Sports Logic

written by Shaun Deering

The Olympics are only one year away. With every Tom, Dick, and Jane giving their picks for who should be on the Men’s Hockey team, I figured I would throw my hat into the ring. So far I have seen Mike Brophy leave Joe Thornton off the team, and I have seen Sportsnet somehow omit Shea Weber. So if the Canadian Olympic Committee had accepted my application for GM, here’s what the team would look like.

Forward Line 1

Rick Nash – Joe Thornton – Jarome Iginla
I don’t know if there is a better pure passer in the NHL than Joe Thornton, and with a sniper on either side the goals could be plenty for this line. That is provided Iginla remembers how to bury the puck into an open net, which he forgot last night.

Forward Line 2

Dany Heatley – Sidney Crosby – Vincent Lecavalier
This is not so much a 2nd line as it is a 1A. Getzlaf is playing out of position, but with the quality of centers on this team, moving him to the wing is out of necessity. As with line 1, Crosby has a weapon on either side, and again, it’s provided Heatley gets his game back.

Forward Line 3

Simon Gagne – Marc Savard – Ryan Getzlaf
Getzlaf may be playing on a “lower” line, but it’s a line that can work at both ends of the ice. All 3 guys are responsible enough on the defensive side to play against the other skilled lines, but still have the potential to put the puck in the net. In an ideal situation, they could control the puck and wear the skilled lines down.

Forward Line 4

Derek Roy – Mike Richards – Shane Doan
Roy is a bit of a dark horse here, but of the remaining guys on my list, he is probably best suited for a 4th line checking role. Doan was one of the few guys who showed up to play four years ago in Turin and he deserves this spot based on his play in Phoenix this season.

13th Forward

Jonathan Toews
Sadly there is no room at the inn for JT on this team. He’s a center, and a responsible defender, so I think sending him as a “just in case” is not a bad move. Plus it grooms the next generation, hopefully for 2014 in Russia.

Defensive Pair 1

Chris Pronger – Mike Green
Mike Green will never be mistaken for a shut down defenseman. He is a PP specialist and a goal scoring machine. While his skating is well above average, if he gets caught pinching, Canada will need a smart defenseman to back him up. Insert Chris Pronger.

Defensive Pair 2

Shea Weber – Dion Phaneuf
Pierre Maguire will be in hockey heaven if this pairing actually happens. And if they find themselves on the ice with Mike Richards at any point, he may go into cardiac arrest. The reason for this pairing is obvious; their chemistry during the 2003 and 2004 World Junior Hockey Championships was unmatched. Oh, and they both could have been Calgary Flames, but Darryl Sutter drafted Tim Ramholt ahead of Weber in round 2 in the 2003 draft.

Defensive Pair 3

Duncan Keith – Robyn Regehr
As with all good teams, there needs to be a shutdown pair, and here they are. Regehr is probably the best shutdown defensemen in the league, but he has absolutely no offensive upside, so he tends to get overlooked. Duncan Keith is a plus/minus machine. Even on a horrible Blackhawks team in 2007-08, Keith was a +30. The combination of Keith’s skating and Regehr’s ability to cut down angles will be a tough nut to crack for any skilled lines they may face.

7th Defenseman

Scott Niedermayer
Admittedly I flip-flopped on this pick. Jay Bouwmeester is the sexy pick right now because he is the darling of the trade deadline, but realistically Niedermayer is better suited for this role. Niedermayer could be plugged into any of the 6 spots above and be effective, which is why I chose him. Plus, the way he has been playing the last six weeks cannot be overlooked. He looks like himself for the first time since he hoisted the Cup in 2007.

Goaltending

Roberto Luongo
Let’s not kid ourselves; the starting job is Luongo’s to lose. The Olympics are in Vancouver, and people actually expect Brodeur to start? Luongo will start, and barring the unforeseen, finish the Olympics in net.

Martin Brodeur
This will be Brodeur’s last kick at the can, and he will do it while wearing a ball cap. He will probably get 1, maybe 2 games in this Olympics. Again, barring an injury, or poor play, Brodeur is the backup.

Steve Mason
Just like Toews, the new breed needs to be brought along, and Mason is the most likely candidate to be the next great Canadian goalie. I’d almost be tempted to put him in the net for a game against Norway or something, just to get his feet wet.