Top 10 Players by Country

[Cannuck]

According to nhl.com

Canada

1 - Sidney Crosby
2 - Martin Brodeur
3 - Jarome Iginla
4 - Marc-Andre Fleury
5 - Chris Pronger
6 - Ryan Getzlaf
7 - Rick Nash
8 - Roberto Luongo
9 - Joe Thornton
10 - Vinny Lecavalier

Russia

1 - Alex Ovechkin
2 - Pavel Datsyuk
3 - Evgeni Malkin
4 - Ilya Kovalchuk
5 - Sergei Gonchar
6 - Andrei Markov
7 - Nikolai Khabibulin
8 - Alexander Semin
9 - Evgeni Nabakov
10 - Alexei Kovalev

Sweden

1 - Niklas Lidstrom
2 - Henrik Zetterberg
3 - Henrik Lundqvist
4 - Daniel Alfredsson
5 - Niklas Backstrom
6 - Daniel Sedin
7 - Henrik Sedin
8 - Yohan Franzen
9 - Loui Eriksson
10 - Niklas Kronwall

US

1 - Zach Parise
2 - Tim Thomas
3 - Patrick Kane
4 - Ryan Miller
5 - Brian Rafalski
6 - Mike Komisarek
7 - Jamie Langenbrunne
8 - Phil Kessel
9 - Dustin Brown
10 - Paul Stastny

Czech Republic

1 - Patrik Elias
2 - Davi Krejci
3 - Tomas Vokoun
4 - Tomas Kaberle
5 - Ales Hemsky
6 - Milan Hejduk
7 - Martin Havlat
8 - Michael Frolik
9 - Milan Michalek
10 - Pavel Kubina


OK, the first thing that jumps out at me is the #10 spots. Vinny vs Kubina, Stastny, Kronwall and Kovalev just goes to show you the depth of talent that Canada has. The second is the names. There are entirely too many Henriks and Niks in Europe. Enough already.

 

[talloola]

Gaborik should be added, even though he is slovakian, he should be at the
top of that czech list, with a star beside it, if there is no slovakian list.

 

[Cannuck]

There's a list of Slovaks and Finns. I'll post that when I have some time.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Hey sports fans, the Olympics will be tough to win for us Canucks (as in Canadians) because for some Europeans, winning the world championship is a bigger deal than winning the Stanley Cup. This motivates Europeans in a way Canadians aren't. I think in terms of talen we're about equal with Russia.

Take me, a huge Vancouver Canuck fan. To be honest, if had a choice, I would want the Canucks to win their first Stanley Cup in 2010, rather than Canada win gold in 2010. To individual cities, the Stanley Cup means more. If I got a guarantee for the Canucks to win in 2011, then I would choose gold in 2010.

I find it massively embarrassing than American teams have won the Stanley Cup but Vancouver hasn't. Call me disloyal, but I have been a fan for over forty years of the 'Nucks and I really really really want them to win the Stanley Cup.

 

[Cannuck]

I think in terms of talen we're about equal with Russia.

..for the top five players. After that, Canada is dominant. The top 6 Canadian players that won't make the Olympic team are better than the bottom six players on any other national team. All you have to do is look at #'s 9 and 10 on these lists... Joe Thornton
and Vinny Lecavalier vs Alexei Kovalev, Niklas Kronwall, Paul Stastny or Pavel Kubina. It's no contest.

 

[talloola]

I think Joe Thornton and Vinnie LeCavellier aren't a shoe-in to make the team, the
way thornton played in the last three playoffs, they might have second thoughts, as
there are other top players out there too, same with Vinnie.
The players will be chosen by their play from the start of the season up to pick time, and not before.
No country wants to win Olympics more than Canada, maybe as much but not more.
Other teams can want it as much as they want, including Canada, but the team
who does it, does it, and there are circumstances throughout the tournament
to create advantages for one or another, injuries, etc. On paper, Canada should
win, but they have to prove that. The picking of players this time is totally
different than the last time, which was a failure, picked the 'ole boys' who
were the well known, 'not this time', they have to prove themselves on their
teams first, and that is good.
You still haven't listed the 'slovak' team, with gaborik at the top.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

..for the top five players. After that, Canada is dominant. The top 6 Canadian players that won't make the Olympic team are better than the bottom six players on any other national team. All you have to do is look at #'s 9 and 10 on these lists... Joe Thornton
and Vinny Lecavalier vs Alexei Kovalev, Niklas Kronwall, Paul Stastny or Pavel Kubina. It's no contest.

But that wouldn't explain why Canada lost to the Russians at the 2009 world championship. We got more chances, but couldn't put the puck in the net. Our B teams are not as strong as we think.

Part of the answer why we lost the 2009 world championship is that Roloson played in net instead of Chris Mason from St Louis. Mason lost to the Canucks and let in a soft last goal, so he had something to prove and should have played in the final.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

I think Joe Thornton and Vinnie LeCavellier aren't a shoe-in to make the team, the way thornton played in the last three playoffs, they might have second thoughts, as there are other top players out there too, same with Vinnie. The players will be chosen by their play from the start of the season up to pick time, and not before.

No country wants to win Olympics more than Canada, maybe as much but not more. Other teams can want it as much as they want, including Canada, but the team who does it, does it, and there are circumstances throughout the tournament to create advantages for one or another, injuries, etc. On paper, Canada should win, but they have to prove that. The picking of players this time is totally different than the last time, which was a failure, picked the 'ole boys' who were the well known, 'not this time', they have to prove themselves on their teams first, and that is good. You still haven't listed the 'slovak' team, with gaborik at the top.

