Team Canada announced their roster this morning for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. As expected, the team is loaded with top notch talent that immediately makes them a front runner to win the gold.
Below we’ve laid out the entire roster for you. As you can see, the team is strong all around.
Goalies: Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Mike Smith
Defencemen: Jay Bouwmeester, Drew Doughty, Dan Hamhuis, Duncan Keith, Alex Pietrangelo, P.K. Subban, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shea Weber
Forwards: Jamie Benn, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Matt Duchene, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz, Patrick Marleau, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Sharp, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews
Notably missing from the array of forwards is Joe Thornton. His Sharks teammate Patrick Marleau made the cut, while Thornton was left off the roster. Thornton currently has 48 points in 43 games played, with 43 of those points being assists. His chemistry with Patrick Marleau could have helped team Canada, and his physical presence would have been a bonus as well.
Additionally, Martin St. Louis and Claude Giroux have been left off the roster as well. Giroux started the season off very slow, going pointless in the Flyers first five games, but he has picked up the pace as of late. St. Louis, like Giroux, has tallied 38 points in 42 games this season, and has contributed heavily to his teams success.
On the defensive side of things, Team Canada left off Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks. Seabrook would have paired nicely with Duncan Keith, his Blackhawks teammate, and has been outstanding this season.
Between the pipes, the Canadian team surprisingly snubbed goalie Marc-Andre Fluery. Fluery currently leads in the NHL in wins with 24, and has picked up 3 shutouts as well.
What are your thoughts on the team that Steve Yzerman has assembled for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi? Do you think they have what it takes to win a gold medal? Who were your biggest surprises and snubs of this team?
