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Why No Joe
by Paul on 08/08/08 at 05:19 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,
I knew some of you wouldn’t take it very well. But honestly, I was surprised by how many of you did.
“It’s about time someone recognized that Team Canada should steer clear of Joe Thornton,” wrote Ron Godin of Etobicoke, Ontario. “He’d be gangbusters against Latvia and France, but he lacks the heart and the will to compete against the Americans and Russians.”
That pretty much mirrors the thought process that went into the decision to leave Thornton off my proposed 2010 Team Canada lineup…
And while Yzerman was willing to play a checking role for the Canadians, he already was accustomed to that style of play after having his game reshaped in Detroit by Scotty Bowman. Remember, Yzerman won the Selke in 2000, so that was part of his game.
You can’t say that for Thornton. And it’s not that I think he’s incapable of checking. It’s just that Canada’s depth gives it more appealing options.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Joe+Thornton,
Comments
Without even looking at the numbers, I can pretty confidently say Thornton is one of the top five most effective Canadian forwards in the world right now. He should crack the roster of an all-world team, too.
Leaving him off because “his reputation speaks for itself” would be laughable. He’s won as many Cups as Iginla.
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 08/09/08 at 10:36 AM ET
This is like the dopey baseball argument where people would take a scrappy, gritty, belly-full-of-guts guy because he “knows how to play the game the right way” or “just knows how to win.”
Bonus points if he played college football!
(Darin Erstad)
I don’t get it, either - but it’s the same reason Boston dumped him, because he vanished in the playoffs. I think most people would shy away from any physical effort if they had injured rib cartilage as he had at the time, too. He’s a talented player in his prime who has phenomenal passing skills - just because he’s quiet and easy-going doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about playing well.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 08/09/08 at 11:52 AM ET
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Ridiculous line of thought.
Forget his talent - he doesn’t yell, carry on or throw crap in the locker room or make guarantees.
Joe Thornton will be on Team Canada because he’s one of the great players in the world RIGHT NOW.
This is like the dopey baseball argument where people would take a scrappy, gritty, belly-full-of-guts guy because he “knows how to play the game the right way” or “just knows how to win.”
Ridiculous.
Sad part is, Team Canada can pick any combination of any number of about 50 players and make a run at the gold medal. Leaving Thornton off the team will require a lot of potentially asinine explanation.
Posted by HockeyJoe from NY on 08/08/08 at 11:04 PM ET