By Mark Janzen /
Let’s be honest. In Canada, when it comes to Olympic hockey, it’s all about gold. Anything less is an utter disappointment. And for everyone from executive director Steve Yzerman, to head coach Mike Babcock, to the assistant equipment manager, the pressure is on.
“We’re not looking to have an all-star team at all,” Babcock said at a press conference before Canada’s orientation camp in Calgary. “In saying that, we think really good players can do a lot of good things and so did we go out and find third-line, fourth-line checking guys? No. We’re going to ask people to do things differently than they might normally do and I don’t think we’ll have any problem getting them to do it.
“Everybody from the management team to the coaching staff to the players are taking a different role. And the reason they’re taking a role and willing to except that is because they want to be part of something like this. Let’s be honest, it’s worth it and it’s about our country.”
In goal, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo will be Canada’s one-two punch.
But the burning question that remains: who will be one and who will be two?
Brodeur has a gold medal to his name, three Stanley Cups, a career GAA of 2.21, a career save percentage of .914 and 101 shutouts. While Luongo doesn’t have the championship pedigree of Brodeur, his career numbers are comparable (2.57 GAA, .919 save percentage and 47 shutouts) and he’s seven years younger.
On the blueline, the debate becomes a little murkier. Do you pursue a team of burgeoning stars or stick with old faithful and hope they still have something in the tank?
As long as age or health doesn’t get the best of them, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger are virtual locks and, while not in the same age category, you can lump Jay Bouwmeester into the sure-thing pile.
After that, Washington’s Mike Green is a very likely option. With a combined 129 points (including 49 goals) over the last two seasons, Yzerman would be seriously questioned if he left the Calgary-native off the roster.
Speaking of Calgary, is it possible the Flames could have three defencemen on Canada’s roster? Very.
Dion Phaneuf didn’t have a great year last season but he’s still an upper-echelon blueliner and Robyn Regehr might be that defensive defenceman Canada needs.
Continuing questions. Did Dan Boyle do enough last year (57 points in 77 games) to warrant a spot? Are Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Shea Weber ready for the big show? And can Francois Beauchemin be a valuable seventh defenceman?
And now for the forwards. There won’t be any bad choices, just some will be better than others. Locks include Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Eric Staal and Shane Doan. Mike Richards is on the cusp of joining that group and likely will with a strong first half of the season.
But then it gets interesting. Is Dany Heatley’s off-season so obtrusive that you leave a two-time 50-goal scorer off the roster? A year ago, Vincent Lecavalier would have been a sure-thing but after a disappointing season last year (67 points in 77 games) it’s not so clear. Is Brendan Morrow the kind of gritty player you must have or can someone with a little more scoring touch provide the same sandpaper?
Joe Thornton should be on this team, but his performance under pressure in the playoffs has been greatly disappointing. Or what about youngsters who can snipe like Jonathan Toews, Jordan Staal or Jeff Carter?
On December 22, Canada will announce the roster and then the debate will continue. Who plays with whom? And, how will Canada beat the Russians, the Americans, or the Swedes?
February 16, 4:30 p.m. PST: Canada vs. Norway. You can almost taste it. |