Canada and USA Meet Tonight

That was the headline Canadian hockey fans have been waiting for throughout the current edition of the World Junior Hockey Championships.

It's not that we were bored or disinterested with the first eight days of competition, not in the least. The Canadian powerplay continues to be gorgeous, watching Brayden Schenn pile up points was impressive and the Russians and Swedes both made us fully aware why Canada, for maybe only the third time in the last 15 years, wasn't the overwhelming pre-tournament favourite.

Besides, this is the World Juniors! Hockey Canada and TSN have done a tremendous job building the WJHC into a "monster" and other than Pierre McGuire, we absolutely lovvvvvve this tournament. The Stanley Cup hasn't been won by a Canadian team since 1993 and over the last 17 years this tournament has become our annual reprieve, our appetite growing year after year. For most of us, the WJHC is a chance to tune out our crappy NHL team for a couple of weeks and actually have the opportunity to receive some satisfaction in return for our emotional investment. (Yes, I am looking directly at you Brian Burke.)

However, this year things are a little different. The rabid-dog, crazed enthusiast, World Junior Hockey fever that normally sweeps across our nation...hasn't. It could be that we're still basking in delight from our 2010 Olympic Gold and that victory, combined with years of dominating the World Juniors, has resulted in a fat cat attitude for Canadian hockey fans at the moment. Maybe because there wasn't a Crosby, Tavares, or Hall on the roster, a household superstar that we could rally behind, we were willing to file this year's team under "Can't Win 'Em All" and simply move on.

Or maybe the biggest factor in our collective softened excitement this year is that other than Canada, the U.S.A., Switzerland and maybe Sweden, none of the countries seem to be improving. Actually, they appear to be getting worse. Finland has been at best treading water for years. Russian hockey is a mess. At the turn of the century both the Czech Republic and Slovakia were threats in any tournament, but in recent years they have looked un-organized and over-matched.

On the other hand, after developing a genuine dislike for each others program over the last decade and on the heels of two unbelievable games (Gold medal and New Year's Eve) at last year's World Juniors and the instant classic that was the Olympic Gold Medal overtime battle, the Canada/U.S. hockey rivalry is at it's all-time peak.

All of which means that as of today, after two weeks of tempered enthusiasm for Team Canada, this tournament has our attention. This game matters to us.

We stand on guard for thee.

Program Notice

I never saw this as a blog.

It was always a place for me to post my "articles". I'm young(ish), but I'm old school at heart. I didn't want to blog, I wanted to write as if I were applying for a job as a sports columnist. And I did.

I wanted to write for TSN.ca. For years I sent them my stories and tried to sell them on their need to hire me as a "super-fan" columnist. They never bit, and so I turned here. Reluctantly.

And I posted articles once a week, stuck to my format, and continued to swim against the trend. Like I said, I'm old school. I was the last guy to get a cell phone. Everyone tells me I need to be on Twitter.

Instead, I continued to tell myself that I could make it happen. I went to school with a lot of these media guys, and look, Eric Duhatschek just told his audience what I've been preaching for years. I was mindful of my criticism, style and content, all with an eye towards something bigger and better.

And while I had this little sabbatical from this space the last couple of months, I realized that I didn't miss the writing. At least not the work I was putting into it. I love sports. I mean, I really love them. The pressure, the stats, the drama. I love cap numbers and sabermetrics. I love the Leafs and Jays, the Raps and Bombers, but I never wear "the goggles". I love the world juniors, NFL Sundays, the baseball playoffs, and the PGA Tour.

What I really missed was talking sports with my friends. I've moved around to a few different places, and each time I've had to leave behind a great group of guys. Sure, we can always text. But "pti was awwsum today" just doesn't cut it.

I never saw this as a blog. Now, this is a blog.

No Shame

Even if the outcome of last night's World Junior Gold medal game wasn't what any Canadian was hoping for, it hardly puts a blemish on the program that came within an overtime loss of winning six straight championships.

No, there isn't any shame in providing hockey fans everywhere with an instant classic, played at a lightning pace, filled with huge hits and erasing a two goal deficit in the final minutes to force overtime. In this particular edition, the 2010 tournament, the Americans were probably the better team. They won this battle, but Canada continues to win the war.

From my perspective, there are three major reasons why Canada has become the dominant, overwhelming force in under 20 hockey.

