In less than a week, Team Canada’s management team headed by Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman will begin sorting out which 23 of the 47 players gathered in Calgary for the Olympic Orientation Camp will make the National team for the Sochi games in February 2014.
Yzerman, along with Edmonton Oilers Team President Kevin Lowe, Boston’s Peter Chiarelli, St. Louis’s Doug Armstrong, Detroit’s Ken Holland and the coaching staff headed by the Red Wings Mike Babcock have difficult decisions regarding which three goaltenders and seven defensemen will be the best choices for his country to win their third Gold Medal in the last four Olympics.
While the lack of international experience in net is a concern, Canada is overflowing with quality skaters on the blueline and up front. The main challenge for Hockey Canada is to select the right 13 forwards.
2010 Roster
Patrice Bergeron(Boston)
Sidney Crosby(Pittsburgh)
Ryan Getzlaf(Anaheim)
Dany Heatley(San Jose)
Jarome Iginla(Calgary)
Patrick Marleau(San Jose)
Brenden Morrow(Dallas)
Rick Nash(Columbus)
Mike Richards(Philadelphia)
Corey Perry(Anaheim)
Eric Staal(Carolina)
Joe Thornton(SJ)
Jonathan Toews(Chicago)
Reserves
Jeff Carter (Los Angeles)
Steven Stamkos(Tampa Bay)
Martin St. Louis(Tampa Bay)
2014 Orientation Camp Selections
* Patrice Bergeron Boston Bruins (NHL)
Jeff Carter Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
Logan Couture San Jose Sharks (NHL)
*Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Matt Duchene Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Jordan Eberle Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
* Ryan Getzlaf Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Taylor Hall Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
Chris Kunitz Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Andrew Ladd Winnipeg Jets (NHL)
Milan Lucic Boston Bruins (NHL)
Brad Marchand Boston Bruins (NHL)
*# Rick Nash New York Rangers (NHL)
James Neal Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
* Corey Perry Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
* Michael Richards Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
Patrick Sharp Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
*# Eric Staal Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Jordan Staal Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
# Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
John Tavares New York Islanders (NHL)
*# Joe Thornton San Jose Sharks (NHL)
* Jonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
*2010 Olympics
#2006 Olympics
Nine forwards who won gold in Vancouver have been selected for the camp, along with Stamkos and St. Louis, who served as reserves.
Of those nine, Bergeron, Crosby, Getzlaf, Perry and Toews appear to be locks to make it to Sochi, while Richards’ feistiness, special teams ability and Stanley Cup playoff experience makes him highly likely to be chosen.
The other three; Nash, Thornton and the elder Staal, all have questions marks that may prevent them from making their third consecutive Olympic games.
The 29-year-old Nash scored 21 goals for New York last season and was a no show in his second career post-season appearance, but scored 5 points in seven games in Vancouver almost 4 years ago. The main consideration for the big winger could be his decreasing mobility and that the game is being played on an Olympic ice surface. The same factor could hurt Thornton’s chances, who is 34 and scored only seven goals for San Jose last season. Staal would normally be a no doubt selection, but his participation will depend on how he recovers from the knee injury he suffered at the IIHF World Championships in May.
The Tampa tandem look like a good bet to be more than backups this time around, as Stamkos scored a league-high 60 goals in 2011-12 and St. Louis led the NHL with 60 points last season.
The difficult decisions for Canada will be how many of the remaining selections will be centers like Giroux or Tavares who will be forced to play out of position to make the roster, rather than chosing young star wingers like Hall, Couture and Eberle or players who have a comfort level with other players(Marchand or Lucic with Bergeron, Neal or Kunitz with Crosby)
Who will be the biggest surprise to make or not make Team Canada??
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