Right now, what's your Team Canada roster?

[Phanuthier*]

Where is DANIEL BRIERE On your lists?

Not there?

 

[Hossa]

Where is DANIEL BRIERE On your lists?

You people amaze me....

He's one of the top scorers in the league right now, and finished in the top 30 last year. He currently has 10 goals and 16 pts. Great chemistry with Heatley as well....some of your other pics could certainly be replaced by Briere.

Considering how many of these lists do not include Martin St. Louis, Briere's not exactly a major oversight.

 

[joe_shannon_1983*]

I will be shocked if Yzerman doesn't make the team. And you can bet that he will decide to play if he does get selected, unless he is injured. He seems to the the type who would decide to play, rather than insult Gretaky by turning down a spot.

I will also be shocked if a checking line centre isn't taken. Do I necessarily agree with this? No. But Gretzky and Co. seem to always like to have a checking line on their Team Canada, and I think this year will be no different. Thus, expect one of Draper, Peca, or Primeau to find their way onto this team.

Saying all of this, the team if picked now, would probably include:

Lemieux
Sakic
Iginla
Thornton
Richards
Lecavalier
St.Louis
Spezza
Heatley
Bertuzzi
Yzerman
Gagne
Draper

Honourable Mentions: Staal, Smyth, and Doan (these three guys will be hard for Gretzky to leave off; Staal because of his offensive achievements, and Smyth/Doan because of their grit and experience).

Pronger
Blake
Niedermayer
Foote
Redden
Jovanovski
Regehr

Honourable Mentions: McCabe, and Brewer (these two guys will be hard for Gretzky to leave off; McCabe because he should probably be on the team, and Brewer because he has experience).

Brodeur
Luongo
Turco

Honourable Mentions: Theodore, Belfour, and Legace

PLEASE NOTE: This is only who I think will end up on the team, not who I think should end up on the team.

 

[revolverjgw]

Where is DANIEL BRIERE On your lists?

Great player but I would say he's not needed at all. We've got guys that can go Briere's job better than Briere, and he's of no use to us as a checker when we've got guys that can check so much better AND score in addition to that. He'd probably make any other Olympic team, just not Canada.

 

[GKJ]

Just to let everyone know....if anyone remembers the TSN story way back in the summer, Wayne Gretzky told Steve Yzerman that if he is healthy he is putting him on the team

 

[sunb]

Richards - Sakic - Iginla
Lemieux - Lecavalier - Heatley
Gagne - Thornton - Doan
Smyth - Marleau - Yzerman

Foote - Niedermayer
Pronger - Hannan
Redden - Jovanovski

Brodeur
Luongo

 

[mazmin]

My best prediction:

LW - C - RW

Gagne - Sakic - Iginla

Lemieux - LeCavalier - Richards

Staal - Spezza - Heatley

Nash - Thornton - Bertuzzi

Note: Sure Gretzky promised Yzerman a spot if he was healthy but Stevie probably won't play unless he feels he truly belongs there.

- D -
Redden - Pronger - McCabe - Niedermayer - Jovonovski - Foote - Blake

- G -
Brodeur - Luongo - Turco

 

[Tricolore#20]

Just to let everyone know....if anyone remembers the TSN story way back in the summer, Wayne Gretzky told Steve Yzerman that if he is healthy he is putting him on the team

I really like the sentiment, but I hope that Yzerman gracefully bows out. I really think that this is the reason that Patrick Roy decided not to play in 2002. He wasn't given a free pass like other legends (Yzerman and Lemieux), and was tired of constantly proving himself (especially since he is arguably the proudest player in NHL history), so he decided to back out when he wasn't named one of the original 8 players (just a theory, based on observing how these teams are picked. By no means is it fact).

As an aside, I sort of wished that the managers/coaches for Canada were not NHL affiliated at the time of selection, because the affiliation itself really does cloud judgment as to who should be chosen. While in the end it wasn't a problem in 2002, it could be a problem this time around because of the depth of players we have now (in 2002, the final foward position came down to Simon Gagne and Anson Carter I believe. The competition wasn't as fierce back then). Even though Canada won the gold, the bias was actually evident four years ago, as Sean Burke was being touted as a candidate for the 3rd goalie (by Gretzky, once Roy dropped out), Ed Belfour getting the 3rd goalie job (despite the fact that he had a horrible season, and that Jose Theodore was the best goalie in the league at that point. Didn't Gretzky and co said they wanted a goalie based on recent performance, rather than reputation, thus the exclusion of Roy in the original 8?), Anson Carter was getting pushed and Eric Brewer made the team. I sincerely hope that there is an objective way to pick players, and players are not selected simply because the managers are more familiar with them.

