Picking Team Canada: Breaking down the camp roster
by James Mirtle on Aug 24, 2009 11:40 PM CDT
in 2010 Olympics
27 comments
There are going to be many months ahead for more thorough analysis of what Team Canada's Olympic entry should look like, but here's a little cheat sheet with which to watch this week's goings on at the orientation camp. Keep in mind that these categories don't reflect my choices for the team — they merely indicate where I think players slot in in the minds of the selection committee:
| Locks to make team | ||
| Forwards | Defencemen | Goalies |
| Sidney Crosby | Scott Niedermayer | Martin Brodeur |
| Ryan Getzlaf | Roberto Luongo | |
| Jarome Iginla | ||
| Rick Nash | ||
| Contenders | ||
| Forwards | Defencemen | Goalies |
| Jeff Carter | Jay Bouwmeester | Marc-Andre Fleury |
| Shane Doan | Dan Boyle | Cam Ward |
| Simon Gagne | Mike Green | |
| Dany Heatley | Duncan Keith | |
| Vincent Lecavalier | Dion Phaneuf | |
| Brenden Morrow | Chris Pronger | |
| Mike Richards | Robyn Regehr | |
| Ryan Smyth | Shea Weber | |
| Martin St. Louis | ||
| Eric Staal | ||
| Joe Thornton | ||
| Jonathan Toews | ||
| Long shots | ||
| Forwards | Defencemen | Goalies |
| Dan Cleary | Francois Beauchemin | Steve Mason |
| Patrick Marleau | Brent Burns | |
| Corey Perry | Brent Seabrook | |
| Patrick Sharp | ||
| Jason Spezza | ||
| Not going to happen | ||
| Forwards | Defencemen | Goalies |
| Milan Lucic | Drew Doughty | |
| Andy McDonald | Dan Hamhuis | |
| Derek Roy | Stephane Robidas | |
| Jordan Staal | Marc Staal |
In short, this is a team that's set in goal, has a few pillars up front and a lot of decisions to be made on the back end. And keep in mind that what happens in the first couple months of the season could have a big impact on the decisions made.
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it's really too bad hamhuis likely won't make it
with terrace getting a canucks preseason game, the rest of the country could use a reminder as to which is really the best town in NW BC.
by Passive Voice on Aug 25, 2009 12:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Heh, I love the northwest BC rivalries. I also love that Smithers hates Terrace almost as much as we from Kitimat do…
by DarrenM on Aug 26, 2009 1:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kamloops and Kelowna are not fond of each other… although I think the ’loops is losing that battle in several ways these days.
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by James Mirtle on Aug 26, 2009 1:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d say as a last minute injury invite, Jason Spezza is safely in the “not going to happen” category.
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by saskhab on Aug 25, 2009 1:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know, I think you guys should take Andy McDonald. Leave off that one bum, what’s his name… oh yeah, Mark Savard, and take Andy McDonald. Good call.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
by RudyKelly on Aug 25, 2009 2:25 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
If Savard changed his name to Staal, he’d be in the “Contender” category already…
I've been looking at the sky
by Back In Black on Aug 25, 2009 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hockey Canada certainly has it’s pets, doesn’t it? Ryan Smyth?
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
by Smoboy41 on Aug 25, 2009 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that never turning down your country and representing them in an exemplary fashion should be enough to at least get an invite to camp.
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by PPP on Aug 28, 2009 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not questioning Smyth’s love of the Red and White. I’m questioning his on-ice abilities to represent same.
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
by Smoboy41 on Aug 31, 2009 9:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Long Shot List
You can probably move all those guys right to “Not Going to Happen”
If Yzerman is looking for “glue” type guys there’s still plenty of those kind of players with much more talent than the guys on the Long Shot List.
by john ogrodnick on Aug 25, 2009 11:22 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I think Corey Perry is a contender, to be honest. But other than that, you’re right. Even though it pains me as a big Patrick Sharp fan.
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by saskhab on Aug 25, 2009 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. IF Getzlaf is healthy and available in February, I think Perry is a contender (i.e long shot on his own, but Getzlaf makes Perry a contender). The two play so well together, and it will be on North American sized ice.
by godot10 on Aug 25, 2009 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Personally, I would just as soon Perry stayed home.
Can’t stand the punk, and his participation would be only a little less embarrassing than Bertuzzi wearing the Maple Leaf was.
by Resolute on Aug 25, 2009 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Everybody hates Perry. :)
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by Earl Sleek on Aug 25, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
True.
But it wouldn’t reflect well on Canada if Perry cheap shotted some poor Norwegian out of the tournament.
by Resolute on Aug 25, 2009 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
two things
I pretty much agree with you James, although I think maybe you’re overestimating Ryan Smyth’s chances (as much as I love Smytty) and downplaying the chances of Milan Lucic and Drew Doughty. Watching Doughty in various capacities last year I don’t just think he was the leagues best rookie defenceman, I think he was one of the best defenceman in the league period. We’ll see if he can continue his performance this year, but he was as good as anyone on that list.
Secondly, Savard is off that list for one reason only: politics. He has refused to put the time in with Hockey Canada in the lesser tourneys and it seems obvious this is a punishment. I’m actually ok with his ommission if that is the case, as Canada has plenty of options, we’re the one country that can afford to let a top player walk for not being a good soldier in the past.
Besides, any team that Canada picks will have a solid chance of winning. There isn’t a ‘bad’ pick in the bunch and much of this teams success will depend on a degree of luck. It’s a one game elimination tournament after all.
by Kyle M on Aug 25, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Canada always has those sentimental picks, and I fear that’s what Smyth will be. Lucic and Doughty have zero chance of beating out all of the guys ahead of them. They’re too young.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Aug 25, 2009 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Secondly, Savard is off that list for one reason only: politics. He has refused to put the time in with Hockey Canada in the lesser tourneys and it seems obvious this is a punishment. I’m actually ok with his ommission if that is the case, as Canada has plenty of options, we’re the one country that can afford to let a top player walk for not being a good soldier in the past.
