You don't assemble teams of NHL all stars in the middle of a regular season with the expectation of finishing 3rd (or in this case 4th). As Doc Emrick alluded to during the broadcast, 25 teams are in a race for the post-season, and I can imagine that the players on teams that aren't playing for gold would just rather get back to their clubs ASAP.

It's not like other sports at this level. In basketball and soccer the main world tournaments are held in the off-season, which allows teams to practice and play alongside each other (and in soccer these teams are usually together for World Cup and Euro qualifying). In men's Olympic hockey, the final rosters are announced around January 1, and the last games before the break are only three days before the competition starts. The players then have to be teammates of guys they've been knocking the crap out of for the last four months.

I would be alright if they didn't send NHLers to South Korea...

What you said are some of my biggest gripes about this. I am all for going back to the old "amateurs only" format. This business of yanking players away from their season (and giving all the others a 2 week vacation) for the Olympics is ridiculous.

I am also not crazy about how this team was chosen. They left some excellent players back home (Ryan, Schneider, Saad, Yandle, Bishop, Okposo...), and, I am not impressed with some of those who were chosen. If they stick with the current format for 2018, I hope they bring in new management. The current staff sucks.

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 11:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Kevin Shattenkirk over Jack Johnson? WTF

I would rather have seen Brandon Saad over Dustin Brown, too. Or, Kyle Okposo.

But, what really irks me is that people are ragging on Patrick Kane for not producing enough. He has four assists--twice what fucking Saint Sidney of Penuintown has, yet not a peep about that. Crosby is supposedly "the best player in the world", yet it's Kane they're beating up? More WTFery.

Dustin Brown is a great captain, and a "character guy".... Who cares? This isn't an 82 game marathon, it's a short 4-6 game tournament! In this format, I want talent!

As a Kings fan, I realize that Jack Johnson doesn't have the greatest reputation around the league, but you're telling me that in a short tournament they didn't have a spot for a bona fide #1 Norris trophy caliber defenseman?

And, how the hell did Paul Stastny make the roster?

More salt in the wound. I just hope Toews, Sharp and Keith don't get hurt. (Or, any of their Swedish teammates.) That would make it even worse.

I agree about Jack Johnson--another who should've been there. Ditto on Stastny. They really need new management.

No he didn't. Toews did. He was the best player in the game, not The Little Diver Boy. Should've gotten the "C" instead of an "A", too. Grrrrr...

I just saw headlines that Patrick Roy is bashing Malkin, who I consider the Pen's best player, and Ovechkin over their Olympics play. WTF? He isn't Russian, and neither of them are on his team. Sheesh.

Crosby may be the best point-getter, but I'll take Toews over him ANY DAY! And, I'm not just saying that because I'm a BHawks fan. I say the same about Patrice Bergeron, too.

Here is the article: http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/22/avalanche-coach-patrick-roy-critical-of-ovechkin-malkin-for-olympic-performance/#comments

It's Patrick Roy. What can I say?

5-0. Awfully freaking lame on the part of Team USA.

Might as well have just given Finland the bronze and gone home without playing.