Meet the Team
I would be remiss if I didn't take some time to discuss the most heated topic in Canada right now. Naturally, I'm talking about the selection of the Canadian Olympic men's hockey team. The debating and whining has already begun in earnest, and will probably continue for several years - and that's just if they end up winning the gold medal.
When it comes to hockey powers, Canada is number one by a very large margin. The percentage of participation in the sport here ensures that no talent will slip through the cracks, and most of the top athletes get into the minor hockey system. That isn't to say that we will win every tournament we enter, because other hockey nations have top flight talent too. But we're the only country that could legitimately field two or three teams and have all of them be gold medal contenders. And because of the depth of hockey talent in our country, there are always controversies about omissions from a national team, whether at the junior or Olympic level. But this year there seems to be more controversy over certain inclusions rather than exclusions. And the name at the top of that list is Todd Bertuzzi.
Personally, I'm appalled to have Bertuzzi represent my country on an Olympic stage, and so soon after the incident that will forever mar his hockey career and define his public life. Yes, he has served his suspension and has been examined by the legal system, so he should be free to continue his life and career. But that doesn't mean that we have an obligation to have him represent our country on the Olympic stage. In much of the world where they don't follow professional hockey, or the NHL, many will recognize Bertuzzi's name and associate Canadian hockey with thuggery. We have enough good players that somebody else could have filled his role more than competently. And although his form has improved over the past several weeks, you could make a case that his play for this season as a whole has not warranted a spot on the Olympic roster.
When it comes to hockey, it's hard to argue about anything with Wayne Gretzky. But the makeup of this Olympic team puzzles me. He basically started with the roster he put together for last year's World Cup, and picked all the same players unless it was clear that they couldn't play anymore. Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux, who had no business being on this team, "voluntarily" withdrew their names. But other veteran players who are having sub-standard seasons have retained their roster spots when younger, brighter talent could have been picked. Eric Staal and Jason Spezza should be on the main roster, not the taxi squad. Shane Doan was a curious pick, and probably the clearest example of cronyism on Gretzky's part. Because he's now a coach, being so close to his team day in and day out, it's harder for him to pick a team without one of his own players because he wants to show that he's looking out for them. Maybe he's doing this to inspire Doan, his captain in Phoenix, who has not done much of anything this season. But the Olympic team should not be the place to serve the interests of individual club teams. If he wanted to pick one of his own players, Curtis Joseph should have been it - except that he and Pat Quinn have issues going back to the last Olympics.
I guess you can't really come down too hard on Gretzky while he deals with the death of his mother. But he will certainly be in the crosshairs once February rolls around if the public doesn't see perfection. Hockey is the one sport in which we demand that, and it's good to see other sports organizations in Canada starting to adopt that attitude as well. It is very possible that we may end up in the top three in the Winter Olympic medal haul in Torino. But if we don't win hockey gold, the country will view our performance as a failure. And when it comes to Canadian hockey, failure is not an option.
When it comes to hockey powers, Canada is number one by a very large margin. The percentage of participation in the sport here ensures that no talent will slip through the cracks, and most of the top athletes get into the minor hockey system. That isn't to say that we will win every tournament we enter, because other hockey nations have top flight talent too. But we're the only country that could legitimately field two or three teams and have all of them be gold medal contenders. And because of the depth of hockey talent in our country, there are always controversies about omissions from a national team, whether at the junior or Olympic level. But this year there seems to be more controversy over certain inclusions rather than exclusions. And the name at the top of that list is Todd Bertuzzi.
Personally, I'm appalled to have Bertuzzi represent my country on an Olympic stage, and so soon after the incident that will forever mar his hockey career and define his public life. Yes, he has served his suspension and has been examined by the legal system, so he should be free to continue his life and career. But that doesn't mean that we have an obligation to have him represent our country on the Olympic stage. In much of the world where they don't follow professional hockey, or the NHL, many will recognize Bertuzzi's name and associate Canadian hockey with thuggery. We have enough good players that somebody else could have filled his role more than competently. And although his form has improved over the past several weeks, you could make a case that his play for this season as a whole has not warranted a spot on the Olympic roster.
When it comes to hockey, it's hard to argue about anything with Wayne Gretzky. But the makeup of this Olympic team puzzles me. He basically started with the roster he put together for last year's World Cup, and picked all the same players unless it was clear that they couldn't play anymore. Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux, who had no business being on this team, "voluntarily" withdrew their names. But other veteran players who are having sub-standard seasons have retained their roster spots when younger, brighter talent could have been picked. Eric Staal and Jason Spezza should be on the main roster, not the taxi squad. Shane Doan was a curious pick, and probably the clearest example of cronyism on Gretzky's part. Because he's now a coach, being so close to his team day in and day out, it's harder for him to pick a team without one of his own players because he wants to show that he's looking out for them. Maybe he's doing this to inspire Doan, his captain in Phoenix, who has not done much of anything this season. But the Olympic team should not be the place to serve the interests of individual club teams. If he wanted to pick one of his own players, Curtis Joseph should have been it - except that he and Pat Quinn have issues going back to the last Olympics.
I guess you can't really come down too hard on Gretzky while he deals with the death of his mother. But he will certainly be in the crosshairs once February rolls around if the public doesn't see perfection. Hockey is the one sport in which we demand that, and it's good to see other sports organizations in Canada starting to adopt that attitude as well. It is very possible that we may end up in the top three in the Winter Olympic medal haul in Torino. But if we don't win hockey gold, the country will view our performance as a failure. And when it comes to Canadian hockey, failure is not an option.
posted by Jaymeister at 12/22/2005 11:02:00 p.m.
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