Sept 5, 2004
Round Robin Now Complete
The Russians defeated Slovakia 5-2 to round out the round robin portion of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Alexander Ovechkin made his North American debut, and looked impressive in limited playing time. He scored one goal and showed a willingness to mix it up.

Playoff Matches Now Set
Now that the round robin standings are set, quarterfinals begin on Monday when Finland hosts Germany in what should amount to a formality.  

Sept 4, 2004
Canada Defeats Russians 3-1
Canada finished the round robin portion of the World Cup of Hockey undefeated after downing the Russians 3-1.Brad Richards, Kris Draper and Joe Sakic scored to ensure Canada first place in the North American pool. Sergei Gonchar replied for Russia in a game that won't engrain itself in our national consciousness any time soon..

The Toronto crowd was loud early but quietened quickly after Mario Lemieux was kneed in the head and was left crumpled on the ice. Mario only missed a shift, but the crowd never really got going again until Richards scored.

The Russians were unlucky not to score early. Ilya Kovalchuk had two booming shots, one hitting the goal post, and Alexander Frolov had a brilliant had brilliant chances to score, but Martin Brodeur was again a star in net. The Canadians did a good job of punishing Russian forwards who dared to enter the slot. After the first period the Russians became more of a perimeter team, which greatly limited their effectiveness.

Scott Niedermayer and Adam Foote and Simon Gagne also had excellent games.

Boxscore - Team Canada Report Card

Notes: Canada's next game won't be until Wednesday. Don't expect Wade Redden to play on Wednesday however. Patrick Marleau and Kirk Maltby didn't draw into the final round robin game. There was consideration to put them in, but now that the playoff round is here, they along with Brendan Morrow and Jose Theodore, will only have a chance to dress if there is an injury.

Jay Bouwmeester got into his first game against the Russians, and definitely passed the test. He looked a little tentative in the first period, but steadied as the night progressed. Thankfully Canada avoided more injuries.

Breaking News: Rules Clarification Worries Canada
With Canada down to six defensemen, Canada was worried about the possibility of having to use a replacement rule should another player get injured and thus bringing in a player cold. However the emergency player rules have been clarified and Canada would actually need to two more injuries before they could use the emergency replacement clause. Team Canada is holding their breath as they play the Russians tonight.

Finland Claims Top Seed In Europe
The Swedes and Finns battled for first place in the European pool and the right to face Germany and avoid the Czech Republic in one of the most entertaining round robin games in tournament history. The Finns and Swedes tied at 4, which was good enough for Finland to claim first place based on the goal differential tie breaker formula.

The Finns continue to impress with a strong commitment to a team game plan. The Swedes have a deadly power play and 4 great lines, but have some serious concerns in net. Both Mikael Tellqvist and Tommy Salo have looked shaky. That being said, Tellqvist made a huge save in the third period against the Finns to give his team some energy to make a comeback and tie the game. Boxscore

Eternal Rivalry: Canada Meets Russia on Saturday
On the 32nd anniversary of game 2 of the 1972 Summit Series, also played in Toronto, Canada renews its rivalry with the Russians. The Russians looked extremely dangerous against the Americans, thus setting up the showdown with Canada as what very possibly could be the best game of the round robin. The city of Toronto is apparently electric.

Though political problems have hindered the Russian game, and the US has emerged as Canada's chief rival on the ice if not off of it, the Canada - Russia match remains a special event. With all the history behind the rivalry, for some there will never be another rival like the Soviets/Russians.

In the Spirit of '72, with Alexei Kovalev dancing through defences to score spectacular goals, maybe Team Canada should call on Peter Mahovlich. The Little M scored a spectacular goal 32 years ago. It's being billed just like the old days - us against them.

Russians Look For Revenge on Mario Lemieux
Its hard to believe, but its now been 17 years since Wayne Gretzky's drop pass to Mario Lemieux to capture the 1987 Canada Cup and conclude "the greatest hockey ever played."