1. The Canadian Formula

This team has never been about stars or stats, as evidenced by the big names who are cut every year. This time it was Tyler Seguin, who came into camp as one of the leading scorers in junior hockey and could end up being chosen first overall in this summer's NHL draft. For Hockey Canada, it's about selecting the right pieces to form a team. It's not about the name, the stats, or the hype. Management takes a hard look at the group of players they have to chose from, decides on the game they want to play (determining if we're going to be big, skilled and mean, or big, skilled and slightly mean) and assembles a roster they believe will best execute that gameplan. They don't choose an All-Star team and they don't play favourites.

Since finishing out of the medals in 1998, Canada has two bronze, five silver and five gold in the last 12 tournaments. Since 2004, the Canadian team has gone 44-4 and has produced nine players that were named to the 2010 Olympic team. I'd say the formula is working.

2. Home Ice Advantage

This is a subject that has gained steam ever since the International Ice Hockey Federation announced every third tournament would be hosted by Canada, and really took off when the Swiss backed out of hosting this year and it promptly fell into Saskatchewan's lap. Of course playing in front of 15,000 screaming Canadians wearing red is going to positively effect our outcomes, but how is it our fault that we sell more tickets than every other country, that we support this tournament like no one else, that we have come to love the ten days that follow Christmas more for this particular tournament than for anything else?

Ultimately, home ice advantage does help our cause. But if the IIHF and all of it's supporting European countries want to feed our development system, want to ensure that our junior-aged players continue to become champions by allowing us to host this tournament far more than is probably fair...well, I don't have a problem with that. It's not like Hockey Canada is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to give us the tournament, we continue to earn it by padding the IIHF's coffers.

3a. Few Quebec-born players

Just kidding.

3b. Gatorade

Sorry, couldn't resist.

3c. Heart

Not to go all Don Cherry on you, but it is what it is. Canadians simply seem to want this more than other countries. I know it is nearly impossible to quantify heart, but how else can you explain Canada almost always coming out on the right side of one goal games or their 4-0 record in shootouts in this tournament?

Sweden, Russia, the US and Finland can all match our talent level, they all produce first rounders in every NHL draft, but they can't match our intangibles. Our players never back down, never give up, and always fight for every inch. They don't know any other way.

When you add those three factors up, it equals excellence, and that's what Canadian hockey fans have come to expect from our World Junior heroes.

Only 364 more days until we have a chance to start a new run.

The Canadian Sports Broadcasting Power Rankings V 2.0

#474 - Gabriel Morency - In November the management team at The Score finally came to their senses and removed Morency from his daily national program that was killing more Canadian brain cells than BC bud. Gabe is a horrific broadcaster, incapable of making an articulate point or creating an interesting argument. Listening to his show for even a second always made me think of the classic Billy Madison quote "what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it."

#296 - Jason Portuondo - Now that Morency is off the air, Portuondo could be the worst sports broadcaster in the country. Ummm, Jason: There is no such thing as an "offensive rebound" in hockey, it's just a damn rebound. Same thing for baseball, where an error isn't "unforced", it's simply an error. The good news is if he keeps this up we'll soon be watching Portuondo push ridiculous comments on viewers of the Weather Channel.

#107 - P.J. Stock - He continues to attempt to set the world record for most words packed into a 60 second segment but at least the producers haven't moved him back onto 'Hotstove', where he was like Scrappy Doo, only even more annoying. To be fair, Stock has improved during his three years on HNIC, and in another three years he could be very good. But the first three years haven't been a lot of fun.

#81 - Ron MacLean - You certainly can't question his sporting knowledge, he's always been extremely well researched and prepared for any and every interview and you'll never catch him off guard with a random name, story or stat. He knows his stuff 100%. For a good ten years I thought MacLean was the best broadcaster in Canada, but the last number of years he's drifted away from what made him great. Instead of asking good questions, he rants on and on inserting copious amounts of background information into his question which he effectively answers even while delivering it.

#21 - Sid & Tim - The late-night duo on The Score make a big drop down from last year's rankings mainly because they've lost their cool. They've gone from loose and likable to over the top and kind of goofy. Not long ago they were innovative...unique...and awesomely funny, and now all you see are knee slaps and over-laughing along with way too many hand signals and pointing. They've become those weird dudes on the dance floor who try too hard. Get back behind a desk! Canadians like their sportscasters to appear legless.

