Phanuthier said:
I honestly didn't know Canada hadn't won a gold in 50 years until they mentioned it in 2002.
Yes, the Czech's showed pride. Some guys don't. Smyth does, Kiprusoff doesn't. Lemieux does, Scott Niedermayer doesn't. Or just look at how many Russian players have declined invitation.
It's not a good thing the NHL players are becoming more and more like the NBA diva sissies. "Boo-hoo, I don't get any money for this, I don't want to play! I want another ferrari."
Players should know it's a priviliege doing something you love as a job and earning tons of money for it. You don't give them the right signals by telling them "forget about anything but you and your salary."
In most parts of the world, the national team, in EVERY sport, is the biggest thing. You take pride in representing your country, you don't consider it "a goddamn extra duty which you don't get any extra $$$ bonus for." Sadly, in hockey, this is changing to the worse.
Philadelphia is whining like hell on Forsberg not to play. I don't think they get what an honour it is to him to represent his country. He won't play if he doesn't feel 100%, but I think it shows something that he didn't care one bit about them whining on him, he still made his own decision. Ask Mats Sundin why he has jumped into every single crappy World Championship in spring when he has had the ability (after Toronto has been eliminated and he feels like ****), which is every year in some small country, with little status. He does it because he considers it an honour to represent his country and he knows how much it means for his fellow countrymen. Even if he could need the rest and he is tired, he still goes there. And we love him for it. Mats Sundin is considered much bigger than Niklas Lidström and Markus Näslund for example, because he has represented and performed for his country so much more (especially in Lidströms case, it's kind of unfair, since Detroit always advances so far and he almost never have any opportunity).
We need more Mats Sundin and less Kobe Bryant athletes.