 

[espo*]

Bertuzzi is quickly losing me as a supporter for his inclusion to the team.I watched him again Saturday and the guy just isn't playing well at all.He needs to get it in gear and start playing intense Bert style hockey again or he won't be picked.Mentally................he just isn't in the game yet.Maybe he can't go back to being the player he used to be,too much negative stuff going on upstairs

 

[katodelder]

Gagne-Sakic-Iginla
Doan-Thornton-Draper
Lemieux-Lecavalier-Richards
Crosby-Spezza-Heatley

Yzerman gracefully declines

Pronger-Niedermayer
Blake-Foote
Redden-Regehr
Hannan-Jovanovski

Brodeur-Luongo-Theodore

 

[thomasincanada]

Am I the only one that thinks perhaps Gretzky favours old vets too much? I realize these guys are great players, but I'd definately prefer to see more youth on the team.

No disrespect to the great Yzerman - I know how great he's been and how much he's done for team Canada - but right now I'd much rather see Staal or Nash on the team.

IMO Blake is a little long in the tooth also, as well as Lemieux (but if they are there for leadership purposes, I can't argue that logic).

 

[wilka91*]

Staal - Spezza - Heatley
Nash - Thornton - Gagne
St. Louis - Lecavalier - Richards
Lemieux - Sakic - Iginla
Draper

 

[therealdeal]

Am I the only one that thinks perhaps Gretzky favours old vets too much? I realize these guys are great players, but I'd definately prefer to see more youth on the team.

No disrespect to the great Yzerman - I know how great he's been and how much he's done for team Canada - but right now I'd much rather see Staal or Nash on the team.

IMO Blake is a little long in the tooth also, as well as Lemieux (but if they are there for leadership purposes, I can't argue that logic).

I tend to agree with you right now, you do need some leadership, but we also need unstoppable talent. If you've got Iginla and Sakic and Broduer there you really don't ned Yzerman as much anymore. You've still got guys like Foote and Neids who've both won a ton of stuff.

I think they'd be fools to not put Spezza and Staal on there, but Gretz knows a hell of lot more than me, and certainly has a better player insight, so I'll have to trust him.

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

I am constantly amazed by the number of people who still put Ryan Smyth on their team. With the wealth of skill we have, there is no room for him.

Sure he's Captain Canada, but that's mainly because he rarely ever carries his Oilers to the playoffs. His crying baby stick-swinging at the end of the recent World Champs gold medal game was just embarrassing.

We can overwhelm every other country with an offensive onslaught - leave the mullet in Alberta.

If he's in Italy, with Staal or Spezza watching from their living rooms, I'm gonna sqeeze out a brick!!!!!!!!

 

[therealdeal]

I am constantly amazed by the number of people who still put Ryan Smyth on their team. With the wealth of skill we have, there is no room for him.

Sure he's Captain Canada, but that's mainly because he rarely ever carries his Oilers to the playoffs. His crying baby stick-swinging at the end of the recent World Champs gold medal game was just embarrassing.

We can overwhelm every other country with an offensive onslaught - leave the mullet in Alberta.

If he's in Italy, with Staal or Spezza watching from their living rooms, I'm gonna sqeeze out a brick!!!!!!!!

Smyth is a solid team leader with definete offensive skills and vision, look at the what the Oil did when he was injured, and then when he came back.

Its called "Team Canada", it not an allstar team.

I would be more pissed off if Yzerman still goes, and if Bertuzzi or Nash make it, or Doan or Draper for that matter, none of those guys should be there.

BTW, Smyth is on pace for 55 goals and 90 points.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=1342&hubname=nhl-oilers

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

BTW, Smyth is on pace for 55 goals and 90 points.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=1342&hubname=nhl-oilers

Ray Whitney is on pace for 130 points - are you taking him too? How about Corey Stillman? Don't get too excited about PPG so early

I don't deny Smyth is a good player, and has always answered the call, I just wouldn't take him.

 

[Pothier]

I can't really see Staal or Spezza on the team. Too much competition with older vets, who Gretz seems to favour.

 

[thomasincanada]

I can't really see Staal or Spezza on the team. Too much competition with older vets, who Gretz seems to favour.

IMO it would be completely retarted to leave talent like Spezza off the team. I'd like to see Staal on it as well.

Tom

 

[M_Y_T_H]

My buddy and I compiled this Team Canada roster about a week ago.

Gagne Sakic Iginla
Nash Thornton Heatley
Lemieux Lecavalier Richards
Smyth Draper Doan
Spezza


Pronger Niedermayer
Redden Blake
Jovanovski Regehr
Foote
(I could easily see Hannan replacing someone like Redden, Foote or Regehr)

Brodeur
Luongo
Theodore

This list was done before Nash re-injured himself and with the assumption that Yzerman will bow out. I think that if Nash can't go a guy like Staal, Crosby or St. Louis could take his spot.

 

[wilka91*]

Oh come on, you have to keep Spezza with Heatley. They're just playing to well together to separate them!

 

[Slitty]

Why in the world would you want St. Louis on the team?! Sheesh, not only does he suck right now... he is also injured for a month. Seriously, apart from Stevie Y, St. Louis would be the stupidest addition to the final roster that is being projected by many.