#12 - Gerry Dee - Originally I thought his schtick on The Score would wear thin very quickly, but I've totally reversed my position. Now I love his bits, his dry humour, and the way he can pull off the lost puppy look without fail. During the group pieces with Cabbie, Sid and Tim, he steals every scene. And the Wiserhood commercial where he rips a hole in his sweater so that he won't match his wife...I've seen it 1000 times and it still gets me everytime. A year ago I would have said Dee was one of my least favorite Score personalities. Now the rankings (within the rankings) would look like this:

1. Gerry Dee
2. Cabbie
3. Sid + Tim
5. Glenn Schiller
204. Jake Thompson

#8 - James Duthie - He has found a home as the host of NHL hockey on TSN. Duthie knows how to provide the proper balance between straight-forward hockey talk and the humour/entertainment factor. The panel changes, but Duthie is constant and he always gets the best out of whichever analysts happen to be joining him. Anyone who can make Craig Mactavish seem personable has to be good at his job.

#4 - Mike Milbury - The new star of 'Hotstove' has quickly turned himself into the main reason why the second intermission on Saturday nights continue to be perhaps the best seven minutes of television each week. You may not always (or ever) agree with what Milbury has to say, but he certainly is entertaining. Watching him dismantle Ian Pulver in back-to-back episodes was particularly delightful. So are the endless jabs and jokes that his counterparts continue to fire at him because A) his track record as GM of the Islanders and B) the time he went into the crowd, pulled off a spectators shoe, proceeded to repeatedly smack him with it, and then poured ketchup on the shoe and fed it to the poor guy. (Okay, I made up the last part, but the rest is true.)

#1 - Darren Dutchyshen - Dutchy continues to be the gold standard against which every other Canadian sports broadcaster is judged. His delivery is engaging and he nails every one-liner. Basically, he's the exact opposite of everyone on Entertainment Tonight Canada. I can't find a single fault, not even the vest he now wears under his suit.

The New Canada Cup?

Imagine a tournament featuring Canada's best hockey players competing not for their country, but for their provinces in a revamped and modernized version of the Canada Cup...

Of course this has absolutely no chance of ever happening (except maybe in a lockout year), but it gave me a reason to waste 10 (15, 20?) hours putting together seven rosters (my apologies to NWT and Nunavut, there just isn't enough talent coming from the deep North to construct those rosters)...






My official pre-tournament rankings would look like this (have your say in the poll on the right sidebar):

1) Ontario - Easily the best set of forwards in the country (albeit from the largest population). Jason Spezza would make every other province's roster but there isn't room for him here.

2) Quebec - Who starts in net? Either way la belle provence looks good on paper, especially with the emergence of Kris Letang, who made Ryan Whitney expendable in Pittsburgh and just finished outplaying Mike Green by a mile.

3) Alberta - Slightly better top-to-bottom than B.C.

4) B.C. - The defence is tremendous but scoring could be an issue.

5) Saskatchewan - Considerable grit but not a lot of flash. No word on whether Getzlaf will have recovered from the inexplicable overuse at the hands of Randy Carlyle.

6) Manitoba - The 2009 World Junior back-up Chet Pickard gets the nod in net...by default. What happened to goaltending in 'The Tobe'? Terry Sawchuk, Joe Daley, Ron Hextall, Ed Belfour and then a giant vacuum that threatens to make them also-rans in this tourney, much like the...

7) Maritimes - Even with Crosby double and triple shifting it still wouldn't be enough to make up for the lack of defensive depth. And yes, John Slaney is still playing (11G, 16A, 53GP) for the Frankfurt Lions of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Another Year, Another Gold

As Canadians and sports lovers, we’ll passionately cheer on any national team we can. It doesn’t matter if it’s the alpine skiing, curling, basketball, rowing, water polo, lawn bowling, rock/paper/scissors or any other team…if the Maple Leaf is flying, we’re rooting it on.

Collectively we are sports fans, but more importantly, we’re Canadian sports fans. And we’ll take every, and any reason we can to band together and enthusiastically cheer our teams on—with beer, of course.

