What the fuck is wrong with Team Canada (mens hockey)?

[gohabsgo]

Shutout in two games and loosing to a Swiss team with only a few NHLers on it is unacceptable Canada seems to have trouble with Finlands speed, D-Men like Pronger and Blake are too slow and better suited to the old NHL style. Forget about gold, if they don't get their shit together tout de suite they won't have any sort of medal! Maybe Gretzky should have gone with some younger guys like Crosby, Spezza and Staal?

Good luck to the women tomorrow against Sweden for the gold - maybe that will inspire the mens team

 

[Reppy]

I think it's going to be a lesson for Canada if they dont suit up quickly and don't stop taking the most stupid penalties at the worst times.

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise? Then, we'll be ready with more speedy guys and young players for BC in 2010....that's when Spezza, Crosby, Phaneuf and the rest will come while others might retired or never be chose again.

The days of Pronger, Blake, Sakic will be done after these Olympics. I feel for Sakic though, he's one of the few that tries out there.

Why is St-Louis and Doan on the team? and Draper is not really useful for open ice hockey that the Europeans play

 

[General Gonad]

Expectations were too high...

Guys and gals,

We all thought this was one of the most incredible teams to ever be assembled in Team Canada's history (at least I did). Our expectations were that they would steamroll through the competion. Well, quite often things do not turn out the way you expect....we all know about that.

GG

 

[danleo]

Gambling...

Maybe it is the New Jersey gambling inquiry. If you look at the timing and the people named...

 

[wilko26]

Guys and gals,

We all thought this was one of the most incredible teams to ever be assembled in Team Canada's history (at least I did). Our expectations were that they would steamroll through the competion. Well, quite often things do not turn out the way you expect....we all know about that.

GG

Yeah but loosing vs Switzerland is totally pathetic... against finland I can 'understand' but millionnaire loosing vs a bunch of sheep farmer it's a bit ridiculous. Mark Streit look like a super star in that game and he had difficulties to make line up with Montreal Canadiens every game. I think it's a good leason for all the canadian organisation they took all their 'friends' instead of taking thoses some guys that supposed to be there....

Wilko

 

[RandyOne]

Patience !

Sakic said it all yesterday - he referred to the game against Czech Rep. as a final tune-up before the medal round starts. These games are meaningless (mostly). Remeber Nagano when Canada cruised through the 1st round without any real opposition only to get suffocated by the Czechs ?

So - Patience everyone! Salt Lake wasn't much better than this after 4 games. The big boys (Thronton, Nash, Bertuzzi, etc) will start BANGING soon and we'll see what the team is really made of.

On the bright side - at least José T isn't involved - HAHA.

Randy

 

[Doc Holliday]

D-Men like Pronger and Blake are too slow and better suited to the old NHL style. Maybe Gretzky should have gone with some younger guys like Crosby, Spezza and Staal?

I've been saying this since the team was first chosen. How could not name at least 2 of these 3 players considering the season they've been having? Add Adam Foote to the list of slow-footed defencemen. Good thing Jovanovski got injured a few weeks ago, or else you'd have a 4th turtle playing defense. Where is Dan Boyle? Too bad Niedermayer opted to get surgery done...his presence is dearly missed.

As for Draper, if he's not on the team, who else is going to kill off all the stupid penalites (ex-Pronger) they been taking so far?

 

[Doc Holliday]

PJ's full of shit. The large majority of players would nearly get their arm chopped off in order to be at the Olympics. It's possible he's been hanging out with too many players from Team USA, though. They've always been a different bunch. Remember the time when they trashed their rooms at the Olympic village not that long ago? Players are also not obligated to accept the invitation to the team....if they don't want to participate, there are a couple of dozen other players who would only be happy to take up their spot. Who knows, maybe PJ got the Olympics mixed up with the All-Star game. I agree most players feel the way he's described when it comes time for the All-Star game weekend, which, in my opinion, is a joke and should be abolished unless they change the format.

 

[langeweile]

Can't say I know much about hockey...but a team is not merely an assembly of talented players.
I take a TEAM of mediocre players over a team full of superstars any time.

Most of those guys just don't play together enough. The USA and Canada just don't treat the Olympics(or other international events) with the same seriousness as most other countries do.
The olympics is just not something you do, to fill the allstar break...

Well they pay the price now.

 

[spin]

It's all about chemisty and right now Team Canada has none. Replacing Bertuzzi with Spezza will not bring chemistry, Team Canada will either find theirs and win or they won't - that type of thing happens in these short tournements.

There is no shortage of effort or talent on this team.

 

[langeweile]

It's all about chemisty and right now Team Canada has none. Replacing Bertuzzi with Spezza will not bring chemistry, Team Canada will either find theirs and win or they won't - that type of thing happens in these short tournements.

There is no shortage of effort or talent on this team.

YUp...YUP....hear....hear

 

[Doc Holliday]

A team is not merely an assembly of talented players.
I take a TEAM of mediocre players over a team full of superstars any time.