As hard as it is to believe, this will mark the first time since that night that Mario Lemieux has faced off against another Russian team.

Russians To Wear Armbands
Talk of hockey revenge is silly when real life situations like the school massacre by terrorists in Russia are realities. The Russian players are definitely distracted by this unfortunate tragedy, and will wear armbands to honour the reported 200 victims, many of whom are children.

Sweden-Finland Game Will Be A Beauty
While everyone is looking forward to the clash of eternal rivals Canada and Russia, hockey's other eternal rivals will also clash on Saturday. Finland hosts Sweden in a showdown for 1st place in the European Pool. All of Scandinavia is "going to rock."

USA Back On Track
Although he controversially benched Brett Hull, it appears coach Ron Wilson made all the right moves. Team USA played inspired hockey in defeating the Slovakians 3-1.

Some people, including some of the Canadian media, are all too happy to kick the Americans while the were down. And yes, they stunk against the Russians, but, aside from a shaky first period vs. Canada had a decent first game. The Americans aren't out of this thing by any stretch, and I'd hate to face them in the first round of the playoffs. Adversity is a great team builder, plus Brett Hull is pissed off. I guarantee he will be a major presence in the next USA game.

Sept 3, 2004
Russians Prove They Can Win This Thing Too
Hockey fans who figured Russia had no chance of winning the World Cup of Hockey because of missing superstars and a lack of a NHL goalie are rethinking their stance. Russia dominated the United States, winning 3-1. Further complicating the Russian's focus is the Russian school hostage situation. 

Canada better stand on guard for thee, for the eternal rival looks ready to compete.

Kovalev, Afinogenov, Bryzgalov Impress
While Team USA continues to disappoint, several Russian players stood out. Maxim Afinogenov was particularly dangerous, with honorable mention to Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk. The best goal of the tournament was scored on a brilliant individual rush by Alex Kovalev, reminding some of the glory days of Russian hockey. And of course all eyes were on the Russian goaltender Ilya Brzgalov. He played solidly while making a statement of his own.

USA Planning Overhaul
TSN is reporting that US coach Ron Wilson is planning drastic changes for tonight's game vs. Slovakia. Scratches include Craig Conroy, Brian Rolston and almost unthinkably, though perhaps deservedly, Brett Hull. Jeff Halpern Bryan Smolinski and Jamie Langenbrunner will be inserted into the lineup.

The changes could be even more drastic. The Score television network is reporting Paul Martin will replace John Michael Liles and Rick Dipietro will get the start over Robert Esche. If Esche is sat down, Wilson better make sure it is obviously not a knock on the Philadelphia Flyers goalie. Esche has been awesome behind the sluggish American team. 

Wilson knows this group well enough to know that these veterans are a temperamental group. Hopefully this will light a fire under Team USA and not backfire on Wilson.

"You can't play on your reputation. You have to play on the ice. That's what we've got to do here," said Wilson.

St. Paul Crowd Cheers On USA, Gaborik
Marian Gaborik has pondered the paradox of being a guest in his own home.

Hardly a stranger to the Xcel Energy Center, the Wild's franchise player will be considered a visitor when his team, Slovakia, takes on Team USA Friday night in the preliminary round of the World Cup of Hockey in St. Paul.

Germany Takes On Czech Republic in Prague
Not a lot people are paying attention to the Germany-Czech match up. The European pool cellar dwellers are battling it out for 3rd and 4th spot. Germany is resting Olaf Kolzig, dressing Robert Mueller in nets instead. The Germans did a similar thing when they beat the Czechs in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Return Of The Lucky Loonie
Yes, there was a Loonie buried under the ice at the Bell Centre for Canada's first two games of the World Cup, both victories. Arena workers cut the Loonie right out of the ice and presented it to Gretzky right after the game. Gretzky said he did not know if the Loonie would make an appearance in Toronto. Yeah, right Wayne.

