Olympic Hockey Teams Thread

[Ravin]

The Olympic hockey teams are starting to be named. So far, Belarus has named their team as well as Russia, and Sweden is scheduled to name its club Sunday, Latvia, Norway and Slovakia follow Tuesday, with the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Switzerland joining Canada on Wednesday.

Team Russia is as follows.
Goaltenders:

Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes)
Semyon Varlamov (Washington Capitals)
Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks).

Defenders:

Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa Senators)
Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers)
Dmitry Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev)
Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA)
Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadians)
Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars)
Fedor Tyutin (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Forwards:

Maxim Afinogenov (Atlanta Thrashers)
Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings)
Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars)
Sergei Zinovyev (Salavat Yulaev)
Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers)
Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Yulaev)
Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars)
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev)
Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals)
Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)

[wr50l]

Bryzgalov ... check

No Zherdev ... check

The deadliest top line you will ever see ... check

Proud of my recently acquired Russian heritage.

[Ravin]

You should be cheering for Sweden since your boy the queen is on that team.

Sweden Roster

G Henrik Lundqvist (NHL)
G Jonas Gustavsson (NHL)
G Stefan LivJonkoping (SEL)

D Tobias Enstrom (NHL)
D Magnus JohanssonLinkopings (SEL)
D Niklas Kronwall (NHL)
D Nicklas Lidstrom (NHL)
D Douglas Murray (NHL)
D Johnny Oduya (NHL)
D Mattias Ohlund (NHL)
D Henrik Tallinder (NHL)

F Daniel Alfredsson (NHL)
F Nicklas Backstrom (NHL)
F Loui Eriksson (NHL)
F Peter ForsbergMODO (SEL)
F Tomas Holmstrom (NHL)
F Patric Hornqvist (NHL)
F Fredrik Modin (NHL)
F Samuel Pahlsson (NHL)
F Daniel Sedin (NHL)
F Henrik Sedin (NHL)
F Mattias WeinhandlDynamo (RUS)
F Henrik Zetterberg (NHL)

[Obst]

Team Russia is deadly, i can't wait to see USA's team.

[Obst]

Yeah, it's an average defense but the offense and goaltending makes up for it.

I'm literally trying to think who is going to be on USA's team this year. Some of the names I'm thinking about are Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas, Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Blake Wheeler, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Ryan Malone, James van Riemsdyk

[guchi45]

Who the hell do you leave off Russia's top line between Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, and Malkin?

Ovechkin-Malkin-Kovy? Ovechkin and Kovy are snipers and Malkin is a playmaker? Thats my guess

[leaffan]

Ovechkin-Malkin-Kovy? Ovechkin and Kovy are snipers and Malkin is a playmaker? Thats my guess

Yah Dats is the second liner on that team.

[Ravin]

Seriously, they have two lines. And they would be stupid to not put Semin and Ovey on the same line. You know, the two who play on the same team. Semin is so overlooked beause names like Malkin and Ovey, but he really does make it a two line system. I'd run

Ovey - Malkin - Semin
Kovy - Datsyuk - Kozlov(??)

or something like that. Either way, you have an insane first line and still a tough second line.

Honestly, and this is not biased, once Canada's roster is out, it will just make other countries mouth drop. How do you not get excited at the prospect of probably the top line in the NHL Heatly/Thorton/Marleau all playing on the same line in Vancouver, and the likes of Crosby, Nash and Iginla lining up together. And that is just line one and two. Still got Towes, Doan and Staal to make a line, which I think could work well.

[Ravin]

And the big team has been named today. Team Canada's roster is as followed

Goalies
Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Marc-Andre Fleury

Defence
Chris Pronger (A)
Shea Weber
Brent Seabrook
Scott Niedermayer (C)
Dan Boyle
Drew Doughty
Duncan Keith

Forwards
Sidney Crosby (A)
Jarome Iginla (A)
Jonathan Toews
Rick Nash
Eric Staal
Mike Richards
Brenden Morrow
Dany Heatley
Joe Thornton
Ryan Getzlaf
Patrick Marleau
Corey Perry
Patrice Bergeron

[Ravin]

Some surprises left off is Dion Phenuef not being on the team but Drew Doughty being selected. Same with Mike Green as well, but I guess with Boyle as the dman, they don't need it.

If they also, as I said before, don't put the San Jose Shark line together I would be surprised. Seems as if Nash/Crosby/Iginla is going to be a line as well. Very surprised that Bergeron and Morrow got selected, as they seemed like long shots. I would have prefered a Jordan Staal or Jeff Carter over Bergeron.

And I do like the choice of Fluery has a backup goalie, as he is having a good year. Hardest thing to see is who is the 4th line for Canada. I have a feeling it will be Morrow, Bergeron and either Perry or Richards.

[wr50l]

They should've taken another winger ... St Louis, instead of one of the under performing centres. Mike Richards has absolutely no business being there.

Just as you wouldn't break up the Sharks line I think it would be dumb to break up the Anaheim line.

As for the D, Canada has a glut of elite two way defenceman and all of those who made the team are playing on fine form with the exception of Niedermayer and Pronger who rightly or wrongly have a default in. If you want to play for Canada as a D you have to be more than a luxury offensive guy (Mike Green I hate that lad so much) and you can't be living off a rep you built two years ago (Phaneuf)

Overall I'd say the selectors have done a good job of picking the in form players and not going off reputation.

Nevertheless none of those players are capable of scoring enough goals against Bryzgalov to beat my Motherland.

[wingsfan77]

Maybe if Richards plays fourth line and barely gets any TOI he'll get his head out of his ass, although he's been better the past few games. I'm VERY happy that Jeff Carter didn't make it, he's been such a fucking floater this year

[leaffan]

Toews, Richards and Morrow.... wtf!

Lecavalier and St. Louis please.

[wingsfan77]

Yea I mean that's a solid team but it'll be TOUGH to match-up with Canada and Russia

[wr50l]

I would say you've got a really good squad actually.

The defence is really good, there's some proper underrated guys on that list. Goalie you've got one of the best. Forwards, there's a fair few 30 goal scorers on that list, plenty of really talented young guys too.