PowerPlay Magazine

With the Winter Olympic Games just around a corner it is time we took a little look at what we can expect. First I will scrutinize undoubtedly the most stacked hockey roster of all participating nations. Getting on the Canadian roster is a major achievement for any player no matter how big a star he is. Steve Yzerman, the general manager of Team Canada, has had the difficult task of selecting the 23 players that should bring the gold medal back to the cradle of hockey.

Steve Yzerman knows what it takes to win a gold medal at the Olympics. He has done it in 2002. Back then he was a player and a veteran leader of the Canadian team, no less talented than this year's roster. As ever, Canada could build two, if not three teams capable of competing for the gold medal. But they can only send one team of course and the competition for every spot on the roster is extremely fierce. Let's have a look at Stevie's choices.

Goalies

Martin Brodeur

Few have had any doubts that this man would get selected. The all-time leader in games and minutes played, wins and shutouts has become the Wayne Gretzky among the goalies. He now holds every notable all-time record and these records will last a while. Moreover, Brodeur is by no means a spent force. He is not playing like an aging veteran. He just refuses to be anything short of brilliant. The Devils team is currently one of the best in the league and Brodeur has been a big reason of their dominance. The fight in the crease will be a tough one though and he is not guaranteed the number one post just yet.

Roberto Luongo

Another man who was almost certain to be selected. Vancouver is now his home town so that is extra motivation to excel in front of his own fans. Luongo has been a premier goalie in the league for several seasons now and also the first goalie in half a century to be named the captain of an NHL team. Even though he cannot wear C on his jersey during the games, he is the undisputed leader in the Canucks locker room. He will push hard for the number one spot.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Why Fleury? The answer is easy. He is the reigning Stanley Cup champion and the runner-up from the season before that. He has proved that he can be the go-to guy in the playoffs and that he can backstop a team to the final glory. It is not expected that he will see much action on the ice, but if he does, he will certainly not disappoint. No matter who of these three gentlemen minds the net, Canada is surely going to be difficult to score against.

Defense

Chris Pronger

From one Stanley Cup champion to another. Pronger is a proven veteran who is not afraid to use his huge body. In fact the opponents forwards better watch out when he is on the ice. He doesn't always play a clean game but it always hurts to bump into him, whether he does use his elbow or not. Pronger will be seeing a lot of ice time against the top offensive guns of the opposition.

Shea Weber

Weber represents the younger generation on Team Canada. He has a great shot from the point and don't be surprised if he gets a lot of power play time. Canada has a multitude of choices when it comes to point men but Weber probably has the hardest shot of them all.

Brent Seabrook

Seabrook will not break any scoring records at the Olympics but it his stellar defensive work that has seen him get selected. He is certainly going to be paired with Duncan Keith who is his partner on the Blackhawks blue line. Yet another player who is not easy to beat for the opposition.

Scott Niedermayer

Niedermayer has been named the captain of this team. Consider his experience. He is one of only 5 players to have won the Stanley Cup, World Championships, Olympic gold and the World Cup. There is nothing that he hasn't won. But beware, he is no longer as effective as he used to be. He has been a minus player for the past 3 seasons but his offensive production is still very solid.

Dan Boyle

The Sharks blueliner is one of the best at supporting offence. Since his move from Tampa to San Jose his career has been revived and he has even been in considerations for the Norris Trophy last season. He will try to profit from the chemistry he has with the other three Sharks on the roster.

Drew Doughty

Doughty is the youngest member of the defensive corps (and the whole team for that matter). His improvement over the last year has been spectacular. He probably caught Yzerman's eye during the World Championships where he gave a very good account of himself. It is brave by Yzerman to take such a young defenseman into the team.

Duncan Keith

He was in the running for the Norris Trophy last year even though he didn't make it into the top three. His offensive numbers are improving every year and he is quickly becoming one of the biggest stars of the league. Keith is one of three Blackhawks on team Canada.

Offence

Sidney Crosby

Crosby was left out in 2006 when he was an 18 year old rookie. Now there was hardly any doubt he would get selected. The youngest player ever to captain a team to a Stanley Cup has already achieved more than most players can dream of. It is hard to believe he is still only 22. This year he has been shooting the puck more and it resulted in more goals so goalies better watch out.

Jarome Iginla

One of the best players of the past decade is back for his third Olympic appearance. He already has a gold from 2002 but don't expect a lack of motivation from this guy. He can score, he can pass, he can even drop gloves for his teammates' sake. You could hardly want a better leader and a teammate than Iginla.

