Gold Medal Hockey Thoughts and Fun Facts

If you asked me a few weeks ago how many goals Canada would score on there way to a gold medal I would have said 25 to 30 over 7 games.  Canada would easily rack up 4 or more goals against weaker teams like Norway, Austria and Latvia.  Similarly, if you asked me how many goals against I would have thought 10 to 12 over 7 games.  I thought against teams like Finland, USA and Sweden they would likely get scored on twice per game.  So, I was extremely surprised that Canada scored only 17 goals and only 3 goals against.

2014 - Men's Olympic Champions - Team Canada

I'm not complaining that we won gold.  But, I was hoping for more entertaining hockey and I watched all the Canadian Men's games and some of the other games.  Frankly, I thought the best Men's game of the tournament was when the United States beat Russia in the shoot-out during the preliminary round.  That game had a lot more two-way hockey than the stifling defense as played by Canada, Sweden, Finland and Latvia.  Also, TJ Oshie was just amazing to watch in the shoot-out. If you have not seen that, get yourself to Youtube.  Overall, the best hockey games I watched at the tournament were played by Canada's women vs the USA.  That was great two way hockey and the come from behind win to beat the USA for gold was magical.

2014 - Women's Olympic Champions - Team Canada

What gets me excited about Olympic or World Cup hockey is the talent levels of the top countries in the world.  However, the stifling play on the International ice and the use of the trap and clogging of the slot does not make for exciting hockey.  In all frankness I could not watch 82 games and the Stanley Cup Playoffs on International sized ice.  It would be too boring and I think most fans would rather watch a 4-3 game to say 2-1 game.  You need changing scores and fast scoring chances to keep fans interested.  That's my two cents.

Fun Facts and Stats Leaders:

• Per the IIHF after Canada won the Olympic Gold we moved up 2 ranks to 3rd best Hockey Nation in the world.  Previously, Canada was ranked fifth. Of course this is after winning two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals.  Sweden and Finland ranks first and 2nd respectively after the Olympics.   I could not find an explanation of the ranking system.

Teemu Selanne - The Highest Scoring Olympian of All-Time

• Teemu Selanne competed at 43 years old and in his 6th Olympics for Finland.  With the 4 goals and 2 assists in 2014 he padded his record for most points at the Olympics to 24 goals, 19 assists for a total of 43 points.  He was also selected as the MVP of the tournament.
• Chris Pronger (1998 to 2010) and Martin Brodeur (1998 to 2010) are tied with the most appearances as a Canadian NHL player with 4 tournaments.  Pronger played in 25 games as compared to Brodeur who in two of those tournaments he did not play a single game (1998 and 2010).  He has in 10 starts - 6 wins, 3 losses and 1 Tie.
• Roberto Luongo with is his 1 shutout win against Austria has the most wins of any Canadian NHL goaltenders with 7.  His two shut-outs put him in a 3 way tie with Carey Price and Martin Brodeur. Roberto Luongo has appeared in 3 Olympic tournaments.

Jarome Iglina

Jarome Iglina holds the record as the Canadian NHL Player with most goals 10 and most points at 14 in 19 games played over 3 tournaments.  Iglina's Canadian point record will likely be broken at the next tournament by one of these players. 

For more fun facts see my previous blog regarding Men's Olympic Hockey.

Canada's Active Point Leaders:

Players	Age	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Shea Weber (D)	28	13	5	7	12
Jonathan Toews (C)	25	13	2	9	11
Sydney Crosby (C)	26	13	5	5	10
Ryan Getzlaf (C)	28	13	4	6	10
Drew Doughty  (D)	24	13	4	4	8

I was surprised to learn that Shea Weber is Canada's current point leader, but it makes perfect sense because in the last two Olympic tournaments Canada has gotten almost half of its goals by a defensemen.  It is likely that all of these players will participate in the next Olympics if they are healthy.

After the above players there is a points drop and most players have only a few points after participating in 1 or 2 Olympic tournaments.

Two Players Tested Positive for Doping:

At the tournament two hockey players tested positive for doping and only one was an NHL player.  Nicklas Backstrom got pulled prior to playing the Gold Medal game because he had allergy medicine in his blood, which was daily 'Claritin' like pill that he had been taken for 7 years.  The other was a Latvian Vitalijs Pavlovs for takings a stimulant called methylhexaneamine which is similar to ephedrine.  The latter never played in the NHL. This was only the third time in history a player has tested positive for a banned substance or having a blood level higher on non-prohibited substance.  In 2002 Mattias Ohlund tested positive for a drug that was prohibited after getting eye surgery, however he was allowed to play throughout the tournament.  In my mind it cheapens Canada's gold medal that Backstrom was unable to play over an allergy pill.  It is always best to win cleanly with both teams putting out there best rosters.

Looking back since the NHLers started participating in the Olympics in 1998 it is satisfying to know that our players and sport are clean.  The record books are not tainted with steroids, 'Balco', and various scandals that occurred in Major League Baseball.  All that drama that is going to permeate for years and the controversy will be ever present at Cooperstown.  Our (Toronto) Hockey Hall of Fame and record book remains asterisk free.  

Was Olympic Hockey that exciting to watch for you?  Could you watch 82 games and the Stanley Cup Play-offs on International Sized Rink?  Add your thoughts below.