Tag Archives: team canada 2010

Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team in Flux. Carter Off to Vancouver.

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman wants Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter to fly to Vancouver.

That doesn’t mean there is a guarantee that Carter will suit up for Team Canada in next week’s 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but it’s beginning to appear as if Ryan Getzlaff’s injured ankle might not allow the big Ducks forward to be 100 per cent for the Games.

Gertzlaf will likely play for the Ducks on Sunday night, the last night of the NHL’s regular schedule until the end of the Olympics. If Getzlaf looks shaky or misses a few shifts because of the injury, it’s likely Team Canada will opt to go with a replacement. In Torino in 2006, the Canadians used Wade Redden and Chris Pronger, even though they were both injured and neither one of them played up to the level necessary to win a medal in an Olympic hockey competition. According to Canadian assistant coach Ken Hitchcock, that situation will not occur in Vancouver.

“Earlier today, I contacted Jeff Carter of the Philadelphia Flyers and advised him that in the event that Ryan Getzlaf is unable to take part in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games due to injury, he will take his spot on the roster,” Yzerman said in a written statement. “I asked him to be ready and be prepared to play in case he has to join us in Vancouver later this week.

“In the meantime, we will give ourselves, Ryan and the Anaheim Ducks as much time this week as necessary to determine if he will be able to play for Canada in Vancouver.”

If Getzlaff doesn’t look good on Sunday night, expect Carter to play.

Remember every Team Canada game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics will be broadcast live on 92-CITI-FM in Winnipeg. The first game is Tuesday night at 6 p.m. as Canada faces Norway.

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Team Canada Selected. It’s Hard to Argue, but It Had Better Win.

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Here’s the list of players selected by Hockey Canada as members of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team:

GOALIES

Martin Brodeur

Roberto Luongo

Marc-Andre Fleury

DEFENCEMEN

Scott Niedermayer (C)

Drew Doughty

Brent Seabrook

Chris Pronger

Shea Weber

Dan Boyle

Duncan Keith

FORWARDS

Sidney Crosby (A)

Jarome Iginla (A)

Jonathan Toews

Mike Richards

Rick Nash

Brenden Morrow

Eric Staal

Patrick Marleau

Joe Thornton

Patrice Bergeron

Corey Perry

Ryan Getzlaff

Dany Heatley

It’s impossible to argue with Hockey Canada’s selections. By all indications, this team should win gold.

Certainly, there will be critics in Calgary who will wonder out loud how Dan Boyle, Drew Doughty and Brent Seabrook are better defencemen than Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr and it’s really hard to believe how the team’s No. 1 power-play punch from the point, the NHL’s top-scoring defenceman Mike Green didn’t make the team.

Scott Niedermayer, who is not having a very good year, is the captain. Whatever.

Up front, Dany Heatley’s presence will always worry me. After the way he treated the NHL, the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers with his trade demands last summer still reeks of a guy who is thinking me first. As Roberto Luongo said yesterday, “We have to check our egos and work hard as a team representing our country.” He’s right.

Is Patrice Bergeron, Corey Perry, Brenden Morrow or Patrick Marleau better than Marty St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Dustin Penner or Brad Richards? I certainly don’t know, but the NHL statistics would suggest maybe, at best.

On first blush, this team does not have a legitimate fourth line like it did in Salt Lake City. Let’s hope head coach Mike Babcock makes it clear who will get the eight minutes of ice time per game as opposed to the guys who will get the 19 minutes.

Again, this team should win gold. After all, it was the only team that was announced live on television in its home country. It’s extremely difficult to suggest that any other team will come close.

But the real question is this: What happens if it doesn’t win gold? Then what?

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Crosby, Brodeur lead the way: Camp Invitees Named for 2010 Canadian Men’s Olympic Hockey Team

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

I love this list. I would add a couple of names here and there, especially an indigenous Canadian such as Jonathan Cheechoo or Wade Redden, but for the most part, the players named to the tryout camp should give the coaching staff a chance to pick a 2010 Team Canada that has a chance to win.

I would liked to have seen Vancouver’s Kevin Bieksa invited as a defenceman, but I’ll have no problem with the final lineup.

Up front, I can’t believe Dany Heatley is on the list after the stunt he’s pulled with Ottawa and Edmonton this week. There is a real integrity and character problem there. If Hockey Canada was going to take an Ottawa Senator, I really can’t believe they took Heatley ahead of Jason Spezza. At least Spezza’s a decent human being who doesn’t hurt others around him. Steven Stamkos should probably be on the list and if you’re going to take Dan Cleary, how about Darren Helm? Of course, the list has to stop at some point.

Chris Osgood should also be on the list. Fleury? Mason? Osgood? I’ll take Osgood every time. However, I still believe Brodeur and Luongo should be the Top 2 goaltenders anyway.

Here’s the list of invitees to the 2010 Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. Team Canada’s camp goes Aug. 24-27 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary:

Only five of the 16 defencemen invited have Olympic experience: Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames), Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks), Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks),  Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers), and Robyn Regehr (Calgary Flames). Rounding out the list of D-men are: Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames), Marc Staal (New York Rangers), Shea Weber (Nashville Predators), François Beauchemin (Anaheim Ducks), Brent Burns (Minnesota Wild), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Stéphane Robidas (Dallas Stars), Mike Green (Washington Capitals), Dan Hamhuis (Nashville Predators), and the Chicago Blackhawks pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby heads up the list of forwards. The list of 25 has 11 from the 2006 Olympic team roster, including Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes), Simon Gagné (Philadelphia Flyers), Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators), Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames), Rick Nash (Columbusn Blue Jackets), Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche), Martin St-Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes), Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Ryan Smyth (Colorado Avalanche). The rest of the list includes Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers), Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks), Milan Lucic (Boston Bruins), Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks), Andy McDonald (St. Louis Blues), Brenden Morrow (Dallas Stars), Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) Michael Richards (Philadelphia Flyers), Derek Roy (Buffalo Sabres), Patrick Sharp (Chicago Blackhawks), Jordan Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./Pittsburgh, NHL) Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg, Man./Chicago, NHL) and Dan Cleary (Detroit Red Wings).

The list of five goalies includes three-time Olympian Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), 2006 Olympian Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks), Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-André Fleury, Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes).

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