Jonathan Toews

Another youngster on the team is one of the youngest captains in NHL history. He is captaining one of the best teams in the league right now and he is getting better all the time. An injury meant he had a slower start to the season but he is coming good at the right time.

Rick Nash

Rick Nash has a wealth of international experience owing to the fact that his Blue Jackets have only made the playoffs once so far. He is one of the most exciting players to watch when he is on his game. He was disappointing at the last Olympics (as was the whole team) so look for him to try and make up for that.

Eric Staal

It is a bit of a surprise to see the struggling center on this team. Especially when you consider the depth that Canada has at this position. He only has 8 goals this season but he has been getting better lately. He is the only Staal to make it. Marc and Jordan were left out this time around.

Mike Richards

Richards is considered as one of the best two-way forwards in the league. So there is no surprise that he is on the roster. He is one of the young generation of captains and the Flyers fans love him and often compare him to the great Bobby Clarke. Those are big shoes to fill.

Brenden Morrow

Almost every player on this team has leadership qualities. Morrow is the captain of Dallas Stars, a position that he has taken over from the American icon Mike Modano. His offensive numbers may not be stellar but his two-way game is right up there with the best.

Dany Heatley

Dany Heatley has a long way to go before the Senators fans will forgive him. But being a major player on the gold medal winning team may go a long way. He will have the comfort of playing on the same line as in his club team. Could he ask for anything more? He will be expected to carry the offense.

Joe Thornton

Thornton also has a point to prove. He has a reputation of a player who fades in the playoffs when the stakes are high. How about Olympics? He didn't excel in Turin. There is no doubt that he is one of the best passers in the league but he hasn't proved his worth under pressure yet.

Ryan Getzlaf

Getzlaf is a similar type of player to Thornton. He dishes out perfect passes as if it was the easiest thing in the world and he will have Corey Perry on his wing to help him too. Getzlaf is probably better than Thornton at using his big frame and if he can't set up his teammate he is capable of finishing himself.

Patrick Marleau

His career finally seems to be going in the right direction. He is scoring goals at a torrid pace that has him among the league leaders and so he made it hard for Yzerman to leave him out. Besides, it is always good when you can afford to have three forwards from the same team who don't need to get used to one another.

Corey Perry

Perry has been very consistent this season even though he is not talked about very much. He is one of the hidden stars of the league but he did not escape the attention of the Team Canada staff. Perry has no international experience at the senior level. Last time he represented Canada was at the WJC 2005.

Patrice Bergeron

Few people saw this coming. Bergeron is not an elite scorer in the NHL and being a center, it is that much more surprising he made the team. He is not even the top center in Boston. It is rather strange that Marc Savard was left out (again) and the second center in Boston got picked over him. Nevertheless, few can doubt that Bergeron will leave his heart on the ice.

Omissions

This roster is not final. Injuries can happen and Yzerman might be forced to make some changes. Therefore some players who were left out may yet get in. Here is a list of a few notable omissions.

Mike Green - It is hard to believe the world's best offensive blueliner did not make the roster. He might be feeling a bit left out and who knows how he will react if he gets the call up. It wouldn't be surprising if he had hard feelings towards Yzerman.

Brian Campbell - Campbell has been hot lately and might be a late call up if necessary.

Dion Phaneuf, Jay Bouwmeester - the flames duo have not been firing on all cylinders offensively but they are still elite.

Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis - Vinny has not been at his best but still could prove valuable, St. Louis has been over point-per-game.

Shane Doan, Ryan Smyth - both have a wealth of international experience and have captained Team Canada before.

Brad Richards - he is on a bounce back season and has been truly great.

Jeff Carter - last year he had 46 goals and was second behind Ovechkin. No Canadian has scored more goals.

Other notables - Carey Price, Stephane Robidas, Marc Staal, Nathan Horton, Steven Stamkos, Dustin Penner, Stephen Weiss, Wojtek Wolski.

Scary isn't it? Canada came in a disappointing 7th in Turin. That kind of a result is unacceptable for this powerhouse. Anything less than a gold medal will be a disappointment. That's why there is a lot of pressure on the management staff to pick the best team that has the best chance to win. Yzerman has taken some risks. If they pay off he will be a celebrated hero. If not, well, he is still Yzerman, everybody loves him, but it might cost him his job.