EVEN WITHOUT THE NHL’S BEST, CANADA WILL EXPECT GOLD
Left to pick a team from the very young and very old, Burke has his work cut out for him
Sean Burke was still adding names last week.
By the last count, the Team Canada general manager said the number was “somewhere in the area of 200.” Some, like Shane Doan and Jarome Iginla, were players that recently retired or were temporarily out of a job. Others, like Mason Raymond and Max Talbot, were former NHLers now playing in Europe.
But of all the names on the long list that Hockey Canada had to submit to the International Olympic Committee on Sunday — and which could be slightly amended between now and the 2018 Winter Olympics — the ones to keep an eye on were the junior players who have yet to make their NHL debuts.
Youth is going to be a significant factor on Canada’s Olympic roster. If last year’s Calder Trophy race taught Burke anything, it’s that young players aren’t pushing veterans out of the NHL because they’re costing less money, but rather because they can play.
Canada reached overtime of the gold medal final at the world hockey championship with a lineup that included rookies Mitch Marner and Travis Konecny (both 20) and 21-year-old Brayden Point. Looking ahead to the Olympics, expect Canada to give ample consideration to Nolan Patrick, Owen Tippett and the other recently drafted players who are still at training camp and are on the cusp of making the NHL, as well as any of the returning players at the upcoming world juniors.
“I don’t think it’s too young at all in theory,” Burke, who had been watching pre-season games in Las Vegas, said in a phone interview with Postmedia News from Nevada on Friday. “Everyone has to agree that it’s not unreasonable anymore to have a young player in your lineup contributing. I’m watching a lot of pre-season games and every night there’s a young player in the lineup who jumps out at you and has a chance to make their team.
“With our Olympic team, it’s only logical to assume that we need to really watch the young players and have that element on our team of having a couple of guys who can give you a boost.”
At the other end of the age spectrum are Doan and Iginla, of whom Burke calls the “trickiest decision.” Based on their reputation alone, both should be locks to make the team. But unless they can find a team to play for between now and the Olympics, it’s unrealistic to expect them to jump in cold.
“I don’t even think it’s possible, to be honest,” Burke said. “And that’s not taking anything away from Jarome Iginla or Shane Doan, but we’re talking about guys who are in their 40s. They’re all guys who deserve respect and who have been great players, but at the end of the day, they need a plan because the Olympics are in February and there’s a lot of hockey to be played between now and then.
“We just want to give our guys the best chance to make the team, but everyone needs to be playing at some time somewhere to be effective. Not playing hockey competitively for three or four months and stepping onto the ice against Pavel Datsyuk and some of the top players that are playing in Europe is a tall order.”
That’s the thing to remember here: Other countries, such as Russia and Sweden and Finland, are missing a roster full of NHLers to pick from. But where Canada is at a disadvantage concerns depth. They’re missing the top players, as well as the average players and even below-average players too. After you get past the top 25, Russia’s next-best players are in the KHL, which will be on a nearly month-long break for the Olympics.
We’re not taking our top NHL players but a lot of the other countries are still taking their top players because a lot of them aren’t in the NHL.
“Going to these Olympics, we’re not taking our top NHL players but a lot of the other countries are still taking their top players because a lot of them aren’t in the NHL,” Burke said. “You can’t deny that if you’re throwing (Sidney) Crosby out there followed by (Connor) McDavid, then you’re feeling pretty good about your centre position, or having Shea Weber out there with Duncan Keith on the back end, there’s a comfort in having the best players in the world. For that reason alone, I know how difficult it’s going to be. These countries are extremely competitive. We know that.”
Yet it doesn’t matter if there’s NHLers or not — there are no excuses. The expectations are the same. Canada will be expected to win once again. Burke knows it, and based on the list that he has created, he believes there are players available that can get the job done.
“A lot of it happens when guys put that jersey on,” Burke said. “There’s an expectation, a culture that’s been established. Anybody who wears the jersey wants to continue that. We don’t have that same luxury of that depth, but we know we have a lot of really good players.
“We’ll have a talented team.”