Redden To Miss At Least One Game
It'll take more than a lucky Loonie to lessen Canada's concerns on defensive. Wade Redden's shoulder injury has Wayne Gretzky worried.

Bo Ready To Go
While the media seems to be making a big deal out of 20 year old Jay Bouwmeester's insertion into the lineup, Bouwmeester is already a veteran of Team Canada. Saturday will be "Bo's" 40th game in a Team Canada uniform, having performed in the World Juniors and World Championships previously. Bouwmeester is the future of Canada's defense.

Sept 2, 2004
32nd Anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series
Lost in the excitement of World Cup of Hockey 2004, today marks the 32nd anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series. On this day in 1972, the Soviets quietly entered the Montreal Forum and changed hockey forever with a shocking victory. The quest for international clashes was almost instant. The desire for higher skill and faster paced hockey was soon to follow.

One of the key legacies of the 1972 Summit Series is the desire for international clashes. In the last 32 years some of the greatest hockey events have included the Canada Cup / World Cup of Hockey, as well Super Series 76, the Challenge Cup, Rendez Vous '87 and now the Olympics.

So as we enjoy the great hockey at the World Cup of Hockey 2004, lets not forget about Phil Esposito and Paul Henderson, Valeri Kharlamov and Vladislav Tretiak and the epic battle that gave birth to top level international hockey.

Russia Looking For Own Miracle Against USA
These days, in a dramatic example of how the hockey landscape has evolved, it is the Russians who could use a Miracle on Ice.

Without Nikolai Khabibulin or Evgeni Nabokov, the Russians are hoping Ilya Bryzgalov is looking for a Tretiak-like entrance.

Russian Game Notes: Ovechkin To Eat Hot Dogs Tonight
The Russians are sitting teenage phenom Alexander Ovechkin tonight. Coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov suggested Ovechkin needs to observe the North American game from the press box first. Ovechkin didn't seem too upset, saying he'll just eat hot dogs and enjoy the game.

Andrei Markov, another healthy scratch, was livid when he was informed he wasn't going to play.

Watch for Ilya Kovalchuk to wear #71 tonight. #17 is retired to honor the great Valeri Kharlamov.

Finland Blanks Germany
Miika Kiprusoff posted his second shutout in as many games as Finland beat Germany 3-0. It is the first time a team has posted back-to-back shutouts in tournament history. Prior to 2004, there were only 13 shutouts in tournament history, with Markus Ketterer recording the only goose-egg in Finland's history at the tournament. 

Are Canadians Getting Too Confident?
It seems as though the Canadian media is quite confident that Team Canada is the team to beat. Which is dangerous and often unfounded, especially in a single game knockout tournament where anything can happen.

Of course, a media atmosphere such as this creates opportunities for those who want to rock the boat and go against Canada. It happens every time.

As Team Canada moves to Toronto, Wayne Gretzky insists the pressure remains on Canada and overconfidence is not an issue.

Niedermayer, Sakic Could Join Illustrious Club
A Canadian victory in the World Cup would make Niedermayer and Sakic just the third and fourth players in history to win the Olympic gold medal, the world junior and senior championships, the Stanley Cup and a World/Canada Cup. The only other two players to accomplish that string of success are former Soviet stars Igor Larionov and Viacheslav Fetisov.

Slovakia Should Be Proud
While the injury decimated Slovaks had their troubles with Team Canada, NHL.com's Rich Libero correctly points out the Slovaks have come a long way in a very short time.

Sept 1, 2004
Canada Coasts To Victory Over Slovakia
Canada had little trouble beating the banged up Slovakians 5-1.Ryan Smyth scored twice while Martin St. Louis, Joe Thornton and Simon Gagne added singles. Martin Cibak was the only Slovakian able to beat Martin Brodeur - Boxscore - Team Canada Report Card

The victory may have come at a large cost, however. Defenseman Wade Redden left the game in the second period with an "upper body injury" and his status won't be diagnosed until Thursday. Canada has already lost Rob Blake, Chris Pronger and Ed Jovanovski to injury, so a lengthy loss of Redden, who is Canada's power play quarterback, could be costly.