But when it comes to hockey it’s a different story (save the beer). We’re not just happy to be there. As fans, we can’t simply have a good time and be our usual awesome selves regardless of the outcome. Because when it comes to hockey, we’re the perennial favorite. It’s a step outside our participation-ribbon comfort zone. Instead of soaking in the experience, rejoicing over ‘personal bests’ and walking around with perma-grins plastered all over our faces, we’re forced to deal with things like ‘pressure’ and ‘expectations’.

It is for those reasons that the World Junior Hockey Championships have ballooned not only into a paramount event in our country, but perhaps also the most satisfying. Unlike the Olympic hockey tournament, which is equally fascinating and terrifying because no one truly knows who will come out on top, the WJHC has become an annual coronation of our country’s ability to produce the best young hockey talent in the world.

Last night’s 5-1 victory over Sweden was the fifth straight gold medal for Team Canada, but that is hardly indicative of the truly over-whelming presence Canada has been for most of the last two decades at the World Juniors. We’ve now won 10 of the last 17 titles, sport a dominating 39-3 record over the last six tournaments, and have failed to finish on the podium just three times since 1988 (1989, 1992, 1998).

We’re a combination of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. We are the Yankees, Lakers and Canadiens all rolled into one.

And for hockey fans in this country, none of whom have seen their local NHL team win it all since the Canadiens captured the Stanley Cup in 1993, the Juniors have become a welcome reprieve from our usual fruitless hockey calendar.

Only 364 more days till we get to do it all over again. Let the blitz for six begin.

2008: The Best Canadian Performances

10. Chantal Petitclerc – The recent recipient of the Lou Marsh award as Canadian Athlete of the year was nothing short of dominant at the Paralympic Games last summer where she won five gold medals, three in world record times.

9. The Men's Eight Rowing team – After an extremely disappointing first week of Olympic competition for Canada, the heavily favoured Men’s Eight Rowing team captured gold and ignited the entire Canadian team.

8. Steve Nash - Although Nash failed to lead the NBA in assists for the first time in four seasons, the All-Star point guard continued his excellent play that once again made his Phoenix Suns one of the most entertaining squads in the league. (Until they screwed up and traded for Shaq.)

7. Adam van Koeverden - Entering the Beijing Games under heavy pressure as the Canadian Flag bearer van Koeverden struggled to an 8th place finish in the 1000m but rebounded to win a silver medal in the K-1 500.

6. Jason Bay - After essentially being traded for Manny Ramirez, Bay arrived in Boston at the trade deadline with very big shoes to fill…and proceeded to do just that. Knocking in 37 runs in 49 regular season games was only a warm-up, as Bay then went out and hit two decisive homers to carry the Red Sox past Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs.

5. Alexandre Despatie - Somehow managed to contend with the nearly perfect Chinese divers and ended up claiming a silver medal in the 3M springboard.

4. Jarome Iginla - The Captain of the Calgary Flames cracked the 50 goal mark for the second time in his career and led the Flames to their fourth straight playoff appearance.

3. Georges St.Pierre - Started off the year by re-claiming his UFC Welterweight title in front of his home fans in Montreal and then successfully defended the title in a unanimous decision over Jon Fitch in August.

2. The Canadian WJHC team – Won it’s fourth straight Gold Medal at the under-20 world hockey championship with a roster that once again featured several players who would shortly graduate to the NHL.

1. Simon Whitfield - The Kingston native provided the most electrifying finish to a triathlon ever when he roared from fourth all the way to the lead in the last minutes of the race, but wasn’t quite able to hang on and had to settle for Silver.

The Canadian Sports Broadcasting Power Rankings

#221 Rance Mulliniks
If I turn on the Jays game and Rance is the analyst you better believe my TV is on mute while my iTunes takes over, at least for the first six innings. Because nine innings listening to Mulliniks attempt to predict the next pitch, or gush about the last pitch is too much for me to handle. He just talks and talks and talks, continuing stories from previous innings, through pitching changes, and probably through a blackout if Toronto ever got hit with another one.

#146 Michael Landsberg
Even with the improvements made to Off The Record (Up Front and Next Question), I'm not likely to tune in unless the guest is someone big. Really big, like Kanye big. I have to give Landsberg credit for being unafraid to ask the tough questions though. He'll challenge his guests and pushes the envelope considerably further than almost everyone else in the business, but it doesn't make up for how obnoxious he is. When Tony Kornheiser interrupts someone I enjoy it, Landsberg...not so much.

