Early look at Team Canada

Unthinkable
02-13-2004, 10:46 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/jon_dolezar/02/13/team.canada/index.html
Good as gold

Team Canada will be favored in 2004 World Cup of Hockey

Friday February 13, 2004

The defending Olympic champions will enter the 2004 World Cup of Hockey as heavy favorites, even though their roster will have many changes from the one that was golden in Salt Lake just 24 months ago.

The 26-man rosters -- which as of now are supposed to include three under-23 players, though some teams are protesting that and trying to get it eliminated -- don't need to be submitted until May 15, so much will still change, of course. Players have seven weeks of regular-season action and nearly three rounds of the postseason to proved their mettle.

And for players whose teams miss the playoff party, they would be wise to pack their bags and head to the 2004 IIHF World Championships in the Czech Republic from April 24 through May 9, because players who have been loyal to Canada in international competitions in the past will get big-time brownie points once the final decisions are made.

Through a league source, SI.com has learned the identity of the 54 players still under consideration to play for Canada in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Wayne Gretzky and the Team Canada brass are still considering 22 of the 23 players who won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, with only suspended forward Theo Fleury not making the list.
.
.
.

NJDevs430
02-14-2004, 01:08 AM
Let's see how they mind Brodeur coming out to handle the puck then...
}:-)>

Unthinkable
02-14-2004, 01:09 AM
Let's see how they mind Brodeur coming out to handle the puck then...
}:-)>
http://www.hfboards.com/images/smilies/lol.gifhttp://www.hfboards.com/images/smilies/joker.gifhttp://www.hfboards.com/images/smilies/handclap.gif

borrachon
02-14-2004, 01:17 AM
No Madden, after all the praise following the playoffs last year.

DevilFisch
02-15-2004, 12:46 PM
Jason Woolley? HUH?

P.S. If I'm Team Canada, I'm not digging those projected lines. No Madden or Peca, but Yzerman and Savard? Usually those are wrong, so...I'm not going to put much salt in them. But weird.

NJ_Devil_Boy
02-15-2004, 02:58 PM
Jason Woolley? HUH?



IMO, most of the team (except the superstars) will be made up with guys have a solid playoffs. Even though I don't think Woolley will be there, one cannot forget he plays on a great team (Detroit). If the Wings win it all this season, one would think he'll have a solid playoffs.

David Puddy
02-15-2004, 10:27 PM
I wish Marty would defect. Team USA would then be the favorite. Oh, Jim Craig, where are you Jim Craig? Team USA has Dunham or the Islanders goalies to choose from.

A couple of months ago Wayne Gretzky had said something about perhaps making Brodeur Team Canada captain, which is allowed in Olympic play. I heard Doc Emrick tell Chico Resch, and Chico was really happy.