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TheRob

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A look at the 34 players invited to the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team camp, Sept. 4-7 in Calgary (with NHL team, age, and synopsis, x-denotes already named to team in March):


Forwards

Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh: 35, one of greatest stickhandlers of all time who has thrived on the big Olympic ice in the past, usually a centre but likely to be used on Canada's wings, eagerness for first Olympic experience should see him excel.

Joe Sakic, Colorado: 32, master at using body to protect puck, quick acceleration makes him elusive and sets up accurate wrist shots, obvious first-line centre, missed medal games in Nagano after being injured.

Steve Yzerman, Detroit: 36, accomplished scorer who has become complete two-way player, was solid contributor in Nagano, could centre second or third line.

Paul Kariya, Anaheim: 26, pure goal scorer and outstanding playmaker, style reminiscent of Wayne Gretzky, would fly on a Yzerman's wing, missed Nagano due to injury.

Owen Nolan, San Jose: 29, big, tough, prolific scorer, will skate over opponents to get to the net, thrives in slot on power plays, wasn't on Nagano team and pumped for first Olympic experience.

Eric Lindros, free agent: 28, dominant impact player when at his best, express train on skates but possibly only one more concussion away from retirement, hasn't been in a game since concussion in spring 2000.

Joe Nieuwendyk, Dallas: 34, tied with Lindros with team-high five points in Nagano, best hands in NHL for deflecting pucks in from front of the crease, slowed by injuries in recent years, hard to see where he fits in.

Theoren Fleury, NY Rangers: 33, spent spring in a rehab centre and now eager to resume career, one of grittiest little men with scoring touch to lace on skates, speed was an asset in Nagano and could be again in Salt Lake City.

Keith Primeau, Philadelphia: 29, plays centre for Flyers but strength, size and work along boards would be of best use on a wing with Canada's team, solid play in Nagano has not been forgotten.

Pierre Turgeon, Dallas: 31, has become more of a two-way player of late, top point producer who could thrive on the large Olympic ice, elusive skater and terrific passer, has long deserved this chance.

Mark Recchi, Philadelphia: 33, speed on wing and scoring knack biggest asset, has developed into effective penalty killer, always in motion, shot blanks in Nagano.

Mike Peca, N.Y. Islanders: 27, sat out 2000-2001 season in contract dispute with Buffalo Sabres and remains to be seen if still has what it takes, ideal checking line centre if rust not too thick, sensational at world championship in May before getting hurt.

Ryan Smyth, Edmonton: 25, plays with a fearless, drive-to-the-net style, quick on rebounds, works with a contagious enthusiasm, too young last time but ready now; Canada's leader at worlds in Germany.

Jason Arnott, New Jersey: 26, can be one of NHL's premier centres when in the mood, enhanced his reputation when he scored Cup-clinching goal in 2000 and degraded same reputation with poor 2001 title series effort.

Anson Carter, Edmonton: 27, tough cookie who can also score, smart, type of role player every team needs.

Simon Gagne, Philadelphia: 21, fast and premier sniper best suited for a wing with Canada, among youngest players invited.

Alex Tanguay, Colorado: 21, speedy and developing as a potent shooter, playing on Sakic's line with Avs has speeded his development, spot on Sakic's line at Winter Games makes sense.

Brenden Morrow, Dallas: 22, rambunctious digger, checking pest filling a role similar to the one Carter wants.


Defencemen

Chris Pronger, St. Louis: 26, NHL's best defenceman, six foot eight in skates and impossible to get around, punishes those who try, power-play cannon, quick to jumpstart transition game.

Rob Blake, Colorado: 31, one of hardest open-ice hitters in NHL, also has an offensive flair and terrific shot from the wing, a power-play key.

Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey: 28, tougher hitter along boards than most realize, fast skater who can lead rushes, ideal for quick transition game team wants to employ.

Al MacInnis, St. Louis: 38, one of oldest invited but still has wheels, positional play as strong as ever, one of hardest shots in NHL, a fixture on power plays.

Adam Foote, Colorado: 30, hard-rock smasher who loves to drop opposition forwards who have the nerve to approach his team's crease, valuable foot soldier, deceiving foot speed and quickness, should round out top five final blue-line picks.

