We are the fantasy hockey specialists!

December 15, 2001

Jonathan Kinney

Olympic Blues - A Fantasy Curse

On the day the Canadian Olympic teams announced its roster I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about the impact of not making the Olympic team on a number of players. Most people talk about Olympic Burnout as the main factor associated with NHL players as dozens of the League's top athletes are forced to cram a two week tournament into their already murderous schedule. But today I thought we should have a look at what I call the Olympic Blues. Think of the letdown that faces players who thought they had a legitimate chance to make the team and didn't. What will that do to their self-esteem? And more importantly, what will that do to their play?

Because some teams still haven't named their teams I'm going to concentrate on the Canadian Olympic roster as an example. But you'll likely hear about any number of players from other countries and you can draw your own conclusions. So first, let's look at who got picked. 

So who's a candidate for the Olympic Blues? Well in net you can really look at three players - Sean Burke, Patrick Lalime and Roberto Luongo. Of the guys on this list Burke is likely the most disappointed. He knows that Wayne Gretzky was sticking up for him, but he also knows that the scales were tipped against him. All three of the goalies chosen were invited to the pre-Olympic camp - he was not. He has been spectacular for a young Phoenix Coyote team and his play may drop off simply because he may feel that he has nothing left to play for this season. As for Lalime he was a darkhorse candidate. Few people mentioned him even though his numbers are as good, if not better, than any of those chosen. Problem is that he plays in a media wasteland in Ottawa and he didn't have an cheerleaders among the Canadian Team's management. He probably won't be too disappointed, but would have probably wanted to at least have been mentioned. The Luongo situation is an interesting one. If Gretzky and company had really been thinking about the future they would have made Luongo the third pick. He is the future of goaltending in Canada but it is apparent that unless one of the current goalies steps down he's not going to get his chance. The experience would have been magical for him. While not getting chosen may not have a negative impact on his play. Luongo owners aren't going to benefit from the added boost of confidence selection probably would have brought.

On the blueline there are really three players who could very easily have made the team and didn't - Scott Stevens, Wade Redden and Derek Morris. For Stevens the justification is simple. He's just not quick enough to keep up with speedy European forwards on a larger ice surface. His toughness can easily be replaced by the younger and more mobile Ed Jovanovksi. It's quite likley that Stevens knew this was coming. While he is probably still disappointed I don't think it will impact his play. The same can probably not be said for Redden and Morris. These are two guys that have represented their country on the world stage before and had an excellent chance to do so again. Both have played better than Scott Niedermayer, but the Devils d-man was guaranteed a spot because he was named in the first eight players. I really believe that either d-man could have brought a lot to this team and will be terribly upset at not making the squad. Look for a dip in their production in the short term. The only real benefit is that both will enjoy the 2 week rest in February and should be nicely rested for the playoff run.

Up front there were only a few surprises. Alex Tanguay and Anson Carter have both played very well this season in spite of difficult circumstances. Tanguay has had to face increased pressure from opposition checkers thanks to the loss of Peter Forsberg and Carter has had to play the last few weeks without injured sniper Ryan Smyth on his line. An argument could be made for either one or both with Nieuwendyk being a prime candidate to not make the team in our books. I think both players will be disappointed but they should be able to play through it. There may be a one or two week hangover as they recover from the disappointment - but overall they should be fine. From my perspective there is one player who may take this decision very hard - and that's Joe Thornton. There has been so much talk over the past few months about his exceptional play and how it would be hard to pass him up. Well, he was passed over and this could sting. Watch him very carefully over the next few games to gauge the impact. Sure these guys are professionals but a kid like Thornton is just that...a kid. Players like Mark Recchi and Pierre Turgeon were mentioned but there really wasn't much credence given to them being on the squad. They may be disappointed about being overlooked but it's unlikely it will affect their play.

On every team there will be a few players who will be disappointed. Watch those players closely over the next few weeks. The problems may be subtle, but you may see them sulk more, take bad penalties or, in some cases, use the media to express their disappointment. These are players that are not thinking about NHL games. They are thinking about being slighted - and that's not going to help your fantasy team any

Copyright 2000-07 Puckjunkie Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Front Office | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

back to Puckjunkie.com