Somehow, General Manager Steve Yzerman and Head Coach Mike Babcock managed to pick through an embarrassment of riches at every single position in fulfilling their task: the unenviable one of narrowing it down to just one team of Canadian superstars for the trip to Sochi, where they will try and deliver Canada back-to-back men’s hockey Olympic Gold medals.
There’s always going to be controversy when a team is named, but the spotlight in Canada is so firmly on hockey – hockey is the national sport, and there is no gold medal that the country wants more than the one awarded for being men’s hockey champions – every move made (or not made) is going to be scrutinised to within an inch of it’s life. Yzerman and go are going to be second-guessed until the cows come home. Not a position I’d want to be in.
For what it’s worth, I think they’ve chosen a pretty good team, despite leaving off a few players I thought would be on the roster for sure – Giroux, Thornton, Boyle, Seabrook to name just four – and, with firepower and true superstars at every position, I wouldn’t bet on this team not going back-to-back.
In Part One, here are the eight defensemen and three
goaltenders who make up Canada’s men’s hockey roster for the 2014 Sochi Winter
Olympic Games, and my brief thoughts on each selection:
Roberto Luongo: On his day, Luongo is a good goalie, world-class. The problem is, there are days when he’s really, really bad. Every achievement, like winning gold in 2010, is countered by a bad moment: melting down in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. No word yet on who will start. If it’s Luongo, you’d imagine that Head Coach Mike Babcock will have the Canucks net-minder on a short leash. If he starts giving up bad goals that he’s become famous – or is that infamous? – for over the years, he’ll be out. In a short tournament, you just can't afford to give a struggling goalie time to settle in.
Carey Price: Unlucky to miss out four years ago behind Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and 2014 teammate Luongo, the oft-maligned and sometimes-controversial Montreal Canadiens goalie earns his national call-up and will likely challenge for a starting spot. Had a reasonably rough start to his career, but vastly improved now. Not an easy guy to score on. I would personally feel better about Price starting over Luongo.
Mike Smith: His work in the desert with the Phoenix Coyotes(specifically, you assume, the Coyotes run to the 2012 Western Conference Finals) has paid off in the form of an Olympic selection, though I wonder how much playing time, if any, Smith will see behind two pretty good goalies in Luongo and Price. He might not even dress some nights, but being a part of the team is still something to be incredibly proud of.
Defencemen
Jay Bouwmeester: Reignited his career in St Louis after coming across from Calgary in a deadline trade. Spends large chunks of time on the ice with the Blues and will have the familiarity of team-mate Alex Pietrangelo. Great skater, which is always an asset on the larger ice surface.
Drew Doughty: A key part of the Los Angeles Kings run to the 2012 Stanley Cup, and one of the best blue-liners in world hockey. There’s nothing this guy can’t do: brilliant defender, can chime in with a timely goal, tough, penalty killer, power play asset. A sort of guy who’s almost an automatic selection, even on this sacked Canadian team. Might get paired with Keith or Weber.
Dan Hamhuis: To be honest, I had Dan Boyle and Brent Seabrook making Team Canada before this guy, but the Canuck has had a great start to the season, and it’s likely that his impressive form was what got him the nod over the others. Smart hockey mind, rarely flustered, and not usually guilty of a defensive gaffe – all of which will prove to be important in the cauldron that Olympic hockey can sometimes be.
Duncan Keith: Formed a nice defensive combination with Blackhawks team-mate Brent Seabrook four years ago, and returns as part of a defensive corps not at all short on guys who can really rifle the puck when they have to. A key guy in Chicago and sure to be a key guy for Canada in Sochi. Great, automatic selection.
Alex Pietrangelo: The St Louis Blues standout will be making his Olympic debut in 2014, a tip of the hat to how well the Blues are going at the moment. A former Canadian representative at World Junior level, Pietrangelo is one of the best young defencemen in the game and will only improve after spending the Olympics in the company of players of the ilk of Doughty, Keith and Weber. Brilliant puck mover.
P.K. Subban: Like his Montréal teammate, Price, Subban, the defending Norris Trophy winner, is a polarising figure on a polarising NHL franchise but, love him or hate him, there’s absolutely no denying Subban’s prodigious talent. He doesn’t mind mixing it up physically and is gifted with a big shot. Kills penalties and can be effective on the power play as well. Mike Babcock called him a “difference maker”. No doubt about that.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Great nod to a guy who quietly goes about his work with little fanfare. He just delivers results, and is mostly unknown on the east coast. The San Jose Shark might be best suited specialising in a shut-down role on the big ice in Sochi, a job that he could do in the face of a guy like, say, Alexander Ovechkin, with some success. Still, a surprise he’s in the team ahead of Boyle, Seabrook etc. al.
Shea Weber: The Nashville Predator has a big body and a Howitzer for a shot. This is exactly the sort of guy you want patrolling your blue line: menacing, tough and talented. Had a solid Olympics four years back, and has only gotten better as a player. Will likely see time on the power play, and certainly on the penalty kill. A guy with a shot as powerful as Weber’s is going to net a few goals, too. Skate with your head down when he’s on the ice at your own peril.
Part Two coming!
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