Some Intriguing Choices

The focus always begins with who was left off.

In '98 it was Mark Messier. In '02 it was Scott Stevens, and then, Sidney Crosby in 2006. This year, the list seems even longer.

All three Calgary blueliners — Dion Phaneuf, Jay Bouwmeester and Robyn Regehr —didn't make the roster. Up front, veterans Shane Doan, Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Ryan Smyth and Marty St. Louis were excluded after having played well internationally for Canada before.

And what about Mike Green, the NHL's highest scoring defenceman?

Yep, there's going to be debate over this roster.

What seems clear is that Team Canada boss Steve Yzerman decided that the short prep time in Vancouver — just one practice before the tournament began — made it logical to pick some combinations, including the entire San Jose line of Joe Thornton centering Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau.

Anaheim forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf skate together every night. Chicago defencemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are Joel Quenneville's shutdown pair. Familiarity won the day.

So did youth. Drew Doughty, just 20, is the youngest Canadian Olympian in the NHL era. He beat out Mike Green by being a more complete defenceman.

Up front, Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron were linemates at the world juniors in Grand Forks, N.D., in 2005, and they're on this team together.

In other words, Yzerman wasn't particularly interested in going back with the same crew for one last kick at the can, and that cost the likes of Doan, Smyth and Lecavalier roster spots.

Shut out three times in the '06 games, the big question will be whether Team Canada can be more lethal offensively in Vancouver. If it isn't, the players left off the roster will become lightning rods for controversy.

The Roster

GOALTENDERS

Martin Brodeur
Age: 37
Height: 6-2 Weight: 215
Hometown: Montreal
Team: New Jersey
Stats: 35 GP, 24 W, 2.15 GAA

Roberto Luongo
Age: 30
Height: 6-1 Weight: 205
Hometown: Montreal
Team: Vancouver
Stats: 33 GP, 19 W, 2.27 GAA

Marc-Andre Fleury
Age: 25
Height: 6-2 Weight: 180
Hometown: Sorel, Que.
Team: Pittsburgh
Stats: 34 GP, 22 W, 2.49 GAA

DEFENCE

Dan Boyle
Age: 33
Height: 5-11 Weight: 190
Hometown: Ottawa
Team: San Jose
Stats: 7 G, 24 A, +6

Drew Doughty
Age: 20
Height: 6-0 Weight: 211
Hometown: London, Ont.
Team: Los Angeles
Stats: 9 G, 17 A, +7

Duncan Keith
Age: 26
Height: 6-1 Weight: 196
Hometown: Winnipeg
Team: Chicago
Stats: 6 G, 29 A, +10

Scott Niedermayer
Age: 36
Height: 6-1 Weight: 194
Hometown: Edmonton
Team: Anaheim
Stats: 4 G, 20 A, -10

Chris Pronger
Age: 35
Height: 6-6 Weight: 214
Hometown: Dryden, Ont.
Team: Philadelphia
Stats: 5 G, 19 A, +9

Brent Seabrook
Age: 24
Height: 6-foot-3, Weight: 218
Hometown: Richmond, B.C.
Team: Chicago
Stats: 3 G, 13 A, +13

Shea Weber
Age: 24
Height: 6-4 Weight: 234
Hometown: Sicamous, B.C.
Team: Nashville
Stats: 6 G, 15 A, +1

FORWARDS

Patrice Bergeron
Centre
Age: 24
Height: 6-2 Weight: 194
Hometown: Ancienne-Lorette, Que.
Team: Boston
Stats: 10 G, 19 A, +2

Sidney Crosby
Centre
Age: 22
Height: 5-11 Weight: 200
Hometown: Cole Harbour, N.S.
Team: Pittsburgh
Stats: 23 G, 25 A, +14

Ryan Getzlaf
Centre
Age: 24
Height: 6-4 Weight: 220
Hometown: Regina
Team: Anaheim
Stats: 10 G, 31 A, +2

Dany Heatley
Left wing
Age: 28
Height: 6-4 Weight: 220
Hometown: Freiburg, Germany
Team: San Jose
Stats: 23 G, 21 A, +11

Jarome Iginla
Right wing
Age: 32
Height: 6-1 Weight: 207
Hometown: Edmonton
Team: Calgary
Stats: 20 G, 18 A, 0+/-

Patrick Marleau
Centre
Age: 30
Height: 6-2 Weight: 220
Hometown: Aneroid, Sask.
Team: San Jose
Stats: 25 G, 16 A, +15

