CONTENDERS EVERYWHERE
Canada? The U.S.? The OAR? It’s anyone’s guess who’ll capture this tournament of great unknowns, Steve Simmons writes.
PYEONGCHANG
To choke or not to choke? That is the Russian question as the Olympic hockey tournament begins.
Call them what you want, Russians, Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR), the narrative doesn’t really change: Can this team, this country, finally gets its act together and win Olympic hockey gold?
It’s only been 26 years between gold medals, and that 1992 Unified Team wasn’t exactly known as Russian, either. This time, the political circumstances may be different but the victory in the end could be similar.
Can this country, known for disappointing every four years, find a way to leave the past behind?
“For me, the Russians are what Canada was in the last Olympic tournament,” said hockey commentator Ray Ferraro, here covering the Games. “They had the most talent, they were the best team and they did it in the end. Here, the Russians have the best team with the most experience, the most firepower and terrific goaltending.”
And then he pauses. Because he’s talking about the Olympics and Russian hockey, even if the team is without its emblems and that fabulous anthem. Which is all part of the fascination of this Olympic hockey tournament: This is the tournament of great unknowns.
The teams haven’t been seen before. This is so new, the history of most countries is basically insignificant. The best players are in the NHL. There is almost no way of truly seeding which country is favoured to win which medal.
“I think it’s always the same teams to worry about,” said Mikhail Grigorenko, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres. “It’s going to be Canada, U.S., Sweden, Finland and the Czechs. You can’t take any of those teams lightly.”
Then there’s Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia to worry about. That’s nine teams and three medals to go around. The math doesn’t add up.
“I think we’re really motivated not having our country on our jersey,” Grigorenko said. “We play for our country no matter what they call us. Obviously, we’d like to have Russian signs and flags and all that, but the decision was we have to play like this.”
As favourite at home in Sochi, that was a huge disappointment. As contender in Vancouver, they were blasted by Canada. In the five tournaments with NHL players, Russia, with all its individual talent, hasn’t played for gold.
The Slovaks proved the point out of the gate with a 3-2 win over OAR in Wednesday’s opener for both teams.
That frailty is being counted upon by the odd collection of players chosen to play for Canada and the U.S. Both teams believe they have speed and goaltending and are systematically sound enough to contend, but both concede they will have trouble scoring.
Team USA is excited about youngsters Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway and Troy Terry. “They will all be in the NHL soon,” NBC commentator Pierre McGuire said. “They have a lot of talent.”
Canada has a lot of experience. Sweden has Rasmus Dahlin, consensus first pick in this June’s NHL draft, on defence. The always solid Finns have defenceman Miro Heiskanen and forward Eeli Tolvanen: both were first-round NHL picks in 2017, Heiskanen third overall.
“This is a little bit like a world junior tournament in a way,” Ferraro said. “You always wonder, how will the young guys play against older, more experienced players? You have that with Sweden and Finland here, and even with some of the American forwards. These are great young talents, but is this the venue for them to show it?
“The way I look at it is, after Russia, it’s a crapshoot. This may be the least predictable event in the entire Olympics. The Swedes will be good. I think Canada will be good. The U.S. will be better than a lot of people think; they ’re very fast. And the Finns, they never go away.”
Ferraro offers one more contender: “The Swiss are pretty good and experienced. If they get any kind of goaltending, I think they’ll be difficult to beat.”
After Russia, it’s a crapshoot. This may be the least predictable event in the entire Olympics.