Question by Bob Loblaw Deux: Can you answer these Olympic questions?
Seeing as Olympic hockey will start one year form today……
1.Who will be the coach for Canada? Would he be your choice?
I think Babcock. I am torn between Hitchcock and Sutter.
2.Does Steve Yzerman have the hardest job in hockey over the next year? Yet the easiest? Criticized regardless to be sure.
3. Seeing everyone’s potential “lists” over the last couple of days…..which of these “bubble” players do YOU think will be on the team?
A.Chris Pronger?
B.Jonathan Toews?
C.Shane Doan?
D.Patrick Marleau?
E.Corey Perry?
F.Chris Pronger?
G.Marc Savard? (interesting sidenote…he has never represented Canada)
4. Brodeur and Luongo are locks………who would be YOUR 3rd goalie?
5. How will USA do? Will there be any surprises on their roster?
6. I know it’s early but who are your premature medalists?
7. Will the Canadian games be 7:00 starts in Vancouver for the most part, meaning 11:00 starts here on the east coast making for some tired days at work? Still not as bad as Nagano….seems to me I remember getting up out of bed at 3 and 4 A.M. for the start of the games.
LITY- Regarding #6….that is what I seem to be reading/hearing as well (how the young Russians fast game beat them at the World Championships but they have to remember that it wasn’t the ‘A” teams) but they seem to forget that it is on a small ice surface…speed is always an asset but they have to be careful.
I think I would like Sutter as well!
It will be interesting if Canada could send a “B” team of the best who don’t make it……just to see how they could do.
BTW, the second Pronger was supposed to be Spezza…I know you rae high on him but I have not seen him on one forecast. (Carter, Richards and Gagne have been on all 
LITY…I wouldn’t touch Spezza. The guy seems to be heartless to me. Just no emotion, too bland. Not always commited either. I’d take Richards over him in a heartbeat…I’d also take Carter over him, just not as quickly. I agree Gagne is a shoo in.
Best answer:
Answer by Like I’m Telling You Who I A
1) I’m picking Brent Sutter as coach, although I feel that Babcock will end up with the job.
2) There is nothing easy about picking the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. It’s a no win situation. There will be people in every corner of the country screaming because their favourite player didn’t make it. Yzerman’s said he’s not scared to play a player out of position, but he acknowledges that Canada is very weak on the wings and extremely strong down the centre. I personally don’t envy him.
3) I think Pronger is the most likely of that bunch to be there (especially as you have him at both A and F). Followed by Doan, then Savard, then Perry, then Toews, and then Marleau
4) Giguere is my 3rd. I’ve heard it’s between Giguere, Ward and Turco for the final spot
5) The USA is invited? How dumb is that? I don’t think they will do well. They plan on sending a very young team, and it’s not a team that stacks up well against Sweden, Canada, and Russia. DiPietro has been overtaken by Miller for the goaltending starter position, but the rest of the team is up for grabs. There is talk of Langenbrunner being the captain of a team led by the likes of Kane, Kessel, and Stastny.
6) Gold: Russia
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Sweden
The one problem I have with the selection process is that Yzerman is picking Canada’s team based on what he thinks the Russian team will look like, using the idea that in order to compete against the Russians, we are going to need a fast team that has a great transition game (this pretty much assures Niedermayer of a position)
7) I haven’t seen the schedule but it will supposedly be weighted so that viewers in the Eastern Time Zone get the best games in prime time….meaning 5pm starts in Vancouver if I interpret correctly. The schedule should be out soon.
I would take Spezza ahead of Carter and Richards. I think Gagne is a shoo-in. All but J. Carter are on the 50 man list anyway.
What do you think? Answer below!
Babcock will be the coach in all probability. I too like Sutter for his Int’l experience. I like Julien as an assistant.
2) Going to be wrong no matter what he does but he has no shortage of quality guys. It could be worse.
3)Marleau, an offensive type that plays good D and is versatile He is a lot like the guy making the decisions in Yzerman..
Pronger I think is start to next year determines if he is there. If he shows any signs of losing a step he does not make it. We are hopefully going to take the guys who are off to good starts next year and not the guys who used to be good which was our problem in 2006.
4 Depends on how Price plays in this years World championships..
Actually if he finds his game again Price…… third spot to an up and coming goalie. If Price does not turn it back around then one of the older guys like Turco or Ward
5) US will struggle a bit, I expect to see mostly young guys on that Roster.
6) Canada/ Russia and someone surprising like Finland
Comment by cdn24fan — July 29, 2010 @ 3:24 am
Your mask used to draw my attention to your Q(your boobies work better) but I skipped right over you. Only saw the Q because I was stalking you and saw it on your profile.
1. I believe it will be Babcock…. he’d be my choice
2. he will have an easy time coming up with a good roster, but having all of Canada and the rest of the world watching and criticizing your moves and choices makes it difficult.
3. Spezza. Canada has a lot of great centers, maybe he’ll play a bit on the wing
4. Turco or Jiggy…. I would lean towards Jiggy
5. I’d like them to do well, but I don’t think they compare to others. Heck, I’ve been overhearing conversations that Gaustad could be on team USA. As much as I like him, you look at Canada for example you have Crosby, Getzlaf, Lecavalier, Savard, Spez, Richards, Eric Staal, Thornton, I could go on LOL at centre.
6. Canada, Russia, Sweden
7. Its 4:00am and I’m still up. I’ll manage.
Comment by jay k — July 29, 2010 @ 3:35 am
1) Babcock is the head coach. Remember Hitchcock was one of Quinn’s assistants in 2002. I’d have him as an assistant this time for sure.
2) Yzerman must be mainlining Tums right now. Anything less than a gold medal, and it’s a failure of catastrophic proportions.
3) I really like Savard’s game…honestly, I think you have to go with the hot hand.
4) I saw that my favourite bald-headed TSN personality tabbed Carey Price. For me, whoever you tab as the third goalie…he’s got to be a guy who, if needed, can step in and play, but at the same time, is comfortable in his role knowing he’s the #3 guy. I think either Price or Mason, depending on who’s better come December 2009 (and healthy).
5) The Americans have a fair few young players; they should just go with the young guys.
6) Canada, Russia, and Finland. If you look at what talent Russia has available to them…clearly they won’t be starved for offence.
7) If the games start at 10pm/10:30 to make a 7pm Vancouver start time work, I think you’ll find many employers understanding to a degree. Having seen first hand an entire country literally shut down for a sporting event (I was in England during the 1998 World Cup) it should be no different here. Look, it’s odd that in our lifetime we will have had two Winter Olympics in our country (and possibly the one and only time where the NHL’s best will be playing in the Olympics in our country).
Comment by Leafsfan29 — July 29, 2010 @ 3:37 am