Which is why i was kind of cheering for Switzerland the other day, when they beat Canada 2-0. Why? Well, for one thing, the game didn't mean anything to Canada in the standings. It would serve as a good wake-up call to them for the upcoming games. Second, this game alone was great for hockey....it will do for Switzerland what the 1980 USA upset over the Soviet Union at the Olympics (Miracle on Ice) did for US hockey. Actually, i think this was a bigger upset than the one in 1980.

I'm presently watching the Canada/Sweden women's hockey gold medal game, and i'm not to certain players such as Hayley Wickenheiser, Sherry Piper and Cassey Campbell wouldn't do any better than the likes of lead-footed Adam Foote, Chris Pronger and Bertuzzi. At least, they would be more disciplined and they can skate!

On a more serious note, the Canadian team hasn't played together in nearly two years and you'll see a marked improvement in the upcoming games. You have to play more than a few games together in order to get the chemistry going. I'm not worried at all....when the going will get tough, the tough will get going, as they say. I still predict a gold medal for the Canadian men's hockey team.

 

[hornyanglo66]

WHat's wrong with them???? A bunch of spoiled millionaires proving they can't play as a team because they always play for themselves? Fuck 'em all, usless idiots.

You want a team? Stick with the women as they play with heart and for the love of the game. WAY TO GO LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[zigezon]

I'm deeply troubled...

If Gretzky would have been a french canadian, you bet your ass, your kids, your home, everything you've got that He would have been removed !

Yes, you betcha that would Greztky been a french canadien, the whole rest of Canada would have attacked us and blame us on all the fronts and it would have been the fault of those "french canadian"...

It's pissing me off that nobody in english Canada is barely saying anything about Greztky. There is no doubt that the last few weeks had it's toll on him, and thereby affecting The Team...

I hope Gretzky and his friends at Hockey Canada will make a comeback. I'm furious that Coach Don Cherry is NOT blaming Greztky, but I'm not surprised since hes not european or french canadian... In fact, The Coach is probably working is ass off to come up with excuses for a Real Hockey player made in Canada.


There u go, I said it, it's been on my mind for a while, I'm sure many think like me, and u know theres some thruth in all I said, but I dont mean to start a langage thing

 

[spin]

WHat's wrong with them???? A bunch of spoiled millionaires proving they can't play as a team because they always play for themselves? Fuck 'em all, usless idiots.

You want a team? Stick with the women as they play with heart and for the love of the game. WAY TO GO LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If someone out there was willing to pay female hockey players millions of dollars then you would call them millionair spoiled athletes too! The only reason they play only "for the love of the game" is because there is no market to make them millionairs.

What about all the other Olympics prior to Nagano when we actually sent amateurs who played for the love of the game and they lost - did you say "Fuck them" because they were "wanna be" spoiled millionair athletes. Why do so many fans hate it that these guys make money???? Shit they work in a BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY!!!! They work in a field that only 700 people in THE WORLD are qualified/talented enough to do.

I'm deeply troubled...

If Gretzky would have been a french canadian, you bet your ass, your kids, your home, everything you've got that He would have been removed !

Yes, you betcha that would Greztky been a french canadien, the whole rest of Canada would have attacked us and blame us on all the fronts and it would have been the fault of those "french canadian"...

It's pissing me off that nobody in english Canada is barely saying anything about Greztky. There is no doubt that the last few weeks had it's toll on him, and thereby affecting The Team...

I hope Gretzky and his friends at Hockey Canada will make a comeback. I'm furious that Coach Don Cherry is NOT blaming Greztky, but I'm not surprised since hes not european or french canadian... In fact, The Coach is probably working is ass off to come up with excuses for a Real Hockey player made in Canada.


There u go, I said it, it's been on my mind for a while, I'm sure many think like me, and u know theres some thruth in all I said, but I dont mean to start a langage thing

Are you kidding me???? I'm not even going to touch the language part of this post as it's just too ridiculous BUT if you think for one minute that the "Gretzky's wife making bets with Rick Tocchet" thing is affecting the way these guys are playing you know nothing about athletes my friend.

Do you really think Vincent LeCavalier or Simon Gagne or Joe Thornton or ANYBODY ELSE ON THE TEAM is so worried about Wayne Gretzky and his wifes possible legal problems (there will be none by the way) that it is affecting their game??? C'mon!!! This whole thing "Operation Slapshot" is a joke and the players don't care, the media loves it, the fans seem to like to talk about it BUT THE PLAYERS NO WAY! It's a none issue for these guys.

By the way zigezon, if Gretzky had of been french canadian the Journal de Montreal would have ripped his ass apart in a 25 page expose before the rest of Canada would have even known what was going on.

 

[zigezon]

if you think for one minute that the "Gretzky's wife making bets with Rick Tocchet" thing is affecting the way these guys are playing you know nothing about athletes my friend.