Brenden Morrow
Left wing
Age: 30
Height: 6-0 Weight: 205
Hometown: Carlyle, Sask.
Team: Dallas
Stats: 13 G, 12 A, +1

Rick Nash
Right wing
Age: 25
Height: 6-4 Weight: 218
Hometown: Brampton
Team: Columbus
Stats: 19 G, 18 A, -12

Corey Perry
Right wing
Age: 24
Height: 6-3 Weight: 206
Hometown: Peterborough
Team: Anaheim
Stats: 16 G, 25 A, +3

Mike Richards
Centre
Age: 24
Height: 5-11 Weight: 195
Hometown: Kenora, Ont.
Team: Philadelphia
Stats: 16 G, 15 A, +6

Eric Staal
Centre
Age: 25
Height: 6-4 Weight: 205
Hometown: Thunder Bay
Team: Carolina
Stats: 8 G, 18 A, -5

Joe Thornton
Centre
Age: 30
Height: 6-4 Weight: 230
Hometown: London, Ont.
Team: San Jose
Stats: 10 G, 44 A, +11

Jonathan Toews
Centre
Age: 21
Height: 6-2 Weight: 210
Hometown: Winnipeg
Team: Chicago
Stats: 11 G, 20 A, +17

COACHES
Head coach: Mike Babcock (Detroit)
Assistant: Lindy Ruff (Buffalo)
Assistant: Ken Hitchcock (Columbus)
Assistant: Jacques Lemaire
General manager: Steve Yzerman

Comments

[Zak]

This team is going nowhere, 5th at best.

[Steviey]

Looks like a good lineup, they have instant chemistry with the shark line up. Nash is a pure goal scorer.

[NP]

Glad Gretzky didn't have input or we'd have another Bertuzzi!

[Joel]

I like this lineup. in 06, we had a superstar team. but they couldn't work together. here their is chemistry everywhere. but i think i would have chosen green over pronger.

Good luck guys. lets get a gold in mens and womens hockey again.

[Needharsan]

Great picks to represent team canada, but i dont see why morrow was picked over carter or brad richards... and green couldve been a good addition to the team, but overall great selection and way better that the 06 team!

[lewey]

Personally I like the team! Of course we all have a few individuals that we would rather have seen on the team then others, but overall it would appear to be strong front to back. Steady goaltending, strong two way defencemen, smart, creative forwards who can all score, who could ask for more. I think the transition game will be the strongest aspect of this team. Smart choices Stevie, always a class act and the choosing of this team was no different, all the best in the tournament.

GO CANADA GO

[King Leary]

Mike Green? Please - the guy is so one dimensional it isn't even funny - yes, it is evident to anyone that he can score - but watch him play defense - then the real fun begins. Bergeron has been great this year after bouncing back from his concussion.

Heda - it isn't surprising because it is a non - issue. But I'm sure someone like you will read more into than necessary.

[Marijan Kalman]

Every team tha has Pronger on the roster is the worst team that you can make.I was thinking that Babckok is smart coach but after this, SY,Holland and Babckok should be fired. Pronger is the worst thing that ever happend to human race.PERIOD.

[Steve]

I'm dumbfounded by some of the comments. No physical presence on the blueline? Really? Have you seen Weber, Proger and Seabrook play? They're all beasts. No scoring? There's plenty of scoring. Thorton and Heatley are malcontents and mopers? Really, are you in the dressingroom? This is a good team and kudos to Yzaerman for having the stones to leave long-serving veterans like Doan and Smyth and one-dimensional players like Green off the team. Good for him.

[Mattias]

Go Canada Go! This is a great team, what else can you say. A lot of young and hungry canadians. I´m from Sweden but love Canada and hope they´ll beat Sweden in the final!

[Oh Canada]

Rasper - I think you pick full lines and pairings because these guys have an extremely limited amount of prep time before the show starts (as noted in the article, only one practice). If you can get an effective grouping (albeit perhaps not as effective as one would like) I think you have to try to put them in to utilize the pre-existing chemistry. I always thought Heatley and Spezza in Turin would have been a great combo, with pretty much anyone between them. I see what you are saying though about no-hearts. Hopefully their patriotic sensibilities will win the day, and they will keep grinding even in tough spots. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Very excited to see what this team can do. I agree with the earlier posts that not picking Green was the gamble of the day, but I agree with the choice.

Would have liked to have seen a Hab, but theres nobody worth picking this year, at least not above any of the selected players.

