By Larry Feist /
As Olympic training camps wrap up all over the world Canada’s roster screams all kinds of questions: will Canada ever be allowed to enter two teams; who will be captain; who will start in net; and does anybody else have a chance?
Well, a review of the last 10 years says not only do the other countries have a chance, but the odds are against Canada to even get a medal. Only 10 years ago, Canada was still collectively licking its wounds so much so that a beer company sponsored a “summit” (Molson’s “Open Ice,” a three-day conference on the future of Canadian hockey) to figure out why we sucked at Nagano ’98.
Well, it must have had nothing to do with Rob Zamuner, Trevor Linden and Shayne Corson being on the team and certainly could not have been choosing Bourque over Gretzky in the shootout.
So, since 1998, what has happened to Canada at the Olympics? No medal in ‘98 (4th), Gold in 2002 (phenomenal team – so good to watch), 7th in 2006 (stellar finish behind the Swiss).
This time around, the boys at Hockey Canada seem open to some youth (nice choice to not have Staal and Crosby in 2006 – yikes). There are seven guys on this tryout roster that were playing Atom when Crawford put out Bourque before Gretzky. Unfortunately for Canada, there are a few other countries that care about the Olympics, too. The Russians, Swedes, Americans, and others are going to bring it.
The Team Canada staff better think long and hard about ‘98, ‘02, and ’06 – what worked, what didn’t. Brodeur has been on all the teams and is showing some age starting with his injury for five months last year and the two goals he let in against Carolina in Game 7 with two minutes left. Luongo has a grand total of one playoff series win and only two playoff year appearances.
There is enough age and old guard kicking around that it wouldn’t surprise me to see more of Pronger, Niedermayer, Doan, etc. and less of Carter, Perry, Doughty, Phaneuf etc. Still, there’s a young group of Canadians who know how to win: Crosby, Getzlaf, Staal, etc.
Ten years tells a lot. Let’s hope we don’t lose and have to get a beer company to sponsor a symposium on why we sucked in Vancouver 2010. Go Canada!
Here’s to the next 10 years of NHL participation in the Olympics, and to the next 10 years of Hockey Now.
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