Eric Desjardins, Philadelphia: 32, strong positional play, great in protecting front of own net, can carry puck out of own end but would be used in stay-at-home role.

Scott Stevens, New Jersey: 37, everybody says he's too slow but Devils captain was good enough to be 2000 playoff MVP, devastating open-ice hitter, likely will wind up being one of six men fighting for seventh and only remaining blue-line berth.

Richard Matvichuk, Dallas: 28, mobile two-way defenceman who will stay at home when his partner rushes up the ice, fearless approach has led to numerous injuries, surprise invitee.

Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver: 25, emerging hard-rock defender who is become a more disciplined and effective player than he used to be, can contribute offensively, too, has made end-to-end rushes part of his repertoire.

Wade Redden, Ottawa: 24, one of the most highly rated young defencemen in the NHL, smooth, can move puck quickly and smartly, doubters began lining up after lacklustre 2001 playoff series against Toronto.

Derek Morris, Calgary: 22, good skater, rushes the puck effectively, hard hitter, won't be satisfied just to get invitation nonetheless is a longshot candidate.

Eric Brewer, Edmonton: 22, skating and puck-control traits similar to Niedermayer although not as advanced, considered sure-shot future all-star material, might be the young blue-line stud team is looking for.


Goaltenders

Patrick Roy, Colorado: 35, winningest goalie in NHL history proved in leading Avalanche to title this year that he's not over the hill, dangerous to his team outside his crease, won't be satisfied to ride the bench.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey: 29, as cool and consistent as they come, best among NHL goalies handling the puck with stick, cuts angles better than most, team player will accept secondary role if asked as was case in Nagano.

Curtis Joseph, Toronto: 34, acrobatic, gives team a chance to win games that appear lost, didn't dress for a game in Nagano and deserves better this time, only goalie among four invited not to have a Stanley Cup.

Ed Belfour, Dallas: 36, habitually among save percentage leaders, up and down and all over the place, quirky, hot-headed, generally considered odd man out.


If you haven't seen it, here is the camp roster for Olympic team. Any thoughts? Only around 200 days to go.
 

Regs

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When you see them all listed out like that ti makes ya wonder how the hell could the possibly lose?

I don't think Lindros will be on the final squad. I just don't see Clarke trading him and thus he'll have no games under his belt when the roster is finalized.

~TB.
 

eminem

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who the hell cares lindros sucks anyways hes got no real talent hes just big not quick on his feet and carries the puck with his head down

:cool: em:cool:
 

Regs

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fcuked up comment

Originally posted by eminem
who the hell cares lindros sucks anyways hes got no real talent hes just big not quick on his feet and carries the puck with his head down

:cool: em:cool:

That's the whole fcuking point... Since he sucks so bad, you should care since if he makes the team, Canada's chances are worse.

~TBwhowonderswhatheyfeed'emintheprairies'causeitain'tworkin'.
 

TheRob

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There is now talk that Lindros might play in Europe this year. If he does, Gretzky says he will take him on the Olympic team. Anybody got any thoughts on that?

TR.
 

mexi

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I give 10 to 1 odds that if Lindros plays hockey before the Olympics, he will be unable to play for Canada.

Why you ask, the word that has haunted his family; Concusion.
 

Regs

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Serious

No need to state the obvious Mexi.

We all know you're a cricketeer... :D

~TB.
 

Regs

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This could make the Ruskies very good

MIKHAILOV PASSED OVER

Russia's Olympic hockey team has named Vyacheslav Fetisov its general manager and head coach Monday, giving in to NHL stars who refused to play for the old guard.

Boris Mikhailov had a contract to be head coach of Russia through the Olympics but was passed over.

Fetisov, an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, was the popular choice among such NHL stars as Pavel Bure of the Florida Panthers.
 

The Apprentice

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I think that since their is alot of headlines concerning olympic hockey it would be a good time to bring this thread into the mix. A poll will be going up soon and I think this thread will heat as we get closer to the olympics.
 

The Apprentice

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Olympic Headlines

Ryan Smyth who suffered a broken ankle spot will be held on Team Canada if he has made a full recovery. He was second in the league in scoring when he broke his ankle.