Bullshit. Unless he’s a problem in the locker room, you have to bring one of the NHL’s best playmakers to a best-on-best tournament. Period. As for the last comment, well, you try telling 34 million people that when the tournament ends with a Russian victory. Not saying it will happen, but it could, and that’s not a chance worth taking.
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by Doogie2K on Aug 25, 2009 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Savard was a problem in the locker room in Calgary. Though he seems to have matured since.
And agreed on your calling BS. If not playing in the b-level tournaments like the World Championships got you kicked out, Jarome Iginla would not be in camp either.
by Resolute on Aug 25, 2009 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Firstly, I’m not sure why the World Championships are considered a ‘b-level’ tournament. The only tournament that can boast the same level of talent in hockey is the NHL playoffs and every four years, the Olympics. Also bear in mind that before 1998 the Olympics was actually second rate to the Worlds.
Secondly, Iginla DID play for Canada in the World Championships. He won a gold in 1997. He also won a gold for Canada in the World Juniors. Virtually every player in that camp has played for Hockey Canada in various tournaments. I think maybe Beauchemin is the only one that hasn’t but I also suspect he’s not been previously asked.
Finally, if you think Marc Savard will be the difference between victory and defeat in obtaining a gold medal I would say you have miscalculated the marginal performance difference the entire team would obtain between Savard and either Lecavalier, Thornton, Staal, or Richards. Those are the players he would be competing with for a spot. Randomness, or luck, will play a much greater role in winning the gold than Savard vs. his replacements.
No, I think there is something to be said for loyalty. Hockey Canada has not been shy about a subtle obligation to play for the team, and in fact they’ve used this none too obvious reward system to draw bigger talent names to the ‘b level’ World Championships for the last 7 or so years.
by Kyle M on Aug 27, 2009 2:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lucic will be 22 in 2010, Brewer was 23 in 2002 and Nash was 23 in 2006. Doughty probably fits the too young profile a little better, but Yzerman has said no one would be invited to camp for ‘experience’ and that everyone would have a legitimate shot (I believe he was specifically being asked about Doughty’s chances when he said that, I could be wrong). I guess that could be Yzerman talking out of his ass (he wouldn’t be the first manager to do it) but for now I’ll just take it as face value.
I’m a little surprised you have Seabrooke as a longshot as well, could you explain it James. I think he’s at least as good as Dion Phaneuf whom I believe needs to bounce back in the first half of the season to make it. If Dion is being considered for his point production I think Greene is superior, and if he is being considered for his defensive abilities I think just about everyone is better (Weber duplicates many of Dion’s skills but much better as well). Is it just Dion’s optics that put him as contender or his play?
by Kyle M on Aug 25, 2009 3:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Phaneuf’s been on Canadian teams in the past and is highly regarded (at least publicly) by their brass. I don’t think he should be on the team, but I bet he’s got a very good shot at it given who’s doing the picking.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Aug 25, 2009 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
As a Flames fan, I would hate it if even 2 of the 3 of Bouwmeester, Regehr, or Phaneuf made the team. I want the team to win, of course, and will be please to have the Flames represented, but no way do I want half my team’s blueline at that tournament. It seems unlilely they’d take all 3, from a political perspective, anyway.
by Subversive on Aug 25, 2009 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Myth about Camp Orientation
It seems that everyone believes that only the players invited to this camp are the only going to make this squad and that is not entirely true. For example look at Iginla in 2002 and Eric Staal in 2006 both make the Olympic Teams all the while not competing at the summer orientation camp so all is not lost with Marc Savard and others.
As far as locks go don’t be suprised if Jonathan Toews is not on that list for it seems that Yzerman and the Wings brass have a man-crush on him. If he was confident to put him on the World Champoinship squad in 2007 at the age of 19 then I think Toews will be on that team barring injury.
And I wouldn’t be so sure about Luongo for if the upper management decide on a “what have you done for me lately?” scenario then I really like Fleury and Ward chances of both making the team. Which they should, for as a Hawks fan I have 7 reasons that ‘Touchdown Luo’ shouldn’t be on team Canada.
Phaneuf is another that once the Team Canada brass sits down and thinks hard about this player that if his play continues to progressively move downwards they may pass him up. Right now I still have him as a longshot. For if it’s offence Canada wants then they have better defenceman available for that in Neidermayer, Boyle, and Green; and as well as defensively with Keith, Pronger, and Bouwmeester.
It’s really early yet on who will or won’t make the squad for it’s still August but December isn’t far away (as my two nephews often remind me) and it should get interesting.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
by hawks61 on Aug 25, 2009 10:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Kind of a nit pick but Iginla was technically invited to orientation camp in 2001, but later as an injury replacement.
by Kyle M on Aug 27, 2009 2:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
At this point, I’d consider Brent Seabrook to be a “not going to happen.” I feel like if there were any chance of him and Keith both making the team, they’d be paired together. It just seems to make sense to me as they are already playing on the same pairing 82 games a year. If you were only taking one of the two, I’d make it Keith.
Could someone maybe shed some light on why they might not be playing together if there’s any intention of taking them both?
http://accordingtwomey.blogspot.com
by hawksfan21 on Aug 26, 2009 1:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Things can and will change quickly because of injury. In addition, some of the vets were invited for past service – Smyth, St. Louis and Gagne. I think those three are less likely to make the team compared to some of the long shots.
Draper played on the last Canadian team. Most of the long shots have more skill than Draper. So I wouldn’t write any of those guys off.
by skatehack on Aug 26, 2009 11:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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