Olympic Hockey - Canada Team II

The Sochi Olympics have started! I haven't watched any of them yet because I'll mostly be following curling, a few of the alpine fringe events like ski jump and snowboard pursuit, and of course "ice hockey." It seems weird saying that. Here in Canada ice is understood when we say hockey. But it was pointed out recently by a comedian I was listening to that we have ice hockey, field hockey, air hockey, all we need now is for someone to invent some kind of fire hockey and we'd have the four elements covered. Fire hockey. That's a tough one. Maybe played on lava? I guess that's why it doesn't exist. But anyhoo, every year there are glaring omissions from the Canadian Olympic roster. So many that it has been speculated that we could win the gold with players who didn't make the team. Sometimes I think the second team would actually do better because it wouldn't be made up of the spoiled, overpaid, superstar floaters, it'd be guys who know they have to take advantage of this chance and they'd give it all they've got.

The Canadian Olympic Men's Hockey Team is made up of 3 goalies, 8 defensemen and 15 forwards so I'm going to pick the same kind of team from the guys who will be watching the Olympics this year from their, no doubt, fully decked out man caves. There will be some no-brainers but there are a few surprises in here. We'll start with one big one between the pipes.

Goalies - My starting goalie would be, (drum roll), Josh Harding from Regina, plays for Minnesota. Nobody knows about him beCAUSE he's on Minnesota. His numbers are just better than any other goalie out there. Check them out! He's got a miniscule 1.65 goals against avg., a massive .933 save percentage and his record with a mediocre club, (at best), is 18-7-3. I think he's better than all three of the guys who made the team this year, (Luongo, Price and Smith)

Next I'd have the always solid Corey Crawford from Montreal, plays for the hated but respected Chicago Black Hawks. His record of 22 wins and 8 losses is better than Harding's but he's on a better team. Save %age is.916 and G.A.A. is only 2.36.

Third goalie doesn't matter cuz he won't play anyway. And there are a ton of choices. Bernier from Toronto, Ward from Carolina, Anderson from Ottawa, the old man Brodeur from Jersey, I even gave Ben Scrivens consideration since he's been standing on his head in Edmonton after finally being given the playing time he deserves. But I would go with Brian Elliot from St. Louis. Granted, he's on a team that could win the cup so his 14 wins and 4 losses are not surprising. But he has a .917 save percentage and a 2.10 GAA. Pretty solid.

Now for defence. I think there are defensemen who I love that made the team and shouldn't have, (Hamhuis), and guys I hate who didn't make the team and should have. Here are my 8 D in no particular order:

Cam Fowler from Windsor, plays for the Ducks. 30 pts. so far this season and he averages almost 24 minutes of ice time per game. Smoothest skating defenseman on the team. No weaknesses at all.

Brent Seabrook from Richmond, plays for Chicago. Lots of complaints that he didn't make the team to complement defence partner, (and Canuck gooner), Duncan Keith. 31 pts., 22 mins. a game, he belongs there.

Dion Phaneuf from Edmonton, plays for Toronto. Lots of people complaining that HE didn't make the squad too but most of them are from Toronto, the centre of the hockey universe. His stats are unusually low this year. Only 5 goals and 22 pts. but he's a horse. Over 24 mins. a game and on a team full of minuses he's a plus 17. He's got a hard point shot but I've been saying for years that that is all but useless. I'll grudgingly add him to the second team.

Cody Franson from Sicamous, plays for the Leafs. Just to placate the Torontonians I'll put another Leaf on the second team, but not grudgingly. He takes wristers from the point that have just as much chance of going in and are more easily deflected. That's why he's got more assists and points than Phaneuf with less playing time. And they know each other. Chemistry is a good thing.

Mark Giordano from Toronto, plays for Calgary. On a woefully anemic team he's got 9 goals and 28 pts. this season. In only 38 games! (teams have played between 55 and 59 games so far this season.) Calgary knows how good he is. They keep him out there for over 25 mins a game.

Brian Campbell from Strathroy, plays for the pitiful Panthers. NObody plays more than this guy! Almost 28 minutes a game. And even though he's been an all star, he's got some very impressive stats over his career and this year he's got 25 pts. already, he goes largely unnoticed.

Andrew MacDonald from Judique, N.S. and he plays for the Islanders. He, like Campbell, just shows you how good he is every game by not being noticed. He's out there over 25 mins. and you don't notice him making bad passes or coughing up the puck. 24 pts. too.

Kevin Bieksa from Grimsby, plays for the Canucks. Okay, he only has 19 pts. and may be a sentimental pick from my favourite team, but Don Cherry would back me up on this pick! He loves his Bieska! it was either him or Mike Green and I think we all know who is steadier.