#53 Leo Rautins
Leo has a great voice, he sounds like a broadcaster, he's got that smooth flowing tone and he almost never trips over his own words. With the departure of Chuck Swirsky, his partner for Raptor broadcasts, it'll be interesting to see how Rautins reacts. Part of my problem with him has been his lack of intensity, I thought he and Chuck were too quick to ham it up during broadcasts but that may have been more Chuck's schtick with Leo just following suit. His analysis isn't always that strong either, there's a lot of: "Raptors need to come out and hit their shots", or "No defence Chuck, Sam's gonna have to call timeout. Good timeout by Sam".

#24 Jay Onrait
My choice as the funniest person on the list. I wouldn't say he knows the NHL inside out or even has a clue which cities have teams in the NBA, but the man can joke. He'll take chances when going for a laugh and realize right away when it it didn't work, and he'll clean it up with a quick facial segue or self-deprecating comment. Sportscenter should give him a nightly gig modeled after Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update' segment, Onrait could show whatever highlights he wanted from the day and just pour one-liners on top. If Gerry Dee can get his own spot, surely Onrait deserves a chance.

#9 Jennifer Hedger
Always seems like she's having a good time, like she actually cares about the results she's reading. I think Hedger understands how many of us out there care way too much about the scores and stories she reports and works hard to not let us down. Do you think Hedger plays fantasy sports? Would she play in a men's league? Maybe she's started her own leagues for women and is the commissioner for all of them? Someone should look into this.


#6 Cabral "Cabbie" Richards
I've been a fan of Cabbie's for years now. He lights up the screen and has an unbelievable ability to put athletes at ease while he interviews them. His antics are always entertaining, but now I'm at the point where I'd like to see something fresh from him and his man D. No more laying your chin on a guy's shoulder or flicking all your fingers in someone's face while questioning them. C'mon Cabbie, we know you can do so much more.

#4 Bob McKenzie
When Bobby Mac talks hockey, I listen. His word is the gospel.

#3 Don Cherry
At the ripe old age of 74 Cherry comes across a lot more ignorantly than he used to, but 'Coach's Corner' is still must-see TV. The Don is hard to understand at times because he rambles and is somewhat incoherent, but he still has his finger on the pulse of hockey. He can spot the talented player or the talented team from a mile away and is often the first to do so.

#2 Sid Seixero & Tim Micallef
The boys from the 'Score Tonight' have taken a huge step forward the last few years and now rank as my favorite tandem when it comes to delivering the evenings highlights. They laugh at and with each other and usually offer the most in-depth game highlights of any of the Canadian broadcasters.

#1 Darren Dutchyshen
The industry standard in Canada, Dutchy has been a staple for more than a decade on Sportscenter and combines humour with straightforward highlight delivery like no one else in the business. Classic Dutchyshen: A couple of years ago when Keith Tkachuck showed up to training camp with 20+ extra pounds and then took a shot off his mitt during an exhibition game, Dutchy remarks "Oh oh, I hope that wasn't his eatin' hand".

The Top 10 Canadian Athletes in Pro Sports

With the NHL and NBA seasons about to begin, baseball getting ready for the playoffs and football well underway, I thought it was the appropriate time to take a look at the best Canadian athletes currently in the world of professional sports.

Again, that says professional, so don't be crying that Simon Whitfield or Cindy Klassen didn't make the cut.

And yes, I mentioned football in the opening but have no football players on the list. I was considering Nick Kaczur, Jesse Lumsden, and Jason Clermont but ultimately couldn't find room for them. Footballer Owen Hargreaves also received consideration, having been born and raised in Edmonton, but from what I can tell he was ready to suit up for Wales even before England came a knocking, so no love for him. Dwayne De Rosario has been a standout in the MLS, but that's a bit like picking the MVP of the AHL.

So with no further ado:

#10 Jason Bay - Boston Red Sox
Outfielder - Trail, British Columbia
After 4 1/2 years in baseball purgatory Bay was traded from Pittsburgh to Boston at this year's trade deadline and has instantly made an impact. His 8 HR and 34 RBI in 40 games while wearing the Red Sox jersey have helped ensure another postseason for Boston and made bar owners everywhere happy. (Who, outside of diehards and those with rooting interests, would watch the playoffs without either the Yanks or Sox to cheer against?) Bay will celebrate his 30th birthday on Saturday in Toronto and at some point over the next few days crack the 100 RBI mark for the third time in five big league seasons.