I'm down on Joe Thorton, old, slow, and not winning the big games anymore. Dump him.

Lots of countries want to win the Olympic gold in hockey more than Canada. For some players winning gold means stardom in their countries for life. It's a national Stanley Cup. Think of soccer, but on a smaller scale.

 

[talloola]

I'm down on Joe Thorton, old, slow, and not winning the big games anymore. Dump him.

Lots of countries want to win the Olympic gold in hockey more than Canada. For some players winning gold means stardom in their countries for life. It's a national Stanley Cup. Think of soccer, but on a smaller scale.

no, I don't agree with that analagy, it's your take on it.
An interview with Luongo very recently, he would be thrilled to be chosen
to play on the Olympic team, to play for my country is very special.
Canada wants,' at every Olympics', to prove to everyone they are the best in
the world.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

no, I don't agree with that analagy, it's your take on it.
An interview with Luongo very recently, he would be thrilled to be chosen
to play on the Olympic team, to play for my country is very special.
Canada wants,' at every Olympics', to prove to everyone they are the best in
the world.

With the analogy, if you mean the competition between nations in the Old World, then you are as wrong as you can be. Korea wants to beat Japan or China in anything, hockey will do. Ditto for Finland vs Sweden, Finland vs Russia, Russia vs Hungary etc. George Orwell wrote an essay how he was disgusted how sport was just like war, but it's not war and its better than war, but that doesn't mean they don't want to compete against each other very intensely.

Sure Luongo wants to play and win for Canada. I don't doubt his desire. Teams are very close, and intangibles come in to play with the Olympics. The Czech Republic won on the strength of two superstar Jagr and Hasek in the 1998 Olympics. A short tournament allow for unpredictability.

 

[Cannuck]

But that wouldn't explain why Canada lost to the Russians at the 2009 world championship. We got more chances, but couldn't put the puck in the net. Our B teams are not as strong as we think.

Any team can beat any team on any given day. A one game event does not indicate who is better. Look at Nagano. Canada was the best team there and ran into a hot goaltender (besides, the world championships aren't even the best players...only the best available after the first round of the playoffs).

There are also issues like chemistry. Doesn't matter the talent level... if it's bad, it's an uphill battle.

 

[talloola]

No other hockey team in the olympics wants to win 'more' than canada, maybe
as much, but Canada has to deal with more pressure than the rest, because they
are the team to beat, by all others.
The spirit of playing for one's country is huge, by all the countries including Canada.
There isn't an international hockey tournament in the world where any country wants it more than Canada, and all the rest are 'out to beat' canada, and if they
do, it's bigger than beating each other.
Hockey is our game, the pride is always there by our teams and players.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Any team can beat any team on any given day. A one game event does not indicate who is better. Look at Nagano. Canada was the best team there and ran into a hot goaltender (besides, the world championships aren't even the best players...only the best available after the first round of the playoffs).

There are also issues like chemistry. Doesn't matter the talent level... if it's bad, it's an uphill battle.

At the world championships all the Canadians are NHLers, which are supposed to be the best players in the world. Not all the Russians are NHLers. And still we lose.

Don Cherry said a few years back that our B team could beat other countries' A team. They can't for the top countries. Now our C teams lose to their C teams.

 

[talloola]

At the world championships all the Canadians are NHLers, which are supposed to be the best players in the world. Not all the Russians are NHLers. And still we lose.

Don Cherry said a few years back that our B team could beat other countries' A team. They can't for the top countries. Now our C teams lose to their C teams.

There are russians who choose not to come to the NHL, doesn't mean they are
any less of a player, and when the game is played on the large ice, they are
more comfortable.
If those players who play in europe all the time come to play on the small
ice, with closer checking, rougher hockey, and not much room, they have
problems.
NHL players go to world hockey when their team gets knocked out, doesn't
mean they are a b or c, just available NHL players. No such thing as a b or c
teams.
These teams are 'finally' thrown together as NHL players become available.
There are many variables, can't just label players and teams.

And learn to ignore don cherry, he's just a big blow hard, and always shuns
the europeans, even did it to Detroit in playoffs, for two years, because they
have lots of europeans, said they were boring, what an air head he is, he
just can't sell his rockem sockem videos, if teams play such good hockey as they
are now, and don't knock each over on every rush, he's still living back in the
pre lock out days, slower, not to talented, poorer skating, those days are gone
forever.

 

[Cannuck]

Slovaks

1. Zdeno Chara, D
2. Marian Hossa, F
3. Marian Gaborik, F
4. Pavol Demitra, F
5. Michal Handzus, F
6. Lubomir Visnovsky, D
7. Andrej Meszaros, D
8. Milan Jurcina, D
9. Marek Svatos, F
10. Jaroslav Halak, G


Finns

1. Mikko Koivu, F
2. Miikka Kiprusoff, G
3. Niklas Backstrom, G
4. Teemu Selanne, F
5. Olli Jokinen, F
6. Saku Koivu, F
7. Kimmo Timonen, D
8. Joni Pitkanen, D
9. Valtteri Filppula, F
10. Tuomo Ruutu, F

 

[Cannuck]

At the world championships all the Canadians are NHLers, which are supposed to be the best players in the world.

Since your starting point misses the mark, your whole argument is flawed. There are alot of good NHL caliber players playing in Europe. Some aren't lured by the big dollars and would rather stay close to home especially since the money in Europe is getting better all the time. Look at Jiri Hudler he is one of the top up and coming Czech players and playing in Russia.

 

[thatone]

canada = depth

 

[talloola]

canada = depth

That's right, I wouldn't want to be picking the team from the evaluation camp
in Calgary last week, not an easy task.