Expect Jay Bouwmeester to play on Saturday vs. Russia regardless of Redden's health status. Canada will want to get there only spare defender some ice time before the playoffs begin.

There is potential that Canada could call up a new player if injuries persist. Should Canada's active roster dip below 23, one player can be parachuted in on an emergency basis. So if another defenseman joins Redden and Jovanovski on the injured list, Canada won't have to go with only 5 defensemen. TSN's Bob McKenzie speculates Bryan McCabe, Mike Rathje or Derek Morris would be selected. Doesn't anyone respect Adrian Aucoin?

Sweden Holds On Against Czechs
For 40 minutes Sweden toyed with a disinterested Czech Republic team. Then suddenly the Czechs woke up in the third period and made the game close at 4-3. Boxscore

USA Readies For Russia
As Team USA prepares for Russia, they got some good news. Defenseman Brian Rafalski will return, and Mike Modano's leg injury sustained against Canada likely won't keep him out of the tournament, although he is question against Russia on Thursday night. Jason Blake expects to play in Modano's place.

Hejduk Benched, Jagr Going Home?
It looks like the Czech Republic is a team in turmoil. Coach Vladimir Ruzicka is on the verge of losing his team as he benched Milan Hejduk following a weak game one performance. To make matters worse, a disinterested Jaromir Jagr is pouting and threatening to go home. All of this is being reported on the CBC broadcast of Czech Republic vs Sweden.

Canada Inserts Draper, Hannan Into Line-up
Canada is tinkering with their lineup for tonight's game against Slovakia. Kris Draper will replace Brendan Morrow, while Scott Hannan is in for the injured Ed Jovanovski when they play Slovakia tonight. Smart move to put the speedy Draper in against the slick Slovaks. Though Slovakia is running out of bandages for all their wounded, Canada will have to pay special attention to several of their stars, most notably Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa.

The disabled list for Slovakia only continues to grow. Richard Zednik will not play due to either hernia related surgery or food poisoning.

Czechs, Swedes Face-off In Stockholm
Sweden will be looking to improve on a strong start, while the Czechs hope to get pointed in the right direction as Sweden hosts Czech Republic. In the exhibition schedule the Czechs pulled out a 5-2 victory of Sweden.

August 31, 2004
Canada Beats USA In North American Opener
Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist as Canada opened the World Cup of Hockey with a fast-paced 2-1 victory over the United States on Tuesday night in which emotions ran high and bordered on nasty. 

Boxscore - Team Canada Report Card -  USA Hockey's Viewpoint - Doug Weight's Diary 

Though he shrugged it off, Mario Lemieux's dropping of the gloves is the biggest story of the game. Lemieux roughed up Steve Konowalchuk after the US forward crashed the Canadian crease. 

The untold story is that Team Canada's winning goal shouldn't have counted. Bob McKenzie says Wade Redden's dump in actually hit the mesh above the glass, and should have been whistled down.

Robert Esche played very well, easing USA fears over their goaltending situation. I wouldn't have blamed CBC announcer Bob Cole if he mistakenly said "What a save by Mike Richter!"

Ed Jovanovski Out For Canada
Though there will be no official word until Wednesday, Vancouver media are reporting Ed Jovanovski's lower body injury is actually a sprained MCL and he will not be able to play in the remainder of the World Cup. Canada will have to insert Jay Bouwmeester or Scott Hannan in his place, leaving only 1 spare defender.

There is no word on Mike Modano's lower body injury. Eric Weinrich also left the game early, but he was battling the flu and probably got tired or dehydrated.

Winning Ugly
There seems to be no shortage of complaints about Team Canada's retro uniforms. Regardless, there isn't too much complaining after Canada's golden first game victory. It was one of the most entertaining games - hockey the way it was meant to be played - in World Cup history.