[DPlouffe]

I can't believe Kadri wasn't selected!

[DPlouffe]

I can't believe nobody from the Leafs (Canada's Team) is on here.

[Singh]

This looks like a solid team. The only reason Green is off the list is because he is a purely offensive d-man. He is not, i repeat is not, a complete player. Boyle will be more than enough for that offensive punch off the blueline. Offensively this team is very good, and Bergeron is one of the most underrated players in the league, so I;m glad to see he has been scouted by Steve. Making team Canada is not like how we draft fantasy pools, there is a very qualitative aspect to building the team, and management must go beyond quantitative measures. Very smart of Yzerman for transplanting NHL lines like the SJ first line and Chi shutdown pair.

[Andre Lafleur]

Being on vacation, I turned on the TV at noon to watch the announcement. Soooo many speakers. Soooo many commercials. Just like ..... the regular season and ALL the ads for the games. I didn't watch past the goalie announcements. I don't watch many NHL games any more, and look forward to some real hockey, even if it will be on the smaller, North American ice surface. The NHL is a shadow of its former self: too many games; too may goons; too many commercials; too many really terrible, biased announcers. I don't really care who will win the Gold, as long as it is good hockey and infects the NHL to clean up its act.

[Ted Klassen]

I like it that Yzerman has gone for youth. But why Pronger? He is too undisciplined and takes too many stupid penalties. Remember Bertuzzi four years ago. Regehr would have been a better choice. Or Green.

[Howard]

Joe Thornton is from St. Thomas not London

[Stephen]

'ONLY 1 player from a canadian team (luongo), is on this team, that either says our NHL teams are VERY subpar, or our best players would rather play in the States than at home'

Well, yes, four out of the six Canadian teams stink.This isn't shocking news.

[seany]

Overall, a good idea to go with line combinations in a short series that are already playing together..... interestingly, I have just finished re-reading Paul Henderson's book on the 1972 Series and in the book he made the point that very few people gave him and Ron Ellis a chance to make the team, let alone make an impact together the way they did. Reading the book reminded me about the fact that Henderson and Ellis were terrific in that series centred by a young Bobby Clarke....maybe we can repeat some magic from the past in 2010....

[Tom Berry]

sry MJH, Iginla from Calgary too.

[Matt]

The Euro goalies aren't going to know what hit them when all these Canadian snipers get together. I mean after Malkin,Ovech, and Kovalchuk, who does Russia really have? The Sweedes are without Sundin and Alfredsson is four years older. The US can't match Canada's talent. The Czechs who do they have, Jagir and Kaberle? Canada has too many weapons this time.

[Joel]

i dont undertand why people are saying this team is going nowhere.

sure, some good quality players were left out, but why would you take a whole bunch of people from every team instead of key players who play on the same team? 3 from sharks 3 from chicago. pronger and Scott N played in anaheim and won the cup there. perry and getzlaf are also from anaheim. instant chemistry all around. half the team will be able to predict each others moves! i think we will do well, but i am not predicting a medal.

russia has three amazing goaltenders, us has miller. should be a good 2 weeks!

[Daniel ............ Toronto]

I think it must be a great honor for anyone to play for Canada but I don't agree with all the selections but know it was not just playing ability. I'm sure that many more factors come into play when picking such an important role as Canada's Olympic Team. Go Canada Go....

Daniel .............. Toronto
http://dandmb50.tumblr.com/

[Bill Provick]

That's one thing I love about Leaf fans, they have a sense of humour.
"Where's Ian White?" Ha ha ha. That's a good one.
"I can't believe Kadri wasn't selected." Ha ha, ho, ho . . . stop it. You're killing me.
"I can't believe nobody from the Leafs (Canada's Team) is on here." HA HA (slapping leg) HO HO (tears streaming from eyes) hhahaaaahaaaaa. Oh my!

[Bill Provick]

MEMO
TO: Leaf Nation
FROM: Canada
RE: "Canada's Team"
MESSAGE:
No matter how many times you repeat this self-proclaimed title, provided by the Toronto Maple Leafs marketing team, it's never going to be true. And it's an absolute insult to everyone who lives outside the GCOTUA* (GTA for short). It not only calls our hockey knowledge and sense of good taste into question, but the sheer gall of pretending to speak for us causes no end of irritation.
Yours truly,
A Proud and Discerning Canadian Smart Enough to Choose His Own Team
* GCOTUA = Greater Centre Of The Universe Area