How about a Team Canada Hockey question???

Question

Since you guys enjoyed my team USA Olympic hockey question so much, and kept on mentioning Team Canada in it. I figured I would ask the same question about them. Of all of the non - gold winning Team Canada Olympic hockey teams which one is your favorite (year wise ) and which player on those teams was your favorite as well? Please explain your answer.

Answer 1

1998 no doubt. I remain upset that Gretzky wasn't picked for the penalty shots (and like just about everyone living in Canada at the time I was disappointed with Canada not getting gold that year) but the bronze medal game where he played against Suomi and one of his best friends Jari Kurri was emotional as Canada and Finland are my two most favourite countries in the world.

Oh my favourite player on Team Canada that year? Joe Sakic

Answer 2

1998; they played terrific hockey in the group phase, and were horribly unlucky to lose in a shootout.  My English friends consoled me given their football team's lack of success in penalty shootouts.

I'd have to also go along with Joe Sakic.  

Admittedly, the 2002 team didn't play well during the group phase, and got a bit lucky by having Sweden go out in the quarterfinals, proving that things even out.

Hopefully as Sweden won gold in 2006, this will mean Canada will respond from a quarterfinal loss to win gold in 2010!

Answer 3

the 1998 team featuring a healthier steve yzerman.  coming off of a stanley cup win made his medal (although not the color he wanted) twice as rewarding.  this was before the red wings' shift towards a predominantly european system, so it was the last Team Canada that boasted some of hockeytown's favorites.  brendan shanahan and steve yzerman were obviously my favorites on the roster.  although the 98 team held a number of my most hated players in NHL history (adam foote, patrick roy, shayne corson, theo fleury, rob blake, ray bourque, eric lindros, chris pronger, and rod brind'amour), it also starred some of the guys (even if i dislike them, like joe sakic) that I respect and admire including joe nieuwendyk, al macinnis, scott stevens, marty brodeur, and cujo.

still, the main reason was seeing shanny and stevie y play together.  if my team usa is out of the runnings, i tend to root for our north american neighbors (although team sweden is now comprised of the detroit red wings starting roster).

Answer 4

1994 Olympic team.  

Last Olympics before the pros were allowed to play and Canada wins a silver medal (lost the gold to Sweden of penalty shots).   A great showing by an amateur team that was not expected to medal, but did so by playing a team game and being able to compete with the top teams in the tournament by doing so.  

My favorite player from that team is Paul Kariya.  What makes him my favorite from this team is that even though he was drafted by Anaheim 4th overall in the 1993 draft and would probably have made the team in 1994 (he was the Mighty Ducks first ever draft pick), he chose to delay his NHL career for a year so that he could represent his country in an Olympic games.  At the time he had no way of knowing that NHL players would be allowed into the next Olympics and must have thought that the '94 games would be his one and only shot at being an Olympic athlete.