Sweden Beats Germany Easily, But Salo Looked Shaky
Sweden looked very good in the tournament opener vs. Germany, beating Deutschland easily 5-2. The Germans tried lining up 4 players on the blueline, but still let stars like Forsberg, Naslund and hometown hero Mats Sundin stickhandle into the zone. This game was never really in doubt, though Tommy Salo looked shaky on both goals, plus a disallowed goal. Germany's open door policy hurt them in this game. Boxscore

Sundin, Alfredsson Click
Its too bad that the cool hands of Mats Sundin and the shaved-head of Daniel Alfredsson are on opposite sides in one of the NHL's most heated rivalries, because when you put them together, Sundin and Alfredsson share a special chemistry.

Extreme Makeover: World Cup Trophy Edition?
When stunned silence and scathing reviews followed the unveiling of the new World Cup trophy designed by Frank Gehry, the famed architect offered to redo the trophy. Hockey officials politely declined.

Attention World Cup Poolies
After three days, 6 players share the scoring lead with 2 points each: Tomas Holmstrom, Niko Kapanen, Martin St. Louis, Kim Johnsson, Fredrik Modin, Mats Sundin. Official World Cup Scoring Leaders

August 30, 2004
Swedes Kick Off Tournament Against Germans
Sweden looks to put bad memories of the Salt Lake Olympics behind the. But the better not take Germany too lightly. With Olaf Kolzig in net and a gritty, in-your-face game plan, the Germans are excited to rejoin hockey's elite.

Sweden will have some surprises, such as Tommy Salo in net. It is widely believed that Mikael Tellqvist is the new number one guy in Sweden, but with back to back games, Salo gets the Germans, who would be wise to take long shots aimed at his head. Also benched are the Sedin Twins. Peter Forsberg will play.

Canada To Wear Yellow
Sweden won't be the only team wearing yellow tonight. Canada will be wearing yellow throwback jerseys of the 1920 Olympic gold medal winning Winnipeg Falcons.

Regardless of which jerseys they will be wearing, Canada best be ready. The USA may be old but they are serious about defending their championship, and would love to defeat Canada on Canadian soil. If you think there is an uproar over the lack of Canadian swimming medals from the Athens Olympics that won't be anything like the uproar if Canada loses to the USA.

Canada will try get its power play going. Wade Redden and Joe Sakic will man the points. Canada would be wise to take notes from Finland - let the point men fire the puck on net and everyone else crash and bang for rebounds. Simple but effective.

Canada's roster is set. Jose Theodore, Jay Bouwmeester, Scott Hannan, Patrick Marleau, Kirk Maltby and perhaps most surprising Kris Draper will not play against the US. Sitting grinders Maltby and Draper could be a good move by Quinn. In 1991 Mike Keenan sat Theo Fleury in a sluggish game one. In game two Fleury was inserted and played an inspiring physical game. Perhaps Maltby and Draper can supply similar boost if needed down the road.

There was some considerable talk that Ryan Smyth might have lost his spot on the top 12 forwards in Canada. Its nice to see his long service to Team Canada rewarded with his first appearance in a Team Canada jersey on Canadian soil.

Bryan Smolinksi, Jamie Langenbrunner, Paul Martin, Ty Conklin Jason Blake and the injured Brian Rafalski will likely sit for Team USA

Forget 1972, 1987 Greatest Memory For New Generation
With apologies to Paul Henderson, Mario Lemieux's series winning goal in the 1987 Canada Cup ranks as the greatest goal of a generation of Canadian hockey fans. That generation includes Vincent Lecavalier, who now gets the chance to play with Lemieux.
This article is another by the Blog's favorite writer Mike Zeisberger.

Speaking of Mario, he may love hockey, but you get the idea he loves golf just as much.

