;section=news;sport=ih;area=sports;pos=1;tile=1;sz=728x90
Who should be on Team Canada
With little over a month to go, Olympic analyst Pierre McGuire has updated his selection for who should be on Team Canada. They are as follows:
Goaltenders
Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Marc-Andre Fleury
Defence
Scott Niedermayer
Chris Pronger
Dion Phaneuf
Brent Seabrook
Shea Weber
Dan Boyle
Jay Bouwmeester
Forwards
Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Dany Heatley - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Brenden Morrow - Mike Richards - Shane Doan
Steven Stamkos - Jonathan Toews - Martin St.Louis
Jeff Carter
Olympic analysts Bob McKenzie and Darren Pang along with former U.S. Olympic hockey coach Peter Laviolette give their take on who should be left off and who should be added, based on Pierre's selections.
Bob McKenzie...
Phaneuf and St. Louis off;
Duncan Keith and Joe Thornton on...
"I just think that Duncan Keith has increased the reliability factor with the Chicago Blackhawks, more so than Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf is great offensively but there is still an erratic quality to his game. Keith with Brent Seabrook, I think those guys have really moved up in the whole Olympic pecking order. Outside of the top four, I can see these guys as five and six. As for Joe Thornton, I think a different role for him. Like the World Cup, I think he goes back to using his size - like Morrow and Doan - and gets in people's faces and plays a physical role, that's a little bit different than what he currently does for the San Jose Sharks."
Darren Pang...
Phaneuf, Heatley and J.Carter off;
Duncan Keith, Patrick Marleau and Patrick Sharp on...
"Arguably (Marleau) has been the best player on the San Jose Sharks, one of the best teams if not the best team in the NHL. He fulfills a couple of roles; Number one, he can play centre ice, he's good on face-offs but he's been playing wing with Joe Pavelski on what would be their second line. But on many a nights, the other teams checking lines have to be ready to stop both Pavelski and Marleau. As far as Patrick Sharp is concerned, he's just a good overall hockey player. He's a right hand shot that can play the left side. I have Jonathan Toews on my team and I would like to see him and Sharp together as well."
Peter Laviolette...
Fleury, Carter and Doan off;
Emery, E.Staal and Thornton on...
"I put Ray Emery in for Fleury because right now, to date, he is Canada's best goalie. So far he has the Philadelphia Flyers sitting in a great position; he's very much in control in net and very much in control of himself. If I'm a coach of an Olympic team - which I was in the past - I want a goaltender that is playing extremely well right now. Ray Emery does that for them. If guys like Eric Staal can play themselves off of the team - who I will make a case for in a second - then Ray Emery deserves a chance to make a case to be on the team. Eric Staal, I know his past, I know the player, I know it's been a tough year, but at the end of last year, there wasn't a person in Canada that didn't have Eric Staal on their team. Eric Staal belongs on that team - he's an impact player and I hope he gets on there."
Steven Stamkos is on everybody's team at this point. What has changed your mind about him, besides the statistics, seeing that he wasn't even invited to the camp to begin with?
Darren Pang
"Obviously he's got a hot hand right now and he's taken over the #1 centre ice position for the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Coach) Rick Tocchett's tried everything to get Vincent Lecavalier going but it has been Stamkos taking up the most minutes, going up against the other team's best defencemen and he's performing.
Bob McKenzie
"If he's going to play (on the Olympic team) he's going to have to play on the wing. Canada is too deep at centre. But I think he can play the wing, he can play the off-wing, because he's got that great shot.
Dec 03, 2009 | 11:55 PM ET
Although i am a big fan of yzerman with 500 nhl players to choose from ... I don't feel sorry for him unless they lose... alot of other countries can put a very talented team on the ice as well ... that said i still think its ours to lose Goalies - agree with pierre Defense - 1 change ... keith on phaneuf off Forwards - - extras- tavares/stamkos - young/responsible/ready for the experience - first line - agree - nash/crosby/iginla - i can't wait - second line s/b marleau/thornton/heatly - the chemistry is there - third - s/b carter/richards/perry - the future (sorry getzlaf,lecavalier...) 4th line - these guys aren't even a thought (none will be looking to steel the lime light either)...here it goes Mike Fisher - great season - center - shoots right -former selke candidate- great physical presence w/o the stupid penalties Jordan Staal - center- shoots left -can produce decent numbers with less ice time - shuts down the opposing teams best - game breaker - good face off man- when killing penalties he can do some damage... Travis Zajac - shoots right - perhaps the most surprising of all another center- In my opinion the most underestimated player in the nhl - admittedly i don't know that much about the guy but at + 12 playing in Nj with Brodeur he has to be aware of defensive responsibilty... my only dilemma with this 4th line is who plays center...thats like saying i feel sorry for the guy that has to pick team Canada ... why not make it easy for yourself steve and draw names from a hat... for the whole team... ps i have a natural bias to peterborough connections ... perry/staal/fisher/pronger...and of course yzerman Regardless, Go Canada Go
Nov 29, 2009 | 10:53 PM ET
Nov 29/09 Very few are mentioning Dustin Penner. He's a big moose who played on the 'Ducks' Cup winning team a few years ago. This year at the above date, he's 6'th overall in NHL points. Repeat, that's 6'th overall !! On a very so, so Oiler team, he leads the team in goals 15, assists 15, +/- at an excellent + 11, second only to Jon Toews for ALL Canadian forwards. He's a team best in Power Play Goals and high among all Canadians with 5. He kills penalties, yet his own penalty minutes are very low at only 6 min. He's very durable, he misses very few games and he's in great physical shape AND he's only 27 years old. Each team plays every other team, so, are this guy's numbers just a mirage or is he the real deal ? I believe it's the latter. Picture some big Russian, Swedish or US D-Man trying to move his 6'4", 245 lb frame away from the slot, while our Shea Weber launches one of his missiles from the point. NICE !! I hope Stevie Y takes a very long and serious look at this player. Let's select a Canadian Roster that's balanced, experienced, youthful and lighting things up right now, not necessarily 6 months from now ! By the way, I'm from Toronto but a TEAM CANADA FAN for obvious reasons.
