hit or a hurt quite like Richards. Both Staals might also be questionable, but Eric gives you that big body presence as well as the ability to move the puck. Jordan is under the radar in Pittsburgh, but Canada is going to need someone to kill those penalties that Richards and Pronger are no doubt going to take. He can also fill in at any 3 of the forward positions as well.

The 3 Tampa guys (St.Louis/Lecavalier/Stamkos),Cammalleri,and Patrick Sharp are all victims of the numbers game.Brendon Morrow may very well take Jordan Staal's spot,it's an either/or situation.

If you mean Mike Richards, I am not sure about that one.

1. Pronger HATES him.

2. He's irresponsible. He takes the young players on his team out to get piss stinking drunk all the time. Not leadership material and I am not sure if Steve Yzerman would accept that.

[alecjonsludge]

^^^^^^Those are all true statements, and those incidents helped cost a fellow New Brunswicker his job as coach.However,IMO, for Canada to succeed they need someone with his tenacity,energy and style of play,especially on the small ice surface where it can be truely effective.With Niedermayer,Iginla,Nash,Thorton and Crosby, they'll have leadership coming out the whazoo,it's more about the riff with Pronger that concerns me.I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make the team for the reasons you alluded to, but hey, if Theo Fleury can be on the 2002 team,I can see Richards on this one.Then again, Bertuzzi went in 2006 and we all know how well that team did......in the end I still like him for slowing down(you're not going to shut down) Ovechkin.

[alecjonsludge]

The selection press conference is coming up in a couple of hours.No matter who Stevie Y picks,he and his crew are bound to be scrutinized.There are going to be 3-6 players left off this squad, all of whom are world class talents.

My picks:
Goal: Brodeur/Luongo/Fleury
Brodeur is probably your starter,based on his pedigree and his performance so far this year.Look for Luongo to step in if Brodeur slips up. Fleury has played in a lot of big games the past 2 years,but he's here as an observer.

Defence:
Niedermayer/Pronger/Weber/Boyle/Keith/Seabrook/Doughty
-Who's not on the list is probably more debatable. Phaneuf,Boumeester,Regher and Green are all great D-men,but I suspect will be left off this team.Green's risky play will probably hurt him,although he'd make an excellent PP quaterback.

Offence:
Nash/Crosby/Bergeron
Heatley/Thorton/Marleau
Eric Staal/Iginla/Richards
Getzlaf/Perry/Toews
Jordan Staal

Again,lots of room for debate.Nash,Crosby,and the 3 Sharks are all a given.After that there's a lot of room for arguement.Bergeron,although not at the summer camp played his way on to this team.Factor in his past success playing with Crosby(WJC,WC) as well. Richards admittingly has struggled of late, but he's on the team I picked for one reason: Ovechkin. The road to the gold medal goes through the Russian team,so Canada would have to meet them sometime.Richards gave him fits in the WJC as well as the NHL playoffs 2 years ago and no one lays a hit or a hurt quite like Richards. Both Staals might also be questionable, but Eric gives you that big body presence as well as the ability to move the puck. Jordan is under the radar in Pittsburgh, but Canada is going to need someone to kill those penalties that Richards and Pronger are no doubt going to take. He can also fill in at any 3 of the forward positions as well.

The 3 Tampa guys (St.Louis/Lecavalier/Stamkos),Cammalleri,and Patrick Sharp are all victims of the numbers game.Brendon Morrow may very well take Jordan Staal's spot,it's an either/or situation.

-off by 1 player,Morrow made it,Jordan Staal didn't.Mike Richards made it in spite of his trangressions.

[WOLF]

I have no issues with the team. I love it actually. I think it's a great idea to try and recapture the chemistry the 2005 World Junior team had. They were a great bunch.

My only minor issue is the inclusion of Eric Staal, who just started to turn it on, but it's been a rough go in Carolina this year. In Quebec, some people are pissed about Lecavalier and St-louis not being on the squad. There's no arguement for Vinny - he only plays when he feels like it - but you could make a case for St-Louis.

I really applaud the fact that some sacred cows, who haven't delivered the goods in a while, are NOT on this team, unlike in 2006. Guys like Doan, Phaneuf, and Bouwmeester don't deserve to be there, and aren't.

[Tommy]

Cananda is stacked. You could make another team w/ these guys






Cam Ward
Steve Mason
Marty Turco

Phaneuf
Green
Bouwmeester
Robidas
Campbell
Regher
Jovonovski


Carter
St. Louis
Leclavier
Cammalleri
Doan
Horton
Brad Richards
Sharp
Stamkos
Jordan Staal
Penner
Smyth
Fisher
Savard