#9 Rich Harden - Chicago Cubs
Pitcher - Victoria, British Columbia
Eric Bedard and Jeff Francis have received more ink the last few years, but Harden is the most dynamic of the three Canadian hurlers. Of course the reason Bedard and Francis gained more accolades was because they actually made it to the field, unlike Harden who has missed most of the last three seasons with an assortment of arm problems. However, with the Cubbies set to make a run for the World Series, the oft-injured righty with electric stuff will have baseball's biggest stage to perform on. Hardens 2.04 ERA and 11.17 strikeouts per 9 innings this year are far and away the best of any starter in baseball. If he can remain healthy (an that's a gigantic IF) Harden has a chance to join or maybe even surpass Ferguson Jenkins and earn eternal sunshine from the Wrigley faithful.

#8 Vincent Lecavalier - Tampa Bay Lightning
Center – Ile Bizard, Quebec
If you had asked me five years ago who would have the better career, Lecavalier or Joe Thornton my answer would've been Thornton in a heartbeat. Now, it has to be Vinny. He's one of the scariest players to have breaking in on you as a defencemen because he has so many different ways to beat you: speed, power, finesse, deft passing. Some guys do one or two of those things well and have good careers. Lecavalier has them all and can do it in the playoffs. (Sorry Joe). He also did a great job portraying Jean Beliveau in the 'Rocket' film (which if you've never seen, is absolutely worth watching), and happens to have the biggest contract ($77M over 9 years) of anyone on the list, which I feel is definitely worth something.

#7 Russell Martin - Los Angeles Dodgers
Catcher - Montreal, Quebec
In only his third big league season the Montreal native has become one of the best all-around catchers in the majors, and is astoundingly durable having put together back-to-back years of 145+ games caught. Martin, a two-time All-Star, has stolen 38 bases over the last two years, a career OBP of .371, and the best catcher ERA in the game. He may or may not be dating Alyssa Milano, but then again you could probably say that for half the Dodgers so no bonus points there.

#6 Mike Weir - PGA Tour golfer
Bright's Grove, Ontario
The 2003 Masters champion has eight career PGA Tour wins and is currently the 15th ranked player in the world. Consistently one of the Tour's best wedge players, Weir had two near-misses in the first two events of the 2008 FedEx Cup playoffs and appears to be regaining the form that allowed him to rise to #3 in the world five years ago. Have you ever noticed that NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller, who is notoriously critical (read: awesome) of everyone, has a soft spot for his fellow Brigham Young University graduate? Most guys make a mistake and Miller shreds them, Weirsy coughs one up and Johnny makes excuses. Just sayin’.

#5 Jarome Iginla - Calgary Flames
Right Wing - Edmonton, Alberta
The only player to make this list who actually plays for a Canadian squad, Iginla is consistently among the league leaders in goal scoring and might be the best captain in the NHL. Iginla's 252 goals over the last 6 seasons are the most in the league during that span and his combination of power and skill is unmatched in the world of hockey. I can only imagine the joy a Flames fan feels when Jarome puts one in the net and reaches to take out his mouth guard while a huge smile erupts from his face. And getting that feeling up to 50 times a year? Priceless.

#4 Martin Brodeur - New Jersey Devils
Goaltender - Montreal, Quebec
The Three time Stanley Cup champion will go down as the greatest goalie the NHL has ever seen and will own several records including the two biggest for a goalie: most wins and most shutouts. Brodeur has never fully gotten the respect he deserves because pundits all across the league argued his stats were artificial due to the suffocating defensive style his teams used. But that's a copout. Brodeur has been consistently excellent far longer than anyone has the right to be and deserves to be celebrated. He's Barry Bonds without the asterisks.

#3 Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins
First Base - New Westminster, British Columbia
The two-time All-Star and 2006 AL MVP has been the best first baseman in the American League the last three years, dominating opposing pitching while piling up home runs and RBI's at a rate no Canadian has ever matched. If his buddy Joe Mauer can stay healthy and provide some protection, Morneau could surpass Larry Walker's all-time Canadian record of 383 home runs.