Nov 29, 2009 | 9:58 PM ET
Please, please, TEAM CANADA 'braintrust' do not make the same mistakes that occured in Turin in 2006 i.e., omit talented youth because of their lack of experience. Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughy are young but so talented. Sydney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, among others were left behind in '06. Hindsight is 20/20 but come on now ! There are several players, today, who weren't even invited to the pre-Camp in Calgary who are really performing well this season. For instance, Brad Richards, Dustin Penner and Mike Fisher are each having much better seasons than Eric Staal, Vinny Lecavalier and Jason Spezza. Check "all" of the current NHL stats on the first 3 named. So many little things to consider, e.g., Jon Toews is currently the best Canadian on face-off wins, [so critical in 'big games'], also, a healthy + 12, best among Canadian fowards. Throw in the fact that this guy is a 'big game' player, 3/4 on shootouts and Blackawks Captain at age 21 he should be an absolute lock for a Roster position.[IMO] The 'braintrust' should look at everyone, but let's choose players who are walking the walk right now !!
Nov 29, 2009 | 9:23 PM ET
"THE TEAM" Line#1 nash,crosby,iginla, Line#2 brad richards,getzlaf,perry, Line#3 heatley,thornton,marleau, Checking Line, penner,mike richards, toews, Extra, stamkos Defense, (Left to Right), niedermayer with weber, pronger with boyle, keith with doughty plus bouwmeester Goal, brodeur, fleury, luongo. TEAM has it all, size, speed, intensity, youth and Cup experience and they are all having super seasons. Crosby 4/4, Toews 3/4 on shootouts. Penner 6'th overall in scoring with a + 11 and he's 6'4" , 245 lbs, Stamkos 17 goals and counting,[in April 2009, World Tourney in Zurich, tops in goals and tops in +/- plus first team all star, experience? duh ?], B. Richards, 'big game player,' former C Smythe winner and the "D" is big, very fast and nasty. Doughty only 19 but very cool under fire. This TEAM CANADA truly has it. CHECK THE STATS !
Nov 20, 2009 | 1:22 PM ET
Dustin Penner hasnt been mentioned, yet he is the most dominating player on the ice almost everytime he plays. His numbers are big and he has one of the best +/- ratings in the NHL. He also has size and he plays on the PK for the Oilers. He should be considered.
Nov 19, 2009 | 1:35 PM ET
How do these potential picks add up against the lineup of the U.S. or Sweden? I'd ditch Luongo,Pronger,Weber,Doan,Stamkos and St. Louis. I'd take Turco,Keith,Delzotto,Brad Richards and Sharp.
Nov 19, 2009 | 11:00 AM ET
No one seems to be mentioning Turco. He's playing great right now, better than both Luongo and Brodeur, and unlike Emery, he has a pedigree to go with his current play. And yes to Samkos, but as the extra foward, and similarly Doughty as the 7th D. More importantly, you got to drop the 2 Calgay D-men and add Kieth and Seabrook from Chigago. They're a pair like Horton and Stanley, you don't break up chemistry like that!!
Nov 19, 2009 | 10:15 AM ET
This would be my line-up... Stamkos-Crosby-Iginla Nash-Getzlaf-Perry Heatley-Thornton-Marleau Morrow-M. Richards-B. Richards Shane Doan can be a sub ( Black Ace ) The defence is fine with the guys they have Martin Brodeur in goal Can you say .."GOLD MEDAL - CANADA"
Nov 19, 2009 | 9:39 AM ET
I believe we are forgeting a great defenceman by the name of Robyn Regehr, and he pairs up very nicely with Dion Phaneuf. Another wonderful player we are leaving off the charts is Vincent Lecavalier. A line like Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Danny Heatley will be untouchable!!!
Nov 19, 2009 | 2:29 AM ET
The only thing keeping Phaneuf in the mix, and these guys are surprisingly missing it, is the Games being in North America. Small ice with Dion's size make him a factor. Stamkos is the wild card. He's playing well enough to be there. However, does it help team Canada if they bring him along and don't play him because his immaturity shows and he becomes a liability? This is what Stevie Y has to decide. The only thing that's certain is that Canada is in tough against Ryan Miller. Fortunately, Lindy Ruff, his coach, is on Team Canada's bench.
;section=news;sport=ih;area=sports;pos=2;tile=2;sz=300x250
Latest News
Special Features
