Team Canada Olympic Camps

Draft Day is over. The Free Agency Frenzy is over and it is now down to the mid-tier players and outside of some restricted free agents that have offer sheets tendered and arbitration hearings there will probably be a bit of a lull over the next little bit as far as the NHL is concerned. Probably the only time of the year where hockey doesn't lead off the sportscasts of every show on Sportsnet and TSN. Guess that it will be about time to jump over the NHL and look to some other hockey, this one with a little international flavour. The World Juniors are ready to hold thier annual invitee camp to see what type of players they may have an eye on and check on some of the returning players and help decide who they may want in the more condensed selection camp in December.

Then there is the big boys, the Men’s Olympic Team. The list has been made public of the invitees to the summer camp by Steve Yzerman. Weather or not all these players are there due to the recent news that they will need more insurance or if they get hurt at a camp that they could be suspended without pay when they report to training camps later this year. Also, as far as we know Dany Heatley is planning on attending so yeah, that could be interesting, no conflift there with members or friends of Hockey Canada.

Goaltenders: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Marc-André Fleury, Steve Mason, Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes).
Defence: Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf, Marc Staal, Shea Weber, François Beauchemin, Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Stéphane Robidas, Mike Green, Dan Hamhuis, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook.
Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Shane Doan, Simon Gagné, Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla Rick Nash, Joe Sakic, Martin St-Louis, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Ryan Smyth, Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf, Milan Lucic, Patrick Marleau, Andy McDonald, Brenden Morrow, Corey Perry, Michael Richards, Derek Roy, Patrick Sharp, Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, Dan Cleary.

Now this is just a list for the summer, that is not to say that due to injury or if someone come out of the gate in the fall like gang busters then they will not get a look. This is just a preliminary list. That being said there were a few interesting omissions including Chris Osgoode who was mentioned during the playoffs that he would be a good 3rd goaltender who would know his role... then he lost 1 game and all of a sudden he is undeserving?? Also there were 2 very glaring omissions up front in the way of Jason Spezza and Stephen Stamkos. Both these guys played for Canada this year at the World’s and both played well. Stamkos was an offensive dynamo and Spezza played defence for the first time since Minor-Midget. Sure there is always someone who ss going to be left off any list but these were surprising. All 3 NHL Staals' were selected to attend.. begs the question if their mom makes them take little brother Jared along (like having to take your kid brother to the park with you to play).