#2 Steve Nash - Phoenix Suns
Point Guard - Victoria, British Columbia
The two-time NBA MVP is the man most responsible for ushering the NBA into the aesthetically pleasing and team-oriented game we see today. He's lead the league in assists 3 out of the last 4 years and hasn't finished outside the top 3 in 5 years. Nash made passing and playing as a team cool again. Even though Chris Paul and Derron Williams have probably climbed ahead of him in the point guard rankings and a whole slew of other players are closing in on him, Nash remains an elite floor general and one of the best three point and free throw shooters ever.

#1 Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins
Center - Halifax, Nova Scotia
Entering his fourth season Crosby has become the face of the NHL and is arguably the best hockey player in the world. When it comes to skill and excitement, only Alexander Ovechkin can match Sid the Kid, and Crosby is almost two full years younger. With 294 career points at the tender age of 21, Sid could conceivably join the Great One as the only players to ever surpass the 2000 point plateau.

Team Canada 2010

With the news Monday that Wayne Gretzky will not return as the executive director of the Canadian Olympic hockey team for the upcoming Vancouver Games in 2010 (Gretz took himself out of the running for the GM position, but is still interested in other roles), speculation will run rampant until a new leader is named.

Will it be a tag-team effort from Ken Holland and Steve Yzerman? Maybe Kevin Lowe or Brian Burke? Or if Team Canada really wanted to take the pressure off the players and move it to management, how about both Lowe and Burke together?

The possibilities are almost endless, as will be the rumours that are sure to whip Canadian hockey fans into a frenzy. When it comes to hockey, and more specifically Canadian hockey, we're like 13 year-old girls at a Jonas Brothers concert.

But my question is, does it really matter? I mean, couldn't 90% of the Canadian public put together this roster, or at least 3/4 of it?

The way I see it, 11 forwards are absolute locks for the squad that will attempt to recapture gold in Vancouver:

Jarome Iginla
Sidney Crosby
Vincent Lecavalier
Dany Heatley
Ryan Getzlaf
Rick Nash
Eric Staal
Joe Thornton
Mike Richards
Brendan Morrow
Shane Doan

Yes, there are six centers in that line-up, but I don't see how any of them can be left off the roster. Two of Staal, Vinny and Getzlaf will have to play the wing. The checking-line is set with Morrow, Doan and Mike Richards.

From the looks of it, Canada will be searching for a winger to play in it's top 9 and a 13th forward, one of whom has to be able to kill penalties. If Simon Gagne is healthy and returns to form this season, he fills in the first slot. So all the bubble guys (Jonathan Toews, Martin St.Louis, Jeff Carter, Brad Richards, Patrick Sharp, Nathan Horton, Scott Hartnell, Jordan Staal, Patrice Bergeron, Sean Avery) will be battling for the final spot up front.

Just kidding. The only way Sean Avery will be in Vancouver for the Olympics is if Vogue needs a coffee boy.

One final thought on the front end: Would it be totally ridiculous to consider selecting a shootout specialist? If we've learned anything over the past 15 years in international competition, it's that every game has the potential to be decided by a shootout and odds are that at least one of the biggest games will be. So why not make Toews or Sam Gagner lucky number 13?

The makeup of the back end is in a transitional stage and competition is wide open. Chris Pronger, Dion Phaneuf and Brian Campbell will definitely be on the team. If Scott Niedermayer doesn't retire (or unretire's at any point) he's an automatic. After that, things are pretty hazy. You have several young guys who all have different skillsets but roughly the same amount of overall ability (Jay Bouwmeester, Mike Green, Shea Webber, Dan Hamhuis, Marc Staal) and a few leftovers from the old guard who may or may not have enough left to make a contribution (Robyn Regehr, Wade Redden, Dan Boyle, Ed Jovanovski, Scott Hannan).

One unmentioned name thus far, and a guy who I believe will make the team is Minnesota defenceman Brent Burns. His NHL stats have improved every year and he was easily Canada's best defenceman at the last World Hockey Championship.

Barring injury it's safe to assume Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo will be the first two goalies named to the team, and rightfully so. Marty is perhaps the best goalie ever to play and certainly the most consistently dependable goalie we've seen in 20 years. Luongo didn't have a great season last year, but when it comes to goaltending it's still those two and then everybody else.

