Goalies - Canada

Danny46

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Dec 28, 2015
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I think nobody will disagree that Belfour and Roy were the 2 best canadians goalies in the 90's, Brodeur was great but not yet in his prime. With that in mind it is crazy to think that in the big international competitions only one time one of the two was a starter and that was Roy in the 98 Olympics. Why Belfour or Roy weren't the starters in the 1996 World Cup, why Roy was not even selected to the 1991 Canada Cup, and why Belfour was not a backup in the 1998 Olympics?
 

Big Phil

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Nov 2, 2003
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1991 if I remember correctly Roy backed out because of injury. In 1996 he foolishly wasn't picked. That was just a joke. Sure he had that transition year when he was traded to Colorado but he finished the year winning a Cup! 1998 they righted that wrong though and in 2002 he backed out of the Olympics. 1987 for the record he probably should have been a back up or a third stringer but no way does he get in there over Fuhr.

Brodeur in 1996 and 1998 just had a better goalie ahead of him. Joseph may not have ended the tournament well but he had a few more miles and experience under his belt than Brodeur, so that's why he was picked. 1998 Roy is going to get the nod. Although I do wish that Brodeur was picked for at least the Bronze medal game against Finland because he'd have had something to play for.
 

Zenos

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Oct 4, 2009
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I think nobody will disagree that Belfour and Roy were the 2 best canadians goalies in the 90's, Brodeur was great but not yet in his prime. With that in mind it is crazy to think that in the big international competitions only one time one of the two was a starter and that was Roy in the 98 Olympics. Why Belfour or Roy weren't the starters in the 1996 World Cup, why Roy was not even selected to the 1991 Canada Cup, and why Belfour was not a backup in the 1998 Olympics?

First of all, if we're talking about "big international competitions" and the 90's, there's really only three tournaments to talk about: 1991, 1996, and 1998; so your entire premise isn't that astonishing.

To answer your questions though, I'd say a big part of it goes back to Hockey Canada and the guys in charge; Aside from a few exceptions, Hockey Canada tends to select players who have represented Canada before (specifically World Championships) and who they're familiar with. That's probably why we see both Ranford and Joseph in 1996 for example (familiarity through Glen Sather/Oilers, both played in previous WC's, Ranford in the last Canada Cup).

As for Belfour and Roy specifically, I believe Roy was recovering from surgery in 1991 and Belfour was still a rookie, so it's understandable that they went with a more proven tandem. Belfour also suffered from having a "choker" label for the first half of his career which maybe explains why he was passed over for the best-on-best tournaments.
 

Danny46

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Dec 28, 2015
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Ranford beig picked for the 1996 World Cup was a joke, he was a shadow of what he once was, do you think guys his selection was a "thank you" for the 1991 Canada Cup 1994 World Championship?
 

Danny46

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Dec 28, 2015
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Belfour also suffered from having a "choker" label for the first half of his career which maybe explains why he was passed over for the best-on-best tournaments.

Belfour was a strange case, I never tought he was a choker just crazy, he was a nuthead and that seemed to kill him many times, but some goalies you can feel they are really scared in the clutching moments of the game, I never had that feeling with Eddie, I think he was just crazy. And the way he turn things around in Dallas was a perfect example that he was not a choker, because in those seasons he was nothing but money in 1999 and 2000, and to me the only goalie in Hasek level in those 2 years, yes better than Roy.
 
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Zenos

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Oct 4, 2009
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Ranford beig picked for the 1996 World Cup was a joke, he was a shadow of what he once was, do you think guys his selection was a "thank you" for the 1991 Canada Cup 1994 World Championship?

Absolutely. I don't think Sather had any intention of ever starting him. It was basically a lifetime achievement award / Hockey Canada send-off.
 

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