Why did Canada fail at 2006 Olympics?

[lawrence]

I agree with the sentiment but it’s odd that you singled out St Louis and Heatley. They’d both make any team I’d put together at the time.

Out - Bertuzzi, Doan, Smyth, Draper
In - Kariya, Staal, Crosby, Marleau

I’m ok with heatly. His main partner was spezza in Ottawa. Best line in hockey.

losing jovo and neidermayer stung big. We lost much needed speed from the back end.

 

[613Leafer]

Too many grinders and “good ol Canadian boys”

Kris Draper
Shane Doan
Ryan Smythe
Robin Regehr

Are you kidding me?

Sub in

Crosby
Kariya
Marleau
Shanahan

Which of the subs is playing D lol?

But yes, I agree.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Because we couldn't score in the elimination game against Russia?

 

[End of Line]

Just look at the defense. Blake, Bouwmeester, Foote, McCabe, Pronger, Redden, Regher, and the only defenseman who could move the puck up ice was Boyle who was a reserve. Not discounting Pronger who has one of the best breakout passes for a D.

 

[Eisen]

What was the reason Canada failed at 2006 Olympics?

Roster selection mistakes? Bad coaching? Absence of Niedermeyer & Crosby? Wrong goalie starting? Or just a bad luck?

Why did Canada fail in 2006 Olympics? What was the rehind that failure?

Other teams wanted to win as well and are always hot playing against Canada.

 

[Treb]

Other teams wanted to win as well and are always hot playing against Canada.

Canada also left very talented guys like Niedermeyer, Crosby, Staal, Spezza etc. at home while taking Kris motherf***ing Draper.

 

[Eisen]

Canada also left very talented guys like Niedermeyer, Crosby, Staal, Spezza etc. at home while taking Kris motherf***ing Draper.

It was hard to score against Draper. And for a classic 3rd liner, he didn't produce too bad.
But I sort of agree. I remember often the Canadian team was picked with an NHL regular season philosophy. They wanted their defensive forwards and their grinders in as well. If that is a mistake, I can't say. Probably depends on the game. Canada could certainly have picked more offense.

 

[Treb]

It was hard to score against Draper. And for a classic 3rd liner, he didn't produce too bad.
But I sort of agree. I remember often the Canadian team was picked with an NHL regular season philosophy. They wanted their defensive forwards and their grinders in as well. If that is a mistake, I can't say. Probably depends on the game. Canada could certainly have picked more offense.

They scored 14 goals in 6 games. Lack of offence is the reason they did not do good.

They left 2 100+ points players at home and several PPG+ players to bring guys like Draper and Doan. There's also no excusing bringing Regehr instead of Niedermeyer.

 

[Elvs]

Too many grinders and “good ol Canadian boys”

Kris Draper
Shane Doan
Ryan Smythe
Robin Regehr

Are you kidding me?

Sub in

Crosby
Kariya
Marleau
Shanahan

Sweden went with Pahlsson and Axelsson over Nylander and Huselius and still won.

Canada, even with the players you mentioned, clearly had the strongest team on paper. They always do. The simple answer is that the strongest team on paper isn't always going to win.

 

[JackSlater]

They scored 14 goals in 6 games. Lack of offence is the reason they did not do good.

They left 2 100+ points players at home and several PPG+ players to bring guys like Draper and Doan. There's also no excusing bringing Regehr instead of Niedermeyer.

Niedermayer had to pull out due to hurting his knee. They didn't just leave him at home.

Sweden went with Pahlsson and Axelsson over Nylander and Huselius and still won.

Canada, even with the players you mentioned, clearly had the strongest team on paper. They always do. The simple answer is that the strongest team on paper isn't always going to win.

You'd think from the way that people talk that the Canadian team was a bunch of bums. As you said, it was still the strongest roster on paper. Even the much maligned Draper pick wasn't nearly as bad as people say given how Draper played at the 2004 World Cup. Sometimes talented players aren't a good fit for international hockey and sometimes a team just doesn't come together well. This shouldn't be some big mystery.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Sweden went with Pahlsson and Axelsson over Nylander and Huselius and still won.

Canada, even with the players you mentioned, clearly had the strongest team on paper. They always do. The simple answer is that the strongest team on paper isn't always going to win.

Sweden had an easy path to finals. No big wins in preliminary round but still lucky to get Swiss in QF.

