Pierre McGuire Reveals His Picks For 2010 Olympic Team
18/02/2009 06:43
The 23-man roster that will represent Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver has been set, or so it would seem if hockey analyst and former player/coach Pierre McGuire were executive director of Canada's men's hockey team.
With 365 days before the puck drops in the opening game of the tournament, McGuire unveiled the players he believes should make up the men's national team - a list that includes 12 members of the old guard.
In the blue paint, Martin Brodeur was selected to be the starting goaltender for the country's Olympic team. The 36-year-old has missed most of the 2008-09 NHL campaign following elbow surgery in November but with the Montreal native on the mend, McGuire feels his resume is too deep to ignore.
"A staple in the Canadian net since the 2002 Salt Lake City games, Martin Brodeur is Canada's ultimate pressure-treated goaltender, winning three Stanley Cups, Olympic gold and a World Cup during a glittering professional career."
Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo is number two on the list. The hometown favourite is considered Brodeur's heir apparent as Canada's international goalie, partly on the strength of two gold medal performances at the World Championship.
Montreal's Carey Price is McGuire's third selection to represent the maple leaf. Struggling with his NHL team of late, Price won over the country at the 2007 World Junior Championship when he stared down the U.S. in a semifinal shootout showdown and then beat Russia for gold.
On the blueline, there are a lot of new faces wearing Canada's crest with only two returning defenceman from the 2006 Torino Games - Jay Bouwmeester and Scott Niedermayer.
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To view all of TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire’s picks, click here.