Will the 2006 Canadian Olympic team duplicate the gold-medal effort of the 2002 squad?

Sakic, Brodeur top Team Canada Olympic roster
By John McGourty
NHL.com | Dec. 21, 2005

New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur will lead Team Canada in its defense of the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, officials with the Canadian Hockey Association said Wednesday at GM Place in Vancouver. Brodeur was in net when Canada defeated the United States in the gold-medal game at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Brodeur has a huge family stake in this Olympiad. His father, Denis, the long-time Montreal Canadiens team photographer, was in net for Canada the last time the Winter Olympics were held in Italy. Denis Brodeur, the starting goalie for the 1955 Allen Cup winners, the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, won a bronze medal at Cortina, Italy, in 1956.

"Father and son representing their country at two Olympics 50 years apart. Isn't that amazing?" Martin Brodeur said.

"This is a dream come true for our family," Denis Brodeur said. "Martin has had a wonderful career and the Olympic gold medal in 2002 was a dream come true. Turin will be another dream come true."

Brodeur was one of 26 NHL players, 23 regulars and three substitutes, selected Wednesday by Team Canada officials, including fellow goalies Dallas' Marty Turco and Florida's Roberto Luongo.

Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic was named captain of Team Canada. Sakic has 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points, tied for 16th in the NHL.

Team Canada's other forwards include the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, winner of the 2004 Art Ross, Lester B. Pearson and Hart Trophy winner. Richards won the 2004 Conn Smythe and Lady Byng Trophies.

Other forwards include Phoenix's Shane Doan; Philadelphia's Simon Gagne; Detroit's Kris Draper; Ottawa's Dany Heatley; Calgary's Jarome Iginla; Columbus's Rick Nash; Edmonton's Ryan Smyth; San Jose's Joe Thornton and Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi.

Colorado's Rob Blake heads a strong Canadian defense that also includes Columbus's Adam Foote; Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer; Edmonton"s Chris Pronger; Calgary's Robyn Regehr and Vancouver's Ed Jovanovski.

Canada's roster is loaded with award winners from the last NHL season. Brodeur won the 2004 William M. Jennings and Vezina Trophies. Draper won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as best defensive forward. Iginla won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Sakic won the NHL/Sheraton Road Performer Award while Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe, an alternate, won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Niedermayer won the James Norris Memorial Trophy. Iginla and Nash shared the Rocket Richard Trophy with Russian Ilya Kovalchuk.

Martin St. Louis, Simon Gagne and Brad Richards will have another chance to make their country proud in Turin.

Team Canada's other alternates include Ottawa's Jason Spezza and Carolina's Eric Staal.

Team Canada will be coached by Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn, assisted by Philadelphia Flyers coaches Ken Hitchcock and Wayne Fleming, Florida Panthers coach Jacques Martin and Canadian national team coach Marc Habscheid.

The announcement came at a somber time for all in hockey. Team Canada's executive director, Wayne Gretzky, last week took an indefinite leave from his Team Canada duties as well as his coaching position with the Phoenix Coyotes to be with his ailing mother, Phyllis, who died Monday. Her funeral will take place Thursday morning at the Grace Anglican Church of Brantford, Ontario.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time," said CHA President Bob Nicholson, who said Gretzky was able to participate in the selection process.

Canada will be without two of its long-time leaders in Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux and Detroit's Steve Yzerman. Both centers informed Gretzky recently that they wished not to be included on the roster. Lemieux, 40, is being treated for recent atrial fibrillations. Yzerman, also 40, told Gretzky he wasn't playing well enough this season to take a spot away from a more deserving player.

Brodeur stepped in as Team Canada's starter after the squad lost their opening game to Sweden. He went undefeated the rest of the way as Canada won its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.

Thornton has been the NHL's hottest offensive player since his Nov. 30 trade from the Boston Bruins to the Sharks. He has three goals and 13 assists in eight games since joining the Sharks in a trade from Boston on Dec. 1, becoming the NHL's second-leading scorer with 49 points on 12 goals and 37 assists. He was the NHL's ninth-leading scorer at the time of the trade. The Sharks are 7-1-0 since the trade.

Staal, Heatley and Spezza are tied for fourth in NHL scoring with 47 points. Staal has been the driving force behind the Hurricanes' rise to the top of the Southeast Division. Staal has 24 goals and 23 assits.

Spezza is centering the NHL's top line with Heatley and Sweden's Daniel Alfredsson. Spezza has 13 goals and 34 assists. Heatley has 21 goals and 26 assists.

McCabe is the runaway scoring leader among NHL defensemen with 40 points. He has 11 goals and 29 assists. His success from the point has made the Maple Leafs the NHL's fourth-best power-play team with a 21.7 percent success rate.