2010 Olympic teams

My first post in quite a while. Here are my picks for Team USA and Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics.

Team USA

Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Assistant Coach: John Tortorella
Captain: Chris Drury
Assistant Captains: Mike Komisarek and Zach Parise

Patrick Kane-Paul Stastny-Dustin Brown
Zach Parise-Scott Gomez-Phil Kessel
Patrick O'Sullivan-Chris Drury-Brian Rolston
Erik Cole-Brandon Dubinsky-Joe Pavelski

extra forwards; Jason Pominville and Peter Mueller

Brooks Orpik-Brian Rafalski
Ryan Suter-Mike Komisarek
Ryan Whitney-Erik Johnson

extra defenseman: Jack Johnson

Ryan Miller
Rick DiPietro

extra goalie: Tim Thomas

It's remarkable how much more depth we have compared to 2006. Assuming our up and coming young players develop the necessary leadership skills, USA Hockey should be fine for a while. We've got as much or more talent than we did in 1996 when we won the World Cup and in 2002 when we almost made away with a gold in Salt Lake City. This team was very hard to pick. Just 4 years ago at the World Cup we had the likes of Steve Konowalchuk, Ken Klee, and Jeff Halpern suiting up for us. All solid citizens, but basically third liner/third pair types. (Sorry Powers, not picking on ex-Caps). We've got a lot more to choose from now.

The same old problem persists though. We don't bring the consistent level of urgency to tournaments that other bring. We want to win but we'll never have the pressure of the other hockey playing powers. If Sweden or Finland are in a gold medal game, their countries shut down to watch it. Same in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I wouldn't be surprised to learn of heads literally rolling in Russia if their team ended a tournament with a loss. Canada is Canada. They have to win.

Team Canada

Head Coach: Mike Babcock
Assistant Coach: Lindy Ruff
Captain: Sidney Crosby
Assistant Captains: Jarome Iginla and Chris Pronger

Rick Nash-Sidney Crosby-Jarome Iginla
Martin St.Louis-Vinny Lecavalier-Dany Heatley
Mike Richards-Jonathon Toews-Shane Doan
Eric Staal-Jordan Staal-Ryan Getzlaf

extra Forwards: Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton

Chris Pronger-Brent Burns
Dion Phaneuf-Shea Weber
Brian Campbell-Mike Green

extra defenseman: Dan Boyle

Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo

extra goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury

Canada's teams are always disgustingly good, but this one seems more so. Not since Steve Yzerman was getting snubbed for Canada Cup teams has someone with as much skill as Joe Thornton or Jason Spezza not gotten the call of duty. Poitras convinced me that Crosby would be a better captain than Iginla. This trio of captains will stare a hole through your soul if you fail to pick up your man. As long as the pressure their country puts on them doesn't unravel them it's hard to see them not at least making the gold medal game.