2010 Winter Olympics – Canadian Men’s Hockey Team
On December 30, 2009, Steve Yzerman, Executive Director of Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, announced the 23 members of Canada’s 2010 Olympics Men’s Hockey Team. In hockey-mad Canada, this has to be the most anticipated event since the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics where Canada unexpectedly failed to win a medal.
For four long years, hockey fans and sports analysts have compiled lists upon lists of possible rosters and further debated the merits of each possible team member. There were daily ratings of potential candidates based upon ongoing ice performances. Heated debates ensued over starting goaltender to defense pairing, from maintaining the status quo to a complete changing of the guard, from forward line combination to defensive assignments. Another hot button issue is the appointment of the team captain from a host of worthy candidates.
In August, a group of players were invited to an orientation camp in Calgary. The inclusions and omissions kicked off another round of calls to the nation’s phone-in hotlines and detailed analyses by pundits on the air waves and in print.
Hockey is the one sport where Canadians echo the words of an advertising slogan that said something like “winning silver is losing gold.”
Here is the 2010 Olympics hockey roster, barring injuries, that will represent Canada in Vancouver in less than two months’ time:
Goaltenders:
- Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
Defense
- Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
- Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
- Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks (captain)
- Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers (alternate captain)
- Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks
- Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Forwards
- Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (alternate captain)
- Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
- Dany Heatley, San Jose Sharks
- Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames (alternate captain)
- Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
- Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars
- Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
- Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers
- Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
- Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Looking at the roster, the least controversial is the naming of Scott Niedermayer as team captain and the naming of the three alternate captains. Everything else will be scrutinized and questioned by millions of Canada’s hockey fans and pundits.
Many will question the inclusion of the San Jose players who generally terrorized the league during the regular season and became invisible once the playoffs start. Naming Patrice Bergeron to the squad will raise more than a few eyebrows.
The hottest topics around the country, however, will most likely swirl around those players omitted. Here are a few names (in random order) to start the process: Martin St. Louis, Jeff Carter, Brad Richards, Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Smyth, Mike Green, and Jay Bouwmeester.
Of course, all hatchets will be buried and forgotten as long as Team Canada wins the gold medal in February.
Go Canada, Go!
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