Sergei Fedorov might not play for Russia at the olympics after past experiences with the national team and realizing his girlfriedn is a Ho.

The slovakian National Team has to play qualifying games before the round robin play but the NHL teams will not let their slovakina stars go. The team is very strong and the players might walkout of their nhl teams to play the three qualifying games. The players include Peter Bondra of Washington, Richard Zednick of Montreal, Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara of Ottawa, Ziggy Palffy of Los Angeles, Marian Gaborik of Minnesota, Pavol Demitra of St. Louis Jozef Stumpel of Boston and Miro Satan from the Sabres.
 

TheRob

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Two months to go.

The Finnish Olympic team was named today. If you are interested in who made it see here.

Jarrko Ruttu is on it.
 

TheRob

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Canada's toughest opponent?

Could be like the old Canada vs. USSR matches. Wouldn't that be sweet?

(Dec 21) Team Russia head coach Slava Fetisov filled out his hockey roster Friday by adding 15 players.

The lineup is peppered with proven NHL stars, adding the likes of Detroit Red Wings forward Sergei Fedorov, Florida Panther sniper Pavel Bure and Tampa Bay Lightning backstop Nikolai Khabibulin.

Sharks net minder Evgeni Nabokov, whose candidacy for the Russian team was rejected by the International Ice Hockey Federation earlier in December, was also added to the roster by Fetisov.

Nabokov was deemed ineligible by the IIHF because he suited up for a country other than Russian (Kazakhstan) after his eighteenth birthday. Russia is currently protesting the decision.

Other notables include Atlanta Thrasher rookie Ilya Kovalchuk. The eighteen year-old phenom is the youngest player among the four rosters released so far.

Complete Team Russia Roster

Goalies

Nikolai Khabibulin - Tampa Bay
Egor Podomatsky -(Lokomotiv, Yaroslavl)
Evgeni Nabokov - San Jose


Defencemen

Sergei Gonchar - Washington
Darius Kasparaitis - Pittsburgh
Vladimir Malakhov - N.Y. Rangers
Danny Markov - Phoenix
Boris Mironov - Chicago
Oleg Tverdovsky - Anaheim
Dmitry Yushkevich - Toronto


Forwards


Maxim Afinogenov - Buffalo
Pavel Bure - Florida
Valeri Bure - Florida
Sergei Fedorov - Detroit
Ilya Kovalchuk - Atlanta
Viktor Kozlov - Florida
Oleg Kvasha - N.Y. Islanders
Igor Larionov - Detroit
Andrei Nikolishin - Washington
Sergei Samsonov - Boston
Alexei Yashin - N.Y. Islanders
Alexei Zhamnov - Chicago
Alexei Kovalev - Pittsburgh
 

sensei_hanson

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Team Russia

Methinks Kovalchuk could be the "sleeper" on this Russian team. He'll have the luxury of playing behind the first liners/superstars (Yashin, Bure, Fedorov) and can pretty much showcase himself as a third or fourth liner who can snipe. That's scary. He's only 18 and has pretty much wrapped up ROY honors, unless Christian Husselius (sp?) of the Panthers can keep up his scoring rate.

Kahbibulin could surprise a lot of teams and end up pulling a Hasek a la Nagano '98. He's playing brilliantly with the Lightning right now, and if he can keep his current form and run it into Salt Lake, Russia would have to be the odds-on favourites to strike gold.
 

Guinness

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Out

Forsberg is done for the tournament and chances are Bure woun't be 100% due to broken bones in his hand!!!


Ifcanadastayshealthy(Lemieux/Lindros)welookgoodasgold:D
 

Guinness

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How sweet that would be

Lemieux, Kariya, Sakic?
Fans get look at Team Canada's probable No. 1 line at all-star game


LOS ANGELES (CP) - Forget the score, forget the game. What Canadian hockey fans can take out of Saturday's all-star classic is the tantalizing sight of Mario Lemieux playing on a line with Paul Kariya and Joe Sakic. Ladies and gentlemen, your Team Canada No. 1 forward line. Maybe. "Pretty awesome playing with those two guys," gushed Sakic.
Canada will barely get a practice in before its Feb. 15 opener against Sweden in Salt Lake City so Canadian head coach Pat Quinn - conveniently behind the North America bench Saturday - got Lemieux, Kariya and Sakic some valuable playing time together as a unit.