And now, everybody's favourite, the forwards. 5 centres, 5 right wings and 5 left wings. We'll start with the centres.

Eric Staal from Thunder Bay, plays for Carolina. He's always on Canadian teams. He's got 14 goals and 44 pts. this year. Playing great. Maybe not his best but good enough for my team!

Jeff Skinner from Toronto plays for Carolina. Skinnnneeeerrrr! He's got 23 goals in only 44 games this year. Tied with Tavares and ahead of Benn who both made the Olympic team and both played more games. I don't know how he didn't make the big squad. Plus chemistry with Staal.

Jason Spezza from Toronto, plays for Ottawa. His teammates Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur could both he on my squad because they're doing just as well but Spezza is the more talented assist man. He makes some spectacular passes and with the goal scorers on this team he'll have some willing recipients. 27 assists and 42 pts. and a virtually unlimited talent ceiling. He makes the squad for sure.

Nathan MacKinnon from Halifax, plays for Colorado. Having as great a year as everyone expected this year. He is a big reason Colorado is doing so well. 20 goals and 42 points in the rookie year for this #1 pick in the 2013 draft. He's hot now too starting to figure the big leagues out. Could he score 40?

Ryan Johansen from Vancouver, plays for Columbus. I know what you're saying, "WHO?" It's because he's on Columbus. Look at the stats this kid is piling up in complete obscurity! 23 goals, 43 pts. and doing it all without a decent teammate! Where'd he come from? Well he played for the Canadian Jrs. the year when Hall and Eberle starred out. He got 9 pts in 7 games but was overshadowed by Hall, Eberle and Pietrangelo, as well as the eventual winning American team. Ptui! That was robbery! Had two lousy seasons in Columbus but now that he's good he'll get traded to some other lucky team. That's what always happens in Columbus.

Right wingers probably won't be all that surprising, except for the last guy.

Claude Giroux from Hearst, plays for Philly. Shoulda been on the Canadian Olympic team. He just got off to a slow start when all the team pickers were watching. Now he's up to 55 points. His 37 assists ranks 8th in the league too. You KNEW I'd pick him!

Jordan Eberle from Regina, plays for Edmonton. I can't leave his 45 points and amazing skills off this squad even though the Oilers still manage to grasp defeat out of the jaws of victory on a nightly basis. I didn't pick Justin Schultz or the Nuge so I'm not showing favouritism. He just belongs on this team. They'll probably ALL be on the next Olympic team!

Brian Little from Edmonton, plays for the Jets. He's tied with Wheeler for the team lead in scoring with 46 pts. and he's not American.

Jarome Iginla from Edmonton, plays for Cal... no wait, Boston. He just looks wrong there! But he seems to be fitting in. Only 16 goals for this sniper but a healthy 40 points ties him for second in scoring on the Bruins.

Reilly Smith from Toronto, plays for the Bruins. THIS is the guy Iggy is tied with. I'm not kidding! It's not his rookie season. He's played like 40 games for Dallas. But he is making a very big splash as a youngster to watch. I just WISH I could cheer for him! Although he is on the hated Bruins, I will allow him on my team. 40 pts. and he only plays 14 and a half minutes a night. He's earned it.

Last but not least, the left wingers. A couple possible surprises here.

Taylor Hall from Calgary, plays for Edmonton. The guy's got 54 points on a struggling club. Speed to burn and a great wrist shot. Magic with Eberle though Eberle makes everyone look good.

James Neal from Whitby, plays for Pittsburgh. I think he got left off Team Canada cuz he's only played 36 games. But in those games he's got 19 goals and 43 points. I don't like the guy and you don't have to be James Neal to put up good numbers with Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kunitz, et. al., Shaquille O'Neal probably could. But he's got a good shot. That's all. So he's on my team.

Milan Lucic from Vancouver, plays for the Bruins. Another hated Bruin but I believe he should actually be on the Olympic team. He is a premier left winger and nobody messes with him. Team Canada is always forced to play a Lucic type game in the Olympics without Lucic type players. But we'll take him on team II.

Andrew Ladd from Maple Ridge, plays for Winnipeg. Only 40 points but this guy has enough character for the whole team! He would chop off his fingers with his skate blade to win Olympic gold. You just can't underestimate that!

David Perron from Sherbrooke, plays for Edmonton. Again, a bit of a sentimental favourite from my second favourite team but look at the numbers. 22 goals! Everything he touches goes in this year! Puck luck is another thing that you can't overlook. Perron's got it.

I'm not sure these guys could win the gold medal, but I wouldn't mind seeing this team in action I'll tell you! Imagine how good our actual team has to be to leave all these guys at home!

GO CANADA GO!