Do you really think Vincent LeCavalier or Simon Gagne or Joe Thornton or ANYBODY ELSE ON THE TEAM is so worried about Wayne Gretzky and his wifes possible legal problems (there will be none by the way) that it is affecting their game??? C'mon!!! This whole thing "Operation Slapshot" is a joke and the players don't care, the media loves it, the fans seem to like to talk about it BUT THE PLAYERS NO WAY! It's a none issue for these guys.

By the way zigezon, if Gretzky had of been french canadian the Journal de Montreal would have ripped his ass apart in a 25 page expose before the rest of Canada would have even known what was going on.

Come on? No, Come ONNN...

If nobody told you before, I will, hockey is a team sport.

Leadership in this game, my friend, does win you games... The FACT that they lost those 2 games, (hey, 2-0 for the Swiss?!) means there IS a lack of leadership. The talent is there. Soo what's missing? You really fuckin think the team made the trip there and then decided to take it easy ? Fuck man. Sure they tried. But that's not enough, and thats where leadership makes the difference.

There is no fuckin doubt that Gretzky can't be a 100%. Are you kidding me?


How do you know it's not an issue for them? That's the most ridicule thing I've ever heard... Are you there, in the room, talking with them? The fact that this team isnt where it should be demonstrate there IS a problem, and if you can put 1+1=2, you could obviously put forth that the Gretzky thing might affect them...

Whose talking about the JdeM? I'm talking about Don Cherry, his friends at Hockey Canada, and the rest of the media there that is soo quick blame when a french canadian is in the story... I don't care that the JdeM would have done it. I care that the English media is not doing when it should rightfully do so, and would Gretzky be a french Canadian, they would have done soo...

I know, I know, it's a lot of "would"... Anyhow, I love Gretzky just as much as the other guy. But I want that Gold medal, and I think there are other people that can do more than Gretzky right now!

 

[spin]

zigezon,

I'm not even a that big of a Gretzky fan, I don't care if he is there or not BUT he is not causing a distraction - Nobody wants to loose but sometimes teams, yes very talented teams, slump and loose it happens.

Gretzky by the way is not in Italy to provide leadership (I'm not really sure why he's there - maybe he just likes to be around hockey) leadership is found on the ice and in the room NOT in suit in the press box.

There is no fuckin doubt that Gretzky can't be a 100%. Are you kidding me?

Hey he's not playing remeber (he's not even coaching).

The Gretzky thing is a non issue, it's already out of the news cycle - It was last week's story, Team Canada hasn't found any rythem yet - if you're going to blame someone (I'm not by the way - sometimes you just loose even when you are the better team) Blame The Coach!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I have to agree with Spin on all counts. The way Canada has been playing has nothing to do with Gretzky. He, along with other hockey advisors, picked the team...and it's up to them to perform. Just give them another game or so, and they'll be playing as a team and winning. I have no doubt about it.

As for Gretzky's supposed 'legal problems', this is a non-issue and old news. He didn't do anything wrong....as a matter of fact, he didn't do anything, period! Just because he's married to someone who enjoys placing bets doesn't make him guilty whatsoever. I know many married guys whose wives are addicted to soaps, and this doesn't mean that they're also addicted to those same soaps that they're wives watch all the time! Hell, some of my buddies complain about me being addicted to tv reality shows...this doesn't mean that they have to enjoy them also! As for Rick Tocchet's problems, this has nothing to do with Gretzky other than he's one of his assistant coaches (and a personal friend). As a matter of fact, i have a good feeling that the claims against Tocchet were blown way out of proportion and he won't even be prosecuted due to lack of evidence. The more that i hear about this story, the more it becomes a non-story. Back to Gretzky....he hasn't bet any money because he's never been a gambler. He has always considered gambling to be foolish and nonsense and would walk away from a card game if money would be at stake. And if he did place a bet or so (and he didn't), so what?? I don't know anyone who hasn't at least once bet on sports. It's not illegal and the provincial governments actually condone it.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Pure coincidence. It came at a time where the statute-of-limitations on filing a lawsuit was approaching its deadline and if they didn't do it now, it would have been too late. Even though i'm no fan of Steve Moore per say, he had no choice but to file a lawsuit. That particular incident cost him millions of $$, possibly his career, and he had to sue. Anyone in his position would have sued. If your driving on a highway and some idiot crashes into you (not on purpose) and injures you, you have the right to sue, even though he didn't mean to injure you. Some say Moore shouldn't be allowed to sue because his injuries happened in a hockey game and it's part of the game...this is a pile of baloney! Same thing as driving...accidents are expected to happen and do happen. Well...you can still sue, right?

 

[Techman]

I don't think it has anything to do with either legal problem. These first 4 games are practice games for the teams. They need time to get used to playing together as well as to get used to the larger ice surface. If you've noticed, the US team isn't doing any better. The European teams, who are used to playing on the big ice are doing the best. Let's see what they can do when the games actually mean something.
Other than that, I do feel that it is partly Gretzky's fault for choosing many players that don't deserve to be there. But time will tell.