World Hockey Championship Thread

[Malcolm]

Murray to coach Team Canada

Sources tell TSN that Team Canada will announce its coaching staff today for the upcoming World Hockey Championship in Russia.

St Louis Blues coach Andy Murray has accepted the position of head coach and will be joined on Canada's bench by Los Angeles Kings associate coach Mike Johnston and former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Gerard Gallant.

Murray returns to a very familiar event as a head coach.  His international coaching resume boasts World titles in 2003 and 2004.

In addition to the coaching staff, Steve Yzerman, Canada's general manager, is believed to have secured his initial list of star players committed to making the trek.

It's expected Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets will headline those named at today's announcement.

Another wave of players is expected to be added to the roster immediately following the conclusion of the NHL's regular season.

Canada's goaltending should be one of its strong suits.  As per usual, three goalies will be named.  Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson is a likely candidate.  Florida's Ed Belfour and Philadelphia's Martin Biron are all being considered.  However, Canadian management will save one of the three spots for a casualty from the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with the possibility of Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, or Marc-Andre Fleury potentially accepting a late invite.

Yzerman and the Canadian contingent are expected to make the announcement today in conjunction with World Women's Championship opening in Winnipeg.

[Malcolm]

Canada adds to world championship roster

A second wave of players has been added to the Canadian roster in preparation for the upcoming World Men's Hockey Championship.

Last year's Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes will have at least  four players on the team.

Goaltender Cam Ward along with forwards Eric Staal and Justin Williams and veteran defenceman Mike Commodore have accepted an invitation to play for Canada.

The St. Louis Blues will also be well represented as defenceman Barret Jackman and forward Jamal Mayers have also been added to the team.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera was also included on the list of invites bringing the Canadian roster up to 12 players, which includes seven forwards, three defenceman and two goaltenders.

[Malcolm]

Sundin won't play for Sweden at worlds

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Mats Sundin has turned down an invitation to play for Sweden at the world hockey championship in Russia.

"It's sad, but I can understand his decision," coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson said Thursday.

The 36-year-old Sundin, whose Toronto Maple Leafs missed the NHL playoffs, was one of the key players on Sweden's team last year when it won the Olympic gold medal.

Alexander Steen of the Leafs is the only NHL player who has accepted an invitation to play for Sweden so far, but several others are expected to join the squad.

Before the world tournament, Sweden will play Russia in a home-and-home series on April 19 and 21 for the European Hockey Tour title and a warmup against the United States in Stockholm on April 25.

The tournament is April 27-May 13 in Moscow, and Sweden is the defending champion.

[Malcolm]

USA Hockey names 18 players to roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Rookies Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins were among the 18 players chosen Monday for the American team that will compete in the world championship in Moscow beginning April 27.

Stastny had 28 goals and 50 assists in 82 games this season. Teammate Tyler Arnason also was chosen for the team.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Erik Cole and goaltenders Robert Esche of the Philadelphia Flyers and John Grahame of Carolina, all 2006 Olympians, also were chosen.

Kessel, Cole, Esche and Grahame were among seven players with experience in the world championships. The others were defencemen Andrew Alberts of the Boston Bruins and Keith Ballard of the Phoenix Coyotes, and forward Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals.

Also selected were defenceman Matt Greene and right-winger Toby Petersen of the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings defenceman Jack Johnson, Bruins forward Brandon Bochenski, Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose, St. Louis Blues forward Lee Stempniak and Washington Capitals defenceman Brian Pothier.

The selections included two college players, goaltender Cory Schneider of Boston College and forward Nathan Davis of Miami (Ohio) University.

Four remaining roster spots will be filled following the first round of the NHL playoffs.

[Malcolm]

Capitals' Semin kicked off Team Russia

The Hockey News.com has learned Washington Capitals star Alexander Semin has been kicked off the Russian national team, prompting Semin's agent to refer to the fiasco as, "the most bizarre situation I've ever experienced in hockey, ever."

Mark Gandler, who represents Semin, said the Russian team's decision to remove Semin from the team because he arrived hours after the team's first practice was unreasonable and far too harsh.

"I don't understand it?there is no explanation for it," Gandler said. "Alexander did nothing wrong, but even if he had, the punishment doesn't fit the crime."

A Russian website reported Semin arrived at the national team's camp in Novogorsk three-and-a-half hours after the team's first meeting at the training center. It reported Semin ignored a request from Russian team GM Sergei Nemchinov to change his flight so he would arrive in Moscow on time.

Gandler, however, tells a much different story. He said Nemchinov met with Semin after a game in New York March 10 and told him the training camp to prepare for the World Championship would begin April 16 and for him to call and confirm when he arrived in Moscow.

[Skeletor]

Internal struggles seem to be a pitfall for the Russians... I remember stuff like this happening before.

[kaasupoltin]

Heeeey Ruskies, suck on Mikko fuckin' Koivu!

[Skeletor]

Awesome semifinal yesterday. I think Finland went in as the definite underdogs, but somehow we still managed to beat the Russians

Check out this link to see the overtime goal with Finnish commentary
http://www.yle.fi/urheilu/mediasali/mmjaakiekko/2007/paivanvideot/fi/id75442.html

[kaasupoltin]

Awesome semifinal yesterday. I think Finland went in as the definite underdogs, but somehow we still managed to beat the Russians

Check out this link to see the overtime goal with Finnish commentary
http://www.yle.fi/urheilu/mediasali/mmjaakiekko/2007/paivanvideot/fi/id75442.html

Oh man you gotta love Mertaranta So much feeling in this.
This is also great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HYnTRC5Z9E

Well, the final will start in an hour.. can't wait, can't wait. We're going to beat the hell out of those Canadians

[Skeletor]

We're going to beat the hell out of those Canadians

Then again... maybe not

Good effort from Finland in the last period, but unfortunately it was too little too late.

[jarmo]

Finland is the only team in the world who thinks getting to the final is good enough and getting silver is actually "winning" silver. 

Every time they get there, they don't reach their own capacity.





/jarmo

[kaasupoltin]

Finland is the only team in the world who thinks getting to the final is good enough and getting silver is actually "winning" silver. 

Every time they get there, they don't reach their own capacity.





/jarmo

That's exactly what I was going to say.

And why the hell did they take so stupid penalties.. too many of them. And the race started too late.