There are some sporting events that transcend sports; the events that people will sit and watch even if they’re not the typical fan of the sport. Every four years the Winter Olympics are held and since 1998 in Nagano, Canada sends our favorite, most recognizable names from across the NHL to represent our country. It is our most beloved game on the world’s biggest stage played by the best in the world. The gold medal game in 2010 held in Vancouver was watched by 80% of Canadians from coast to coast. A staggering eight of every ten people in the country tuned into this hockey game at one point or another. The Canadian team knows going into the event that anything short of a gold medal is an absolute disappointment. As Canadians prepare to head into the next Olympic Games, there are two absolute truths:
- Goaltending is the strongest single position determinant of who is going to succeed in the tournament
- Canada has no clear cut number one goaltender
Even fans of the respected teams involved would admit the list of goaltenders invited to the summer camp was underwhelming, at best. Carey Price, Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo all attended the summer camp, which assures them of nothing. It is no secret that a hot goaltender heading into the games would surely crack the line-up with so much uncertainty surrounding the position. Marc-Andre Fleury looked poised to be a perennial Olympic athlete, however having hit a rough patch over the past two NHL seasons, he is unlikely to crack the line-up short of a major turnaround. Cam Ward looked to put his name into the mix, but a recent injury is set to keep him out for over a month and may not leave him with the time necessary to make an impression. Jonathan Bernier would be the most likely goaltender to make the team from outside of the goaltenders invited to the camp; however with him sharing duties with James Reimer in Toronto, their opportunities to showcase their talents and to get rolling on a hot streak are at a distinct disadvantage. Even still, Bernier and Reimer may be in the mix leading up to the announcement of the final roster.
Of the five invited to the camp, I admittedly give only Carey Price and Roberto Luongo much consideration for the starting position. Both of these players are dealing with their own adversity with their NHL clubs and the fan bases that surround them. However, both have international success representing Team Canada as a number one goaltender. I believe if all things are equal between the two, Carey Price will be announced as the starting goaltender for Team Canada heading into the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Now if you are a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, how is this news received?
Carey Price is one of the most talented goaltenders in the NHL. Year after year he looks poised to step into the upper echelon of goaltenders and secure a Vezina nomination. However, year after year he stumbles late or as many of his supporters would say, was robbed of a nomination in 2010-11. Even the most staunch defenders of Carey Price have to acknowledge that he still lacks some of the mental toughness that one would need to succeed long-term with the Montreal Canadiens and to withstand the pressures of representing Team Canada in nets at the Olympics. Time is not on his side for the 2014 games. With the Olympics only a few months away, fans are going to be on alert and have high, unapologetic expectations. The Bell Centre has been known to get on Price’s back over his play in recent years and we have seen in-game responses to the jeering that resembles Patrick Roy in his last game for Montreal.
Montreal is a hockey crazed city, but only one of many in Canada.
I do believe that Price is the man for the job. I do believe that Carey Price will give Team Canada the best chance to secure a gold medal at the 2014 games, provided he is at the top of his game. If Price is elite this year, the job is his. If he is only average, I believe the job is up for the taking but someone will have to take it from him. While the season is just eleven games old (ten of which Price has played), his current level of play has to be considered a very strong start.
If Price’s play is average, Team Canada could go the safe route and give Luongo the job. It is certainly the one that would generate the least amount of controversy for Hockey Canada with his previous Olympic experience.
While I am entirely convinced Price is the man for the job at the Olympics, I am equally convinced that it could have a negative effect on the Canadiens chances of making a run deep into the playoffs. The positives of Price playing in the Olympics are mostly intangibles and the negatives are the wear and tear physically, emotionally and mentally of a long Olympic experience and with no break before being dropped back into the NHL season, Price’s resiliency becomes a concern.
The twenty-six-year-old goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens has his critics and he has his supporters. I suspect there are those who wear his jersey regularly on a Saturday night who would have a sense of relief to see one of the other net minders emerge as a clear number one.
Thanks for reading. Please give our Hockey Department a follow on Twitter – @lastwordBKerr, @TheHockeyMitch, @LastWordBigMick, @crimsonskorpion, @CMS_74_, @TwoTurtleDuffs, @D_Rocchi, @dasimonetta, @ddmatthews, @evan_lacey, @thetq21, @CanuckPuckHead, @NKonarowski2, @rickw10, @LarryScotti, @cohnzmalonz, @jaynichols11, @meaghannn_, @LastWordOnNHL, @darrinharmy, @PurpleRocktober and follow the site @lastwordonsport and like our Facebook Page.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.
