Just think, when I woke up this morning, I figured I'd have nothing terribly exciting to write about Team Canada's Men's Olympic Hockey Roster. Sure, it's a shame that Eric Staal, Jason Spezza and Bryan McCabe didn't make the team, but those things happen when you're the preeminent ice hockey power on the planet, and the guys who are eligible for the national team wouldn't ever dream about asking out of playing without a reason (unlike certain superstars who might be eligible to play Olympic Basketball for their own country, for example).
But of course, that was before the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) got its undies all up in a bunch about Todd Bertuzzi's selection to the squad:
Mojo 730 in Vancouver reports that the COC held its regular conference call on Thursday and expressed concern over the Canucks forward being named to the team. The COC has also called an emergency meeting for 2pm et/11am pt to review the roster."I think it's ridiculous - I think this guy's been through enough," Team Canada and Canucks teammate Ed Jovanovski told the radio station Thursday.
"For the committee to come with that, I mean these are Canadian athletes. They're good, they've done good in the community and aside from some unfortunate incidents - we all do - these guys were selected for a reason. They're great hockey players, they're great people, and let's just leave it at that."
A 13-member selection committee will meet next week to consider the hockey team. A published report in the Globe and Mail said some COC members have already expressed concern about Bertuzzi being on the team.
I'm on record saying that the punishment that the league meted out to Bertuzzi wasn't severe enough. But even if the league had done what I thought was prudent -- giving Bertuzzi a 20-game suspension to start this season -- that suspension would be long over by now.
Bottom Line: This looks like a late hit from the COC. I wonder what they'll actually do.
For more on the rest of the star studded roster, visit Habs Blog, Brent's Place and David Lee.
UPDATE: Much to the disappoinment of hockey writers everywhere, Sidney Crosby didn't rise to the bait when asked about his feelings at not being selected for the Olympic squad. Tom Benjamin has some thoughts on why Crosby and Spezza are on the taxi squad.
Not being Canadian, it doesn’t really matter to me one way or the other about Bertuzzi being on the olympic team, but I think that Ed Jovanovski’s comments about what Bertuzzi had “been through” are totally silly. Bertuzzi put himself in this position when he assaulted Steve Moore and broke his neck.
I would have to agree with you Kevin.
-Nicanor
apparently assisting on the winning goal in the last olympics does not qualify one for the canadian team.
i think leaving jovanovski from the 2010 team says more about the politics of the olympics than anything jovo said while defending bertuzzi.
when in vancouver jovo always wore his heart on his sleeve. he was a big guy with not only all the right moves but a big heart. he could always be counted on to give a provacative clip.
vancouver misses him and so will this canadian team. what a damn shame