The 2006 Olympic Gold Medal...

[Wulfran]

... for hockey may as well just be handed to Team Canada already!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=8747&hubname=

I am predicting silver for Team USA, and bronze for Team Sajko and The Swedish Meatball Brigade (again Sakic > Forsberg). Honorable mention to the Czechs.

Its kind of funny all the arguing this team always causes up here but its great as a hockey fan. A ton of fans have educated opinions and valid reasons for their differing choices... although in the end, Gretzky, Lowe, Tambellini, Nicholson and Co. have the final say I'm looking forward to this, as much as I am to the World Jrs in a couple days (usually the best hockey of the year!).

[Lynks]

A couple points of criticism:

Staal should of made the official team. Nash, although a great player, is still recovering from 2 injuries this year. As for Spezza, he's a showboat and coughs the puck up too many times and doesn't even deserve to be on the taxi team.

Where is Shanahan?

I have my doubts about Tampa's line being together, they haven't really produced much this year.



Where they went right:

Giving Turco the nod to be on the roster.
Leaving out Crosby.
Letting Smyth and Draper stay on the team.
Giving Sakic the C.

Overall, a great team.

[miir]

Giving Turco the nod to be on the roster

Yeah, he's earned it this year.

Leaving out Crosby.

There's no way Nash should have been picked over or Crosby.
Nash is a great but he's not going to be 100% and Crosby is such a talented, exciting player.


I would have like to seen McCabe be on the main squad. If they paired him with Blake, they would be a terrifying outside threat on the powerplay.

I am predicting silver for Team USA, and bronze for Team Sajko and The Swedish Meatball Brigade (again Sakic > Forsberg).

There Swedes have a very formidable team with a lot of olymic experience. Their only real weakness is in goal. I think they have a definate chance for silver and an outside shot at the gold.

[Wulfran]

Nash, I admit I'm a little ambivalent about. I know he's got a lot of talent but is he going to be 100%? Is he now?

However, the guy who should take his place, if anyone is Staal. Crosby has put up great numbers and shown flashes of brilliance but he still isn't as solid defensively as a lot other players... and you have to be able to play both ways in a tournament like this.

McCabe is scary... but who do you remove to put him in? Foote? Regehr? Another D that could have made this team, in my opinion, is Sydor but he faces the same issue as McCabe.

And I agree with the Swedes being solid but I think the US is better on D and in net, which is why I pick them to win silver. If Hasek stands on his head, I could see the Czechs surprising but I don't have as much faith in his supporting cast.

[miir]

McCabe is scary... but who do you remove to put him in? Foote? Regehr?

Being a Leafs fan, it makes no difference to me, hehe.

[Lynks]

Nash was a hero last time they played, which is why I think they picked him again this time around.

[Thess]

... for hockey may as well just be handed to Team Canada already!

You can get +142 on canada winning the gold at http://www.pinnaclesports.com

[Sajko]

SWEDEN WILL WIN LOLZ

[Zamtuk]

Leaving out Crosby.

There's no way Nash should have been picked over or Crosby.
Nash is a great but he's not going to be 100% and Crosby is such a talented, exciting player.

nah, that was a good move. while crosby is a great player and very exciting to watch (maybe the most exciting in the nhl right now) he isn't a great team player. Nash will be a greater contribution to the team all around than Crosby. As its already been mentioned, his defense is pretty dubious at times.

[Trek]

USA! USA! USA!



eh?