The Canadian national team is probably the hardest hit by the North American professional league NHL's withdrawal from participation in the men's ice hockey tournament at this year's Winter Olympics in Beijing. And yet the motherland of ice hockey brings together a very exciting and strong team. Which we will take a closer look at below.
In principle, Canada is always the favorite in an ice hockey tournament, regardless of where, when and in what constellation it is held. In addition to the importance of the fastest team sport in the world in the country itself, the Canadians' success story certainly also plays a role. They have won gold nine times, silver four times and bronze three times at the Olympic Games since the first ice hockey tournament in Antwerp in 1920, more medals than any other team.
However, it is also true that the Canadians failed in the semi-finals against the German national ice hockey team in Pyeongchang in 2018 and therefore only won bronze. At the end of the game it was 4:3 for national coach Marco Sturm's boys.
Three Canadian players are left over from the last tournament and are back this time. The defenders Maxim Noreau (ZSC Lions, NL) and Mat Robinson (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL) and the striker Eric O'Dell (Dynamo Moscow, KHL). The team's biggest star is undoubtedly Eric Staal. The 37-year-old is a member of the Triple Gold Club. In 2006 he celebrated the Stanley Cup victory with the Carolina Hurricanes, in 2007 he won the world championship with Canada and in 2010 he was an Olympic champion. So he knows how it's done and that's why he leads the team as captain.
Overall, the Canadian team is an all-star selection made up of players from outside the NHL. Nine players come from the Continental Hockey League (KHL), which was founded in Russia, four from the Swiss top league, two from the Swedish top division and two from the PENNY DEL. The names Ben Street and Landon Ferraro say this above all else Fans something in Munich and Cologne. After all, you play for EHC Red Bull and the Haie.
Most of the players not chasing the puck in Europe are major talents from US university teams or even the Canadian junior league OHL. Goaltender Devon Levi (20 years old) was drafted by the Buffalo Sabers in 2020, but he was not their first or second choice. Things looked better for the now 22-year-old Jack McBain (3rd round 2018, Minnesota). But the upcoming superstars are definitely the two 19-year-old top draftees from 2021, defender Owen Power and striker Mason McTavish. While Power was drafted by Buffalo as the first overall pick last year, McTavish was still the third pick and will lead the Anaheim Ducks forward in the near future.
The Canadian team has a high-quality selection of ice hockey players in its squad, purely based on the names. Now it's up to the coaching staff to form a team from them. And there was one more dropout to deal with shortly before departure from the training camp in Switzerland. Head coach Claude Julien (known as NHL head coach in Boston and Montreal) was unable to travel. Instead, Jeremy Colliton, who was originally planned as assistant coach, took on full responsibility. The 37-year-old most recently coached the Chicago Blackhawks, so he's not a complete newbie. He can also rely on a very prominent and fully staffed staff, led by the former head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers and current CEO of Hockey Canada, Tom Renney.
In any case, the expectations of Canadians in front of their screens at home are certainly no less than in recent years. Reaching the final is a must, the gold medal is almost more than the declared goal.
Olympic record since 1990
Germany vs. Canada
4:3 (23.02.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX, semi-final, Pyeongchang)
2:8 (23.02.2010/XNUMX/XNUMX, quarterfinals, Vancouver)
1:5 (February 16.02.2006, XNUMX, preliminary round, Turin)
2:3 (17.02.2002/XNUMX/XNUMX, second round, Salt Lake City)
3:4 nP (February 18.02.1992, XNUMX, quarter-finals, Albertville)