My team Canada (with commentary)

[hockeyfan125]

I took a study break, and decided to come up with my Team Canada for the 2006 Olympics.

Offense:

Gagne - Sakic - Iginla

a mix of everything on this line, and the three have tremendous chemistry and skil. Each player brings something else to the table, and they would mesh extremely well.

Heatley - Richards - Lecavalier

Richards is a very smart player, and could playmake for these two snipers. Heatley has shown that he deserves a spot on this team, and Vinny is one of the most naturally skilled players in the world.

Nash - Thornton - Doan

Provided Nash can come back, this would be a great checking line. Thornton proved in the WC that he can shutdown other players, and Doan is also solid. Nash would provide the scoring threat on this line, and it would be a big (but fast) line for opposing teams to deal with.

Crosby - Spezza/Staal - St. Louis

This would be a great energy line, as Crosby and St. Louis are INSANE skaters, as well as solid defensive players. Both centres deserve to go, and it is a toss-up for me.

Defense:

My top 6 would be:
Blake, Pronger, Regehr, Jovanovski, Redden, and Niedermayer.

7th spot to Phaneuf.

Goalies would be Brodeur, Luongo, Theodore/Turco/Cujo.

Click to read more...

 

[Macman]

I like it. I think your defence is exactly what it's going to be. I don't think Canada will take all three of Spezza, Staal and Crosby, but I hope they do. I think Smyth will be in there somewhere and possibly Draper again, simply because Gretzky has been hinting that there won't be many changes from the World Cup team. I can't see them putting Spezza and Heatly on different lines, though.

 

[CB420]

Man, im getting real stoked allready, its just hitting me and ive been racking my brain to figure out who might be on, and obviously in canada this topic is gonna be the #1 talked about for a while, untill puckdrop in feb.

everyone has their own opinion on who should be on and thats all good, cause like you said at this time its a toss up, who knows what Gretz and staff are gonna pull outta their sleeves man. Some think that he might stick with his old crew, but if you look back on that 2002 roster theres some gonna be some new players added for sure, but which ones man. owen Nolan, eric brewer, peca, nieuwendyk to just name a few. Mary broduer has got me confused man, hes getting pucks fired past him alot this year, that langkow goal was weak, but marty doesnt seem himself, Cujo should get some consideration.

anyways this is my projected roster, I keep changing things around all the time, I was wondering who could kill penalties, cause with so much depth down the middle I dont want mr draper on my team lol joe thornton can kill penalties, and by commitee.

I just use nhl view for my ea2005 its a good game editor to tweak player ratings, lines rosters etc.

Im with you I keep that Iggy-Sakic-Gagne line rolling together, dominant thats my #2 actually.

#1 line -----> Heatley-Thornton-Bertuzzi - yeah flame me for having big bert on but hes still a game breaker player, and remember he didnt get to play in 2002, you know hes got alota pride and wants to be there, and really if Rick Nash isnt able to go, injuries or w.e if hes not playing good. Just imagine how sick this line would be, almost impossble to stop.

my #3 line or checking line I have know is Nash-Marleau-Richards - not much of a checking unit but hey, they are skilled, nash is still on the bubble as of now missed alota games might struggle to get his game back, but if he does hes good enough to be on that team, from what he did in the world championships man.


4th line same as you, Crosby-Spezza-Staal I really doubt all 3 will make it, in real life but this is just my lineup and I know ill get flamed for not having other certain guys on like you said its a toss up man, WE OWN this game straight up, we have so much depth. I dont like leaving st. Louis or Lecavlier off, but if they both dont start producing more in tampa, they could get left off.

Marleau is on a rapid pace so he could get it in not sure about shane doan though, he was there in 2002 I think but only played like 1 or 2 games, he was used as a spare, and I really dont like leaving ryan Smyth off man, but Smytty will really need to be playing good, not just cause of the kevin lowe connection, and you could argue thats the only reason brewer was on some of those team Canada teams in past years, that prob. p'od some guys like redden or mccabe or guys who thought they deserved a shot to be there.

my D-corps, this is all penciled in so... #1 unit - Pronger Neidermayer #2 Jovo n Redden #3 unit Mccabe and Blake Not sure if mccabe can make it... hes decent but not always stable defensively, but Gretz wont let that change decison lol, cause Gretz makes the last call when its all said and done

 

[clay]

...As of how they have played up to this point

Sakic-Thornton-Iginla the amazing talent line #1
Heatly-Spezza-Gagne the amazing talent line #2
Richards-Lecavlier-St. Louis the chemistry line
Staal-Tanguay-Bertuzzi the "grinders"
Kariya

Blake-Pronger the bone-crushers
Redden-Regher the reliability pair
Jovanovski- Niedermayer the point-getters
Foote

Brodeur
Turco
Luongo

 

[therealdeal]

Marleau is on a rapid pace so he could get it in not sure about shane doan though, he was there in 2002 I think but only played like 1 or 2 games, he was used as a spare, and I really dont like leaving ryan Smyth off man, but Smytty will really need to be playing good, not just cause of the kevin lowe connection, and you could argue thats the only reason brewer was on some of those team Canada teams in past years, that prob. p'od some guys like redden or mccabe or guys who thought they deserved a shot to be there.

