OT: 9 Red Wings players & 4 former UM players invited to Olympic camps for their countries
A lot of the countries released their list of players invited to camps to make their respective nation's Olympic squad. The Red Wings have 9 players (I couldn't find any more) invited. 5 for Sweden (Zetterberg, Nyquist, Kronwall, Franzen, Ericsson). 3 for USA (Abdelkader, Howard, DeKeyser). Sole Russian goes to the best 2-way player in the league in Pavel Datsyuk.
Also making the USA invite list are former UM D-men Trouba and Jack Johnson and forward Max Pacioretty. Carl Hagelin has also been invited to camp for Team Sweden. Team USA list link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=678655.
I was really impressed with DeKeyser in limited action this season. Great to see that he is already getting national recognition too. Also Babcock will be coaching Team Canada yet again.
I definitely think Quick gets the starting spot as well. Howard has a shot at it but with the way Quick has played the last 2 years he's definitely on the outside looking in. I think Callahan or Brown get the C though.
American goaltending is pretty stacked right now: Jimmy Howard, Jonathan Quick, Ryan Miller (who stole the show last Olympics), Cory Schenider, and until his retirment, Tim Thomas. I wonder who will be in net for team Canada. There three goaltenders from last Olympics have all seemingly regressed since 2010: Brodeur is simply aged, and Fleury and Luongo have had their fair shares of struggles in Pittsburgh and Vancouver.
Fleury and Brodeur have both been left off of the invite list.
Not to mention Craig Anderson, who had a better year than any of those goalies mentioned. I think it will end up being Quick, Jimmy, Schneider in Sochi.
will be Chicago's Corey Crawford. He is the main reason they won the Cup. Howard will fight to be the US starter, but I think Quick will take it.
Almost forgot about Crawford. I would think it might come down to Crawford and the Habs' Carey Price, who had a great year as well.
Cam Ward wasn't even invited to camp. If anything, it'll be Luongo's job to lose, with Crawford pushing him. Carey Price's playoff meltdown isn't gonna do him any favors
Don't forget about *sigh* John Gibson too....
Because of today's theme, when I started reading "9 Red Wings players..." I automatically thought "shit 9 wings got arrested?!"
4 players on the blueline are locks to make the team, everyone else needs to prove something to make the team. With a strong camp Trouba can make it.
Still sort of upsets me to see no Red Wings representing Canada again
Bertuzzi, Eaves, Emmerton, Helm, Tootoo, Weis, Quincy, Smith and that's it.
The Wings just need to get better Canadiens.
but I definitely wouldn't mind Yzerman getting a silver medal this Olympics. Can't hurt that GM resume, right?
I would expect that Canada is a gold medal favourite or at the least a medal favourite. They did win gold in Vancouver 2010.
Slovaks Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco took part in the Slovak pre-Olympic camp, while Petr Mrazek attended the Czech camp.
Also, these camp invite lists are by no means final. Daniel Alfredsson and Gustav Nyquist could still make Sweden's roster, while Jakub Kindl could still make the Czech roster.
for posting this, it makes me not only anticipate the Winter Olympics (more than usual) to really anticipating the Red Wings season!!!!!
Petr Mrazek of the Wings/Griffins was invited to the Czech Republic camp as well.