Here's a piece of mine originally written for http://sportshaze.com/canada. I've recently joined their staff as hockey beat writer, and the site's got some great material you should check out. Hope you enjoy.
While Canadian hockey fans may bemoan the fact that there are still NHL teams in the Sun Belt, it seems that Canadian players sure don’t mind.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are set to square off in back-to-back games this weekend, and from the look of the rosters, it may as well be a Team Canada intra-squad game. Both teams are full of Canadian players, and not just of the grind-it-out, third-line variety. These crazy Canucks are some of the most important players on their respective teams, whether it’s scoring goals or stopping pucks.
When people think of the Tampa Bay Lightning, there are usually two names that immediately come to mind: Stamkos and St. Louis. The two offensively gifted linemates lead the Tampa attack and are usually joined by fellow Canadian Simon Gagné on the Lightning’s No. 1 line.
The next big offensive threat for the Bolts comes in the form of second line center and captain Vincent Lecavalier. Lecavalier was once thought of as the next possible superstar in the NHL as the first overall pick in the 1998 entry draft, and hails from Ile Bizard, a small suburb in the Montreal area. Lecavalier hasn’t quite turned into the superstar many thought he could be, but he has grown into a solid two-way player with big-time offensive skills.
The rest of the Lightning offence also benefits from Canadians like Teddy Purcell, Steve Downie, Dominic Moore and Dana Tyrell; all together, Canada accounts for eight of 12 Lightning forwards. The defence corps, although less star studded, is led by Canadians Brett Clark, Eric Brewer, Randy Jones and power-play triggerman Marc André Bergeron.
Flipping to the Carolina side of things, the Canadian depth may not be as strong, but the talent is definitely there.
Captain and Canes’ lifer Eric Staal is a former Olympian and Stanley Cup champion that comes from the Staal Hockey Factory (Brothers Jordan and Marc also play in the NHL, with Jared on his way) in Thunder Bay, Ont.
He’s joined by rookie superstar and next face-of-the-franchise Jeff Skinner, another Canadian. On the other end of the age spectrum, Cory Stillman still plays a key role for the Hurricanes, and hails from Peterborough, Ont.
Perhaps even more important than the offensive talent are the men between the pipes. Both Dwayne Roloson and Cam Ward are proud Canadians, and are both key aspects of their respective teams. Ward won the Conn Smythe trophy in the Canes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006, and Roloson has solidified the Lightning’s shaky goaltending situation this year.
What stands out with these two teams is not just the quantity of Canadian players on each roster, but rather the quality.
The captains, leading scorers and goalies from each team hail from the Great White North, and they are the most recognizable names in the American cities they play in.
They’re also showing American fans the right way to play the game, with the exception of Downie, who’s had a few too many Matt Cooke-like moments in his young career. All these Canadian players play hockey the way it’s meant to be played. They go to the net, hustle, play strong defensively, and are great role models for American kids.
You really can’t blame the players for wanting to play in the Sun Belt either; wearing shorts and flip-flops to the arena does sound pretty nice.
While Canadian hockey fans may bemoan the fact that there are still NHL teams in the Sun Belt, it seems that Canadian players sure don’t mind.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are set to square off in back-to-back games this weekend, and from the look of the rosters, it may as well be a Team Canada intra-squad game. Both teams are full of Canadian players, and not just of the grind-it-out, third-line variety. These crazy Canucks are some of the most important players on their respective teams, whether it’s scoring goals or stopping pucks.
When people think of the Tampa Bay Lightning, there are usually two names that immediately come to mind: Stamkos and St. Louis. The two offensively gifted linemates lead the Tampa attack and are usually joined by fellow Canadian Simon Gagné on the Lightning’s No. 1 line.
The next big offensive threat for the Bolts comes in the form of second line center and captain Vincent Lecavalier. Lecavalier was once thought of as the next possible superstar in the NHL as the first overall pick in the 1998 entry draft, and hails from Ile Bizard, a small suburb in the Montreal area. Lecavalier hasn’t quite turned into the superstar many thought he could be, but he has grown into a solid two-way player with big-time offensive skills.
The rest of the Lightning offence also benefits from Canadians like Teddy Purcell, Steve Downie, Dominic Moore and Dana Tyrell; all together, Canada accounts for eight of 12 Lightning forwards. The defence corps, although less star studded, is led by Canadians Brett Clark, Eric Brewer, Randy Jones and power-play triggerman Marc André Bergeron.
Flipping to the Carolina side of things, the Canadian depth may not be as strong, but the talent is definitely there.
Captain and Canes’ lifer Eric Staal is a former Olympian and Stanley Cup champion that comes from the Staal Hockey Factory (Brothers Jordan and Marc also play in the NHL, with Jared on his way) in Thunder Bay, Ont.
He’s joined by rookie superstar and next face-of-the-franchise Jeff Skinner, another Canadian. On the other end of the age spectrum, Cory Stillman still plays a key role for the Hurricanes, and hails from Peterborough, Ont.
Perhaps even more important than the offensive talent are the men between the pipes. Both Dwayne Roloson and Cam Ward are proud Canadians, and are both key aspects of their respective teams. Ward won the Conn Smythe trophy in the Canes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006, and Roloson has solidified the Lightning’s shaky goaltending situation this year.
What stands out with these two teams is not just the quantity of Canadian players on each roster, but rather the quality.
The captains, leading scorers and goalies from each team hail from the Great White North, and they are the most recognizable names in the American cities they play in.
They’re also showing American fans the right way to play the game, with the exception of Downie, who’s had a few too many Matt Cooke-like moments in his young career. All these Canadian players play hockey the way it’s meant to be played. They go to the net, hustle, play strong defensively, and are great role models for American kids.
You really can’t blame the players for wanting to play in the Sun Belt either; wearing shorts and flip-flops to the arena does sound pretty nice.
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