Just two and a half months away, sits an event that I’m sure all of Canada looks forward to. Not just the hardcore fans or even casual fans, but the whole country will come together as one to watch intently as our nation’s best compete on the Olympic stage. Now as much as I love the cross-country skiing and biathlon, the main event is the Men’s Hockey championship. Even the most relaxed fan can recognize the names on the back of the International jerseys. The Crosbys, Ovechkins and Kessels are all household names in Canada. Much like the annual World Junior Championship that takes place in December, if we come away from Sochi with anything other than gold around our necks, it will be a disappointment.
In just over a month, Steve Yzerman and the Team Canada brass will have to whittle down the 46 players invited to the orientation camp to just 25 players to take overseas. For some countries this process is a simple one. Maybe they just have 3 or 4 slots open for players to play themselves into. However, the experience is completely different for Canada. By my count probably half of the forward spots are up for grabs along with a few defensemen and a single goalie spot. Here are what I believe are the best players to be going to the World stage to represent our great nation.
Goalies:
Roberto Luongo
Carey Price
Corey Crawford
I think you have to take Luongo. He is the goalie that led you to the promise land just 4 short years ago and experience at this level is something that cannot be replaced. Price has been waiting his turn for years to be able to represent Canada internationally. He was one of the better World Junior goalies of recent memory and his play in the NHL speaks for itself as well. The last spot for the goaltenders was a tough one for me and I truly believe it is completely still up in the air at the moment. If any Canadian goalie gets hot in the next month you have to think they have a shot at making the squad. Crawford makes it for the time being because he has been nothing but solid in net for the Chicago Blackhawks over the last 2 years. He led his team to the Stanley Cup no less than 5 months ago and I think that pressure-packed experience suits well for him on the international forum.
Defense:
Duncan Keith- Shea Weber
Jay Bouwmeester- Drew Doughty
Marc-Edouard Vlasic- Alex Pietrangelo
P.K. Subban
Dion Phaneuf
Choosing the 8 defensemen was a tough call for me. Unlike in 2010, we lack the true veteran presence of a Scott Niedermayer or a Chris Pronger. However that opens the door for some younger type players to establish themselves as the elder statesmen on the team. The veterans on this defensive core are going to be Shea Weber and Duncan Keith, both of them playing a vital role in the 2010 gold in Vancouver. Doughty was also on that team in a much smaller role. However this time around he will be looked upon to take a step forward and fill those bigger shoes. Bouwmeester has always been a great puck mover and he also did represent Canada at the Olympic games in Torino back in 2006. With the final 4 spots I was aiming to find a balance between youth/experience and offensive and defensive players. With Phaneuf and Vlasic you get a nice blend of shutdown defensive skills along with some offensive upside. Looking at Pietrangelo and Subban you get 2 young up and coming studs, with Subban winning the Norris trophy last year. Both of them can make plays with their feet and sticks and will provide some serious scoring punch from the back end. No matter what direction the team goes with these defensemen I think Canada will be just fine on the blue line.
Forwards:
Eric Staal- Sidney Crosby- Rick Nash
Matt Duchene- Jonathan Toews- Patrick Sharp
Logan Couture- John Tavares- Martin St. Louis
Patrick Marleau- Ryan Getzlaf- Corey Perry
Patrice Bergeron
Claude Giroux
Choosing forwards for Team Canada is always a tough task and this year is no different. Every time it seems that Canada could probably ice two Olympic quality teams of forwards. It is tough to choose who to leave off and who to bring along for the ride. For this year, I tried to incorporate a lot of the 2010 forwards along with a mix of young players that have made the jump in the past 4 years. Of the 14 forwards I have listed 8 of them are returning from the 2010 team. Those being Crosby, Staal, Nash, Toews, Getzlaf, Perry, Marleau and Bergeron. With the long time veteran St. Louis playing on the 2006 Olympic team. With the remaining 5 players, there is speed and skill and lots of it. This will come into play big time on the international sized rink they will play on in Russia. The extra 5 or 6 feet on either side will give lots of room to drive wide with speed.
Clearly putting the puck in the net is not going to be a problem for this team. However what will make the difference between gold and any other color might be the way the players adjust to their new roles. Some are going to be playing shutdown roles, much like the roles Toews, Mike Richards and Brenden Morrow played in Vancouver. I really think Bergeron is a big player to make sure to bring along. He is often in the discussion as best defensive forward in hockey and that will play a role in shutting down the firepower all the other countries will be showcasing. Not to mention he is a force on the penalty kill.
Obviously this is always a tough task to choose the roster to represent our nation rich in hockey tradition. I think these players have a great mix of experience on the international level and youth. However it is not always about the individual talent on a team but the way it gels into a fine machine. Ultimately, the decision is up to Steve Yzerman and his team of experts to boil it down to the best team possible. And it is up to that team to bring home what the people of this great country all want. Gold.
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