Nabokov Officially Out For Russia
Well at least he tried, which is more than you can say for the other Russians who chose not to play. But Evgeny Nabokov's knee just wasn't ready in time, forcing the San Jose goalie out of the tournament. The Russians are going with Maxim Sokolov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Alexander Fomichev

Finland 4 - Czech Republic 0
Finland rolled over the Czech Republic 4-0 in the tournament opener Monday. Tomas Vokoun played admirably, but you couldn't say that about anybody else on the Czech team. Finland was full value for the victory, playing a perfect team system featuring aggressive forechecking, defensive positioning and a simple but effective power play strategy. Boxscore

Canada Prepares For USA
Though they'd love to beat the Americans, Team Canada realizes its more important that the team play well than the ultimate result. Team Canada is hoping to start off with some momentum to lead them to a successful tournament.

Much of the attention on Canada is focussed on Mario Lemieux. Lemieux says he feels better now than he did for the 2002 Olympics.

Familiarity Hurts Tournament?
A lot of people suggest the World Cup of Hockey isn't quite what it used to be. Perhaps that is because of the romanticizing of hockey lore Canadians tend to do, but Michael Traikos suggests the familiarity of players takes some lustre away.

Memories Are Made Of This
Alright, enough griping about the strengths and weaknesses of the World Cup, Olympics and NHL. As Mike Zeisberger notes, memories are made by great tournaments like this.  Scott Burnside suggest the World Cup is hockey at its best. Let's sit back and enjoy hockey.

Czechs, Finns Kick Off Tournament
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey gets under way today as the Czech Republic and Finland square off at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki (1 p.m. ET, ESPN, CBC).

As the Toronto Star reports, World Cup of Hockey fever is sweeping across Europe.

New Power Rankings
As the tournament is about to begin, and as the exhibition schedule is behind us, I felt it was appropriate to adjust the power rankings.

#1 - Canada - Still number one, though power play is sputtering and offensive talent has yet to burst out. Blake and Pronger will be missed. It's time to get serious, and the goal is gold. Canada will have trouble deciding who to sit.  Breakout player: Dany Heatley

#2 - Sweden - No notable absences, but Peter Forsberg's health remains mysterious. Sweden will go as far as Mikael Tellqvist can take them. Sweden is determined to get over the hump this time. Breakout player: The Sedin twins

#3 - Slovakia - These guys have as much game-breaking firepower as anyone, and judging by the exhibition season, they also have goaltending and defense. Bondra, Handzus and Palffy will be missed. Breakout Player: Marian Gaborik

#4 - USA - Great even if old set of forwards, and Robert Esche will do an admirable job. But their blue line has thinned right out and wasn't that great to begin with. I'm actually tempted to rank them lower, but Ron Wilson will get all that he can out of this team, as he always does. Breakout Player: Robert Esche

#5 - Czech Republic - They will be motivated by the death of their coach, but seemingly lack superstar talent. That could change if Jaromir Jagr ever wakes up. Breakout Player: Jiri Fischer

#6 - Finland - Gritty team with the best goaltending outside of Quebec, but not much offense here. Teemu Selanne: See message about Jaromir Jagr. Breakout Player: Tuomo Ruutu

#7 - Russia - They still have quite a bit of talent, but no NHL goalie. They could quite easily finish higher than 7th, but will all the talent they are missing its hard to justify a pre-tournament prediction higher than 7. Breakout Player: Alexander Ovechkin

#8 - Germany - Has anyone picked these guys, led by Olaf Kolzig,  to finish higher than last? Well, probably someone. After all, there were a very few people calling for the Soviets to beat Canada in 1972. Nah, will never happen. Breakout Player: Christian Erhoff

Is This The Last World Cup of Hockey
Normally I dismiss whatever Al Strachan says, especially when it comes to rumours, but he has a good column suggesting that this could be the last World Cup of Hockey.

