Canada's centres

Who will centre Canada's 4 lines?

Any locks for centre? (on the team for sure and unlikely to move to wing)

Sakic,Thornton,Spezza/Staal/Crosby,Lecavalier?

Lecavalier, Thornton, Sakic, Spezza

I can't honestly see Brad Richards being left off of this team.

He has won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Stanley Cup, and the World Cup. Gretzky tends to like players like that.

Richards will make the team before guys like Crosby, Spezza, or Staal even are considered.

Canada will take 5 centres. There will be 4 regular centres that are used in a regular rotation. Then there wil be 1 centre used as primarily as a penalty killer/defensive specialist/face-off specialist.

The 4 regular centres will be: Sakic, Lecavalier, Richards, and Thornton.
The 1 other centre will be: either Draper or Madden.

I don't think Spezza's gonna make it.Lecavalier,Thornton,Richards,Sakic and either Madden or Draper.

just like ferns says.

I can't honestly see Brad Richards being left off of this team.

He has won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Stanley Cup, and the World Cup. Gretzky tends to like players like that.

Richards will make the team before guys like Crosby, Spezza, or Staal even are considered.

I agree completely. He's extremely consistent, and was clutch in the playoffs. I think he's pretty versatile, and could play wing, however, and won't necessarily be slotted as a center.

I agree completely. He's extremely consistent, and was clutch in the playoffs. I think he's pretty versatile, and could play wing, however, and won't necessarily be slotted as a center.

He's definitely a lock. Whether he's a centre is debatable. Which wing is he more likely to play?

If they are taking players on merit Spezza will be there. If they are taking the old crappy aproach that got us Nagano Spezza will not be there.

Not saying Canada wont win.
But i seem to remember Gretzky saying before the last Olympics that they were taking players based on their play at the time, not who they were or history.

that's how iginla made it.

I hope he sticks to that.

Sakic,Thornton,Spezza/Staal/Crosby,Lecavalier?

Correct.

Richards will probably play wing on Lecav's line.

He's definitely a lock. Whether he's a centre is debatable. Which wing is he more likely to play?

I'm not sure which his better wing would be. Left perhaps? He'd look good on a line with Sakic and Iginla.

I think Spezza should definitely be on the team. One of the concerns, when assembling this type of team, is chemistry. He has already established great chemistry with Heatley - it makes sense to carry that over the the olympic team. They won't need any adjustment period to remember how each other plays. Just plug them in and go.

Well with Lemieux's heart beating irregularly, I'm sure he will take himself out of the Olympics...