Traditionally Canada has gone with a younger goalie as the third string which is bad news for guys like Marty Turco and J.S. Giguere who probably won't have a shot. When you consider the number of young goalies (Cam Ward, M.A. Fleury, Carey Price, Pascal Leclaire) who have developed nicely and have all worn the Maple Leaf in international competition (and won), it's likely the Team Canada brass will again take this route with the selection.

In the end whomever gets the GM job will only have a handful of genuinely tough decisions. He'll have to settle on a couple forwards, perhaps three or four defencemen and a 3rd string goalie who will never see the ice anyway.

So while Hockey Canada and the national media will conduct a full-fledged and all-encompassing search, hyping up the candidates and staging a dramatic selection process so they can find the "right man" to lead us back to Olympic Gold, most people have already figured out who will make the team.

Basically there isn't a wrong pick when the roster is this obvious. Not to say the position as executive director of our Olympic Hockey team isn't important or honourable because it absolutely is. It's just that I would trust almost any Canadian with a pulse to do it.

As long as it's not Cliff Fletcher or John Ferguson Jr., I think we'll be okay.

Where's the Racquet?

After a remarkable Wimbledon final in July and two weeks of prime time television for the US Open (which wrapped up Monday with the fabulous Roger Federer claiming his 13th Grand Slam title), it seems tennis is making a bit of a comeback.

I have yet to hear people talking about their fantasy tennis leagues, but in terms of buzz and media attention, tennis is definitely on the rise.

And if you're a sports fan that's a good thing. Because even though we love hockey and/or basketball and/or baseball and/or football, there's always room for more, provided you can find someone or something to which you can attach yourself.

And that is where the problem begins for Canadians. As a country we have been starved for legitimate tennis talent. We are famished. Where is the Canadian version of Roger Federer or Serena Williams?

The only Canadian ever ranked inside the top 10 in singles on either professional tour was Carling Bassett, who ascended to No.8 in the mid 80's and even made the semi-finals of the US Open in 1984. Helen Kelesi reached as high as 13th in 1989. Patricia Hy got to 28th in 1993. Glenn Michibata rose to 48th in 1986 and Andrew Sznajder matched his ranking in 1989. Jill Hetherington hit No.64 in 1988 and Grant Connell made it all the way to 67th in the world in 1991. Sebastien Lareau topped out at 76th in 1995.

That's it, that's our list. The players mentioned combined to win a few mid-level tournaments but overall their collective accomplishments were less than impressive. To say our performance as Canadians in the tennis world has been disappointing might be too much of a compliment. Awful, pathetic, and sorry are probably more appropriate descriptions.

And not to take anything away from Daniel Nestor and his four Grand Slam doubles titles or the Olympic Gold he won with Sebastien Lareau in Sydney, but doubles tennis is just not the same. It doesn't resonate with the sporting world the same way as singles play does.

Some people are quick to point out that Greg Rusedski was born and raised in Canada, but he ultimately decided to compete under the British flag after a falling out with Tennis Canada. Rusedski was a total knucklehead (often complaining like he was Jon McEnroe) and generally acted like a big baby, but he did reach the US Open finals in 1997 and was the No.4 player in the world later that year. Mary Pierce was born in Montreal but grew up in the States and later claimed allegiance to France. She won the Australian Open in 1995, the French in 2000 and reached a career-high 3rd in the rankings in 1995.

If either of Rusedski or Pierce had committed to playing for Canada our tennis history might be significantly different. Maybe they would have inspired hundreds of young Canadians to take up the sport, or allowed them to realistically dream of following in their footsteps. Instead we've been in virtual hibernation for more than 10 years.

Which brings us to the present and Aleksandra Wozniak and Frank Dancevic, who are currently Canada's top two tennis talents. After winning a second tier event in Stanford earlier this summer, Wozniak rose to 41st in the rankings. Dancevic won a main event last year in Indianapolis and hit No.65 in the world in September 2007 but is now outside the top 100. Neither appears capable of changing the Canadian tennis landscape.

The first Canadian to ever crack the top 100 singles rankings was Rejean Genois who did it in the 70's. Four decades later and we haven't made much progress.