Regardless of whether there is another World Cup, there will be top level international hockey, notably (hopefully) at the Olympics. Now whether Gretzky and Lemieux are ever back in any capacity with Team Canada, but as Mike Zeisberger suggests, the duo have a great past, and a magnificent future. In another column, he correctly thanks Bob Nicholson for his contributions.

Another Czech Goaltending Change
Veteran netminder Petr Briza of Sparta Praha in the Czech Republic Extraliga has replaced the injured Martin Prusek (Ottawa) as the Czech Republic's third-string netminder. Dusan Salficky was supposed to get the nod, but his club team (CSKA Moscow in the Russian Super League) did not give Salficky permission to leave. It shouldn't impact the Czech team, since Nashville's Tomas Vokoun is expected to start against Finland, with L.A's Roman Cechmanek as his backup.

August 29, 2004
Slovakia, Russia Battle To 0-0 Tie In Exhibition
Who said Slovakia had goaltending problems? Rostislav Stana stoned Canada, and now Jan Lasak post a 35 save shutout against the Russians. I've always mentioned that Slovakia has as much firepower as anybody in this tournament. That being said, they couldn't score either, as Russia's Ilya Bryzgalov stopped all 24 shots.

Either these unknown goalies are really really good or the neutral zone trap is starting to rear its ugly head again.

By the way, with apologies to Scott Niedermayer, is there a better defenseman in the world than Zdeno Chara? This guy could be the dominant defenseman of his era.

And while the most excited the Ottawa crowd got was when they could boo Alexei Yashin, you have to admire Yashin's devotion to Team Russia.

Canada, Slovakia Duel To 2-2 Draw
Canada and Slovakia closed out their exhibition schedules with a 2-2 tie. Slovakia got out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to Vladimir Orszagh and Marian Hossa, but Vincent Lecavalier and Jarome Iginla replied for Canada. Martin Brodeur and Rostislav Stana played in nets.

Mario Lemieux had a glorious opportunity to end the game in the dying seconds, but misfired on the shot.

Starting on Monday, its time to bring on the world.

Bondra Suffers Broken Wrist
What's up with Team Canada dishing out the injuries. First Jordan Leopold. Then Hal Gill. Now Peter Bondra broke his wrist in an exhibition game vs. Canada. 

Bob McKenzie Picks Canada To Win
Bob McKenzie of TSN has picked Canada to win the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Considered by many to be the foremost hockey expert/journalist, McKenzie cites the exciting play of Dany Heatley and and Vincent Lecavalier as reasons for a Canadian victory. He also shares his memories of the 1987 Canada Cup and predicts what will happen with the CBA negotiations.

August 28, 2004
USA Blanks Russia In Exhibition
Robert Esche appears to have taken the lead as the favourite to replace Mike Richter as Team USA's goalie for the World Cup of Hockey. Esche was solid, and at times spectacular, against Russia in a 2-0 American victory. 

Brett Hull and John Michael Liles scored against Russian league goalie Maxim Sokolov. Liles was just brought in to replace injured Hal Gill, and had arrived from Europe only an hour before the game got under way.

No Goaltending Problem In Canada
Jim Kernaghan suggests that even though Canada has the very capable Roberto Luongo and Jose Theodore in goal, Team Canada's hopes rest on Martin Brodeur. 

But Bruce Garrioch reports that goaltending may be the only set position, as there are many players competing for roster spots and linemates as Canada faces Slovakia in the final tune up game on Saturday. 

Garrioch guesses that Scott Hannan, Jay Bouwmeester, Brendan Morrow, Patrick Marleau and Ryan Smyth will be the odd men out. For Smyth it would be very disappointing, as he has represented Canada more than anyone, and this would be the first time he skated for Canada on Canadian ice.

Mario's Last Hurrah
Damien Cox suggests that this will be Mario Lemieux's last tournament for Team Canada, and possibly his last hockey he ever plays.

And while were remembering great players, kudos to NHL.com's John McGourty for featuring Joel