 

[potatochip]

If I recall, alot of the players were friends with management. Rather than a transition a youth movement playing with veterans, the stuck with old grinders. I will never forget the pressor when it was asked why Crosby was not on the team. Answer was "he has plenty of opportunities to represent Canada in the future" which pissed me off. Meanwhile, Ovi was lighting it up on team Russia as a rookie.

In the end, the old veterans on that Olympic team just could not develop chemistry. Not sure if the 05 lockout had something to do with it.

 

[Treb]

Niedermayer had to pull out due to hurting his knee. They didn't just leave him at home.



You'd think from the way that people talk that the Canadian team was a bunch of bums. As you said, it was still the strongest roster on paper. Even the much maligned Draper pick wasn't nearly as bad as people say given how Draper played at the 2004 World Cup. Sometimes talented players aren't a good fit for international hockey and sometimes a team just doesn't come together well. This shouldn't be some big mystery.

Then Blake, Phaneuf, Boucher, Stuart...

So Crosby, Marleau and Staal are not a good fit for international hockey? All 3 were key players in 2010 and Marleau/Crosby were key in 2014.

You don't need any defensive only players when you have Brodeur in net.

 

[DeysArena]

Because we couldn't score in the elimination game against Russia?

Team Canada also couldn't score in 8 of the 9 periods before the game against Russia.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Team Canada also couldn't score in 8 of the 9 periods before the game against Russia.

Yeah but that those games didn't matter.

 

[JackSlater]

Then Blake, Phaneuf, Boucher, Stuart...

So Crosby, Marleau and Staal are not a good fit for international hockey? All 3 were key players in 2010 and Marleau/Crosby were key in 2014.

You don't need any defensive only players when you have Brodeur in net.

I don't know what you're talking about. I only quoted you because you twice posted as if Canada didn't select Niedermayer in 2006.

 

[Adrianopolous]

Martin Gerber stood on his head

Then totally sucked the next few seasons in Ottawa. Complete dissapointment.

Actually he was brutal in the playoffs that year too, and was eventually pulled in favour of Cam Ward.

 

[Siludin]

Too many grinders and “good ol Canadian boys”

Kris Draper
Shane Doan
Ryan Smythe
Robin Regehr

Are you kidding me?

Sub in

Crosby
Kariya
Marleau
Shanahan

Shanahan on D?
I bet he would have been better than people would expect.

 

[Oilslick941611]

What was the reason Canada failed at 2006 Olympics?

Roster selection mistakes? Bad coaching? Absence of Niedermeyer & Crosby? Wrong goalie starting? Or just a bad luck?

Why did Canada fail in 2006 Olympics? What was the rehind that failure?

look at the roster.

Todd Bertuzzi over Crosby.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Niedermayer had to pull out due to hurting his knee. They didn't just leave him at home.



You'd think from the way that people talk that the Canadian team was a bunch of bums. As you said, it was still the strongest roster on paper. Even the much maligned Draper pick wasn't nearly as bad as people say given how Draper played at the 2004 World Cup. Sometimes talented players aren't a good fit for international hockey and sometimes a team just doesn't come together well. This shouldn't be some big mystery.

it was a roster made for NHL sized ice, not olympic

 

[JianYang]

I do recall this narrative that team canada was too loyal to the players who got the job done in salt lake city, although I have to do a deeper dive into the 02 and 06 rosters to see the level of truth behind this.

 

[potatochip]

Yeah but that those games didn't matter.

But it certainly was a sign that this team was not meshing well.

02 team and 10 team had chemistry from the top down.

Meanwhile, the Sakic Iginla Gagne line just stank. So much controversy selecting Bertuzzi and the negative cloud that surrounded him at the time, and really didn't have to be picked.....meanwhile, Crosby was just twiddling his thumbs.

 

[Langdon Alger]

The management team f***ed up and didn't pick the best possible team for the big ice. Had the tournament been played on NHL arenas Canada would have done much better.

Some of the decision were laughable no matter how you look at it. They left a lot of great players out only to pick sandpaper.

The team needed truculence!

 

[Senor Catface]

Some revisionist history in regards to Ryan Smyth.

Sure there were better players, but he was one of the few players that looked like he was committing and executing on Team Canada. Replacing him in that context is looking at names and not play during the tournament.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

In before Bertuzzi

IIRC, it was intended to be Joe Thornton's team, but he flubbed pretty hard with 3 points in 6 games.

bert, thornton, heatley, and rick nash

a rich tapestry of legendary big game players