there's been a whole lotta talk in the past week or two about who should lead the canadian men's hockey team into vancouver in 2010, and it's really starting to grate on my nerves....
when you compile a team of veritable allstars, many of whom captain their NHL clubs, there's no question that singling out one individual as "THE" leader is a tough call (and i certainly don't envy stevie Y for having to actually MAKE this decision in the next few months)... but the pundits, bloggers, and journalists are turning this thing into a three-ring circus.
from the sounds of it, the frontrunners are scott niedermeyer, sidney crosby, and our own jarome iginla. all solid choices for different reasons.... nieds is the most decorated hockey player of all time, having won virtually every award possible in his distinguished career... iginla is knows as a great leader, a good presence, a positive voice in the lockerroom.... and sid is the youngest captain to have won a stanley cup, FINALLY, after two straight seasons of deep (and certainly pressure-filled) playoff runs....
i can definitely get behind any of those (probably less for sid, but hey ---the kid's got a cup ring and iggy doesn't), but it's the other suggestions in the media that are driving me insane:
this poll seems to actually nominate roberto luongo as an option, and i'm not convinced it's a joke... this guy actually suggests chris "elbows" pronger without seemingly cracking a grin, and throws mike richards' name into the hat as well.... no offense to richards but does anyone actually think he's got a shot at the C over niedermeyer or iginla ??! dream on, dan rosen... i'm glad that YOU'RE writing for nhl.com and i'm not....
personally, i'm surprised at how often shane doan has been overlooked in the media's musings, considering he's been his NHL club's captain for six years, and team canada captain for the past 3 world championships (which makes him FAR more relevant than ryan smyth) ... personally, i don't even think smyth will get a spot on the final roster, injuries notwithstanding... simply put, the fact that bob nicholson had to sit in front of a parliamentary committee in defense of hockey canada naming doan as the team's captain in 2006 should put the phoenix coyote squarely on the short list.
realistically, however, doan might not make the final squad, either..... it's an embarrassment of riches, and i do not envy some of the decisions that stevie Y will be making in the next few months.... but i can't wait to see the final team hit the ice. at least we know that the end result of the captaincy controversy will end with one hell of a hockey player wearing both a maple leaf and a C.....
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I can't imagine voting for Luongo. If you were going to pick a goalie, wouldn't it be Brodeur? He'd be my pick for sure; I just checked the roster and he's the only guy older than me (and you). :)
Can't wait to watch some all-star action on Thursday. Can't believe how much talent we are going to have in Vancouver. Have we figured out how we're going to get into some of those games yet?
what are you TALKING about ?!?!? maybe you're old, mike, but i'm younger than brodeur, niedermeyer. pronger AND st.louis (just).
the really sad part about that poll with luongo is that shane doan has only SLIGHTLY more votes than the goalie.... effin' canuck fans. ugh. can't trust those guys to vote for anyone good....
this team is gonna be awesome, but i'm still afraid of the russians....
You're right, my mistake. I can't quite clear St. Louis (May vs. June) but Niedermeyer and Pronger are definitely older.
Here's how its going to go down... the guys are going to practice all week, and then Stevie Y. is going to nominate himself captain.
I've been reading around the various Team Canada news reports, and one question doesn't seem to be answered anywhere: How come Bert didn't get the call? When all of these talented guys are plugging away in the corners, who's going to be strategically filling all the empty space at centre ice? We both heard a pretty emphatic argument last weekend suggesting that he was hugely underrated (I was pretty sure you were convinced).
i was less convinced by the argument than by the mouth that was putting it forth, obviously... ;)
stevie Y would make a great captain.
I'd like to see Iginla as captain. Huge fan of him.
sure you don't wanna vote for stevie Y ?
after the game tonight, i'm three-way tossed up: iggy, doan & nieds.
any of those guys are good.
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