No, Doan didn't go in 2002.

 

[joe_shannon_1983*]

...As of how they have played up to this point

Sakic-Thornton-Iginla the amazing talent line #1
Heatly-Spezza-Gagne the amazing talent line #2
Richards-Lecavlier-St. Louis the chemistry line
Staal-Tanguay-Bertuzzi the "grinders"
Kariya

Blake-Pronger the bone-crushers
Redden-Regher the reliability pair
Jovanovski- Niedermayer the point-getters
Foote

Brodeur
Turco
Luongo

Three things:

1) Kariya is my favourite player. I have 2 posters of him hanging on my wall. I like him a lot. But there is no way he gets on the Olympic Team. It would be the greatest Christmas gift if he did get named to the team. But it isn't going to happen. Too many incumbents and up-and-coming players ahead of him. For Kariya to have gotten on this team, he would have needed to play much better than guys like Martin St.Louis amd Alex Tanguay. These are guys who at the beginning of the year were ahead of him on the depth chart. Thus to pass them, he would have needed to play better than them. It is reasonable to say that he has played as well as them, but not better, and thus he will not make the team.

2) Your forwards are a little unbalanced. By that I mean, too many chiefs and not enough indians. Guys like Smyth and Doan need to be at the Olympics, even if it means shunning guys like Staal and Spezza. You can't win with 10 of the same player at forward. A team with Sakic, Lecavalier, Richards, Thornton, Heatley, Iginla, Gagne, and etc. will have no problem scoring. If those guys can't get it done, then I don't see how Spezza and Staal are going to make any difference. If a team is able to shut down 7-8 elite offensive players, then they are going to be able to shut down 10 elite offensive players. Thus, it is pointless to take only offensive players. You need to use some spots for some role-players, guys who are willing and able to do the dirty work.

3) Your defensemen are good. But the pairings are a little off. You ideally want to mix players who play contrasting styles at defense. Two pairings of Blake-Pronger and Niedermayer-Jovanovski probably wouldn't work as well as Blake-Niedermayer and Pronger-Jovanovski. You don't want one ultra-physical pairing and then one ultra-finesse pairing. You want three pairings of one physical-one finesse player per pairing.

 

[clay]

Three things:

1) Kariya is my favourite player. I have 2 posters of him hanging on my wall. I like him a lot. But there is no way he gets on the Olympic Team. It would be the greatest Christmas gift if he did get named to the team. But it isn't going to happen. Too many incumbents and up-and-coming players ahead of him. For Kariya to have gotten on this team, he would have needed to play much better than guys like Martin St.Louis amd Alex Tanguay. These are guys who at the beginning of the year were ahead of him on the depth chart. Thus to pass them, he would have needed to play better than them. It is reasonable to say that he has played as well as them, but not better, and thus he will not make the team.

2) Your forwards are a little unbalanced. By that I mean, too many chiefs and not enough indians. Guys like Smyth and Doan need to be at the Olympics, even if it means shunning guys like Staal and Spezza. You can't win with 10 of the same player at forward. A team with Sakic, Lecavalier, Richards, Thornton, Heatley, Iginla, Gagne, and etc. will have no problem scoring. If those guys can't get it done, then I don't see how Spezza and Staal are going to make any difference. If a team is able to shut down 7-8 elite offensive players, then they are going to be able to shut down 10 elite offensive players. Thus, it is pointless to take only offensive players. You need to use some spots for some role-players, guys who are willing and able to do the dirty work.

3) Your defensemen are good. But the pairings are a little off. You ideally want to mix players who play contrasting styles at defense. Two pairings of Blake-Pronger and Niedermayer-Jovanovski probably wouldn't work as well as Blake-Niedermayer and Pronger-Jovanovski. You don't want one ultra-physical pairing and then one ultra-finesse pairing. You want three pairings of one physical-one finesse player per pairing.

Thanks for the comment. I see your point about the defense, and you are completely right about that, no question. As far as your forwards comment, I disagree. There is enough hard work in the lineup I put in there. Guys like Iginla, Thornton, Bertuzzi, and Heatly are all willing to get their noses dirty if need be, and pretty much everyone in the lineup has tons of heart. The forward lineup I put down mixes lines together. I tried making two scoring lines, one checking line, and it wouldn't hurt to mix it up by putting in a line that has unbelievable chemisrty together. As far as Paul Kariya goes, it's actually a pretty close call. He's playing very well this season and has a lot of heart. The reason that i put him in as a spare is becasue he clearly isn't big enough to get much done anymore.

 

[FearTheFlyers]

Tanguay-Sakic-Iginla
Gagne-Spezza-Heatley
Nash-Thornton-Bertuzzi
Richards-Lecavalier-St.Louis

 

[katodelder]

Tanguay-Sakic-Iginla
Gagne-Thornton-Doan
Draper-Lecavalier-St.Louis
Smyth-Richards-Heatley
Crosby

Pronger-Blake
Niedermayer-Foote
Redden-Regehr
Jovanovski

Brodeur
Joseph
Luongo