Editor’s Note By Andrew Chong /
It’s hard to imagine that a team made up entirely of NHL first-liners would not be the favourite to win a hockey tournament. But that’s the case for Team Canada going into the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
It is inaccurate to say Canada is the favourite to win gold. It makes more sense to say Canada is among a trio of hockey powers – along with Sweden and Russia – who are equally qualified to assert themselves as the world’s best hockey nation by winning gold in Vancouver.
Over the last three Olympic Games, Canada finished seventh in Turin (2006), first in Salt Lake (2002), and fourth in Nagano (1998).
In a level of competition similar to the Olympics, Canada won the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and finished second to the Americans in 1996.
And despite the limited talent pool to choose from at the IIHF World Championships, it’s worth noting that Canada has won only one gold in this tournament in the past five years.
So even though Canada has had some significant successes, they’ve also had some major disappointments and the team has plenty to prove in international play before they can be called the unarguable best team in the world. And with a theoretical starting line whose 2009/10 combined salaries are greater than the entire Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, or Phoenix Coyotes roster (ie. Crosby-Lecavalier-Heatley, Niedermayer-Bouwmeester, and Luongo for a total of $47.5 million), Team Canada’s roster is as good on paper as any team in the world – but is it worthy of gold?
The Swedes are the reigning Olympic champions and their elite core of Lundqvist, Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Alfredsson, Franzen, Nick Backstrom, and the Sedin twins could be bolstered by a surprise veteran addition or two if any of Sundin, Forsberg, or Naslund come out of the woodwork.
The Russians are officially the IIHF’s top-ranked international team (based on the most recent Olympics and the most recent four World Championships) and they are led by three Hart Trophy finalists (player most valuable to his team) in Ovechkin, Malkin, and Datsyuk. Malkin beat out Crosby to win arguably the most coveted individual NHL award – the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP – and he won the Art Ross for the regular season scoring title. Datsyuk won the Selke for the league’s best defensive forward. And Ovechkin won the Hart, the Rocket Richard for the goal-scoring title, and the Pearson for the MVP as voted by the players. Add Kovalchuk and Semin to that mix and you’ve got possibly the five most gifted offensive stars on earth on one team.
Besides Blue Jackets keeper Steve Mason winning the Calder for top rookie, the rest of the NHL’s major player awards also went to non-Canadians. Slovakia’s Chara won best defenceman, Czech Republic’s Krejci won the plus-minus award, and U.S.A.’s Thomas won best goaltender.
Non-Canadians snatching up all the awards is becoming a bit of a trend. In 2008, Marty Brodeur’s Vezina was the only major player award won by a Canadian.
Canada’s roster looks somewhat more favourable compared to the next tier of teams – the Czechs, Finns, and Americans – though all three pose very solid rosters.
The Czechs’ will be led by Jagr who led his country to gold in 1996 and who still seems to have something in the tank, averaging nearly a point per game in Russia’s KHL (a league that does not count second assists).
The Finns have two high-end goaltenders in Kiprusoff and Backstrom which gives them a chance to win any game against any country, especially in the single-game-knockout Olympic playoff format.
The Americans are led by the only North American player to finish last season in the top five for both goals and points in Zach Parise and are led by a Vezina-winner in Thomas.
So Sweden is the defending champion and Russia is the IIHF’s top-ranked team – but what exactly is Canada’s identity? This country’s place among the international hockey powers is somewhat blurred; but a gold medal in February 2010 would sure clear things up.
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