When Hockey Canada announced its invitees for this month’s orientation camp, it came as no surprise to Tampa Bay Lightning fans that Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos both made the list. While most around the hockey world consider Stamkos a lock to make the 2014 Sochi team, there has been a little bit of debate surrounding St. Louis.
After suiting up for Canada in Turin in 2006, St. Louis was relegated to reserve duty in 2010 in Vancouver. Speaking to Luke Fox at
Sportsnet regarding Team Canada’s decision back in 2010, St. Louis expressed disappointment about not being able to relive the Olympic experience on the ice:
“It was tough. It was one of those disappointments,” St. Louis says, “you feed off it and get better. Keep pushing.”
Push he has. Since the golden snub, St. Louis has won three Lady Byng awards as the league’s most gentlemanly player, has been named to the league second-team all-star squad thrice, and with 60 points in 48 games, beat out teammate Steven Stamkos (15 years his junior) to capture the 2012-13 Art Ross. And yet St. Louis was not nominated as a finalist for the 2013 Hart Trophy.
Even without Lightning colored glasses on, it’s hard to craft an argument against St. Louis making Team Canada. Some will point to his age as a reason for concern, but the fact remains that he led the National Hockey League in scoring last season. At the ripe age of 38, St. Louis isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He’s as fast as ever, as fit as ever, and as dominant as ever. Simply put, Martin St. Louis is one of the league’s premium offensive forces.
Combine St. Louis’s performance in 2013 with the fact that he and Stamkos form the most dependably dangerous duo in the National Hockey League right now, and it becomes almost impossible to suggest that he won’t be a key cog in Team Canada’s machine. Over the last three seasons, Steven Stamkos has tallied 245 points to lead the league in scoring; Martin St. Louis has notched 233 points and sits second. For Team Canada’s management core, that sort of consistent, proven production will be very difficult to ignore.
Perhaps the factor that will ultimately tilt the scales in St. Louis’s favor is the fact that Team Canada is loaded up the middle, but has a ‘shortage’ of highly skilled natural right-wingers. St. Louis, who plays on Stamkos’s right side with the Lightning, is exactly what Team Canada needs.
With a wealth of international experience, St. Louis brings with him the pedigree and familiarity that Team Canada is going to need on the big ice. He’s a skilled player, a fast player, a leader, and he hates to lose. With so many great Canadian players to choose from, Steve Yzerman is going to have his hands full as he attempts to choose the best guys to challenge for Gold. It’s hard to argue that Martin St. Louis isn’t one of those guys.
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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