"I wanted to have a look at it, see how it might work out," Quinn admitted after North America's 8-5 loss to the World team. "I don't know if it'll be the same in Salt Lake or not, but they looked pretty good today."


Kariya and Lemieux also skated together at Canada's orientation camp in Calgary last September.

"I just wanted to give them more time together, little things that they can try and use and get used to each other," Quinn said. "That's really what it was - a chance for a rehearsal."

The line scored a goal 2:02 into the second period, taking advantage of a three-on-one break. With Sakic the decoy on the right side, Lemieux - the deep guy - finished off a give-and-go with Kariya, sending a one-timer along the ice to Tommy Salo's glove side.

"It's great playing with him," Kariya said of Lemieux, 36. "You give him the puck, get into an opening, and you get it back. He can do it all - passing, shooting, he's got the whole package.

"It's very easy to play with him."

Lemieux, still not 100 per cent after missing two months with a hip injury, showed more flash early in the third period, undressing World defenceman Alexei Zhitnik with a wonderful inside-out move, though failing to score on Nikolai Khabibulin.

The line has the potential to be lethal - killer speed from Kariya and Sakic, nearly perfect passing skills from all three, and almost unstoppable on breakaways.

"They have a lot of speed and it compliments my game," Lemieux said of his linemates. "A couple of practices together, and just sitting down and talking together, it would make a big difference."

On Saturday, Lemieux continually found a streaking Kariya with long, cross-ice passes through the neutral zone, vaulting Sakic and Kariya on to rushes with Lemieux lurking back as a dangerous target.

"Create openings, drive to the net, and let Mario do his magic," Kariya said when asked what he and Sakic are supposed to do with Lemieux.

Quinn was hired by Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky because the Maple Leafs coach likes an aggressive, offensive-minded game. This possible No. 1 line emphasizes Quinn's game plan.

"There's some intelligence there in using the open spaces on the ice," Quinn said. "We're going to be looking to play an open game on the big ice."

Sakic has no problem following those directives on a line with those two players.

"We all like to do give-and-go's and things like that and hopefully, if we are a line, that's the type of game we're going to play - trying to open things up," said the Colorado star, who was last season's Hart Trophy winner as the NHL's most valuable player.

Quinn also had Team Canada teammates Jarome Iginla and Brendan Shanahan playing together on a line centred by possible Olympian Joe Thornton. The Boston Bruins centre is next in line to get an invite should a Canadian forward bow out with an injury.


© The Canadian Press, 2002


Guinnesslikesthelooksofthisline!!!:cool: :cool:
 

Dude

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Get me a towel...

because I think I just batched in my pants at thought of this line!

Into countdown mode now: 11 more sleeps until Canada vs. Sweden! Visions of gold dancing in my head...

I can see it now...Canada wins Gold, we all celebrate the week away with the biggest national party since the Jays last won the World Series, we make endless love to our wives / girlfriends / mistresses / all at the same time, our economy all of a sudden picks up with this much needed jolt and starts to boom, we start paying our teachers and nurses their true worth, the City of Surrey builds a 20,000 seat outdoor stadium, the MLS expands North w/ 4 teams, Canada qualifies for the 2006 World Cup, we host the Winter Olympics in 2010, and the World Cup in 2016...where a young Dude-where'smycar? Jr. comes off the bench to score the tying goal in the finals against the Americans, then slots his second of the match in sudden death overtime. Dude-where'smycar? Jr. is named man-of-the match, is immediately signed to play for Manchester United on the biggest transfer in football history, and becomes the world's first billion-dollar athlete. Dude-where'smycar? Jr. marries one of the Olsen twins (he likes them older ladies), and rewards his parents for all the years of dedication to his soccer career by buying them Tahiti. As a personal gift, Jr. gives Dad the other Olsen twin.;)

And I only have to wait 11 more sleeps…

GO CANADA GO!!! (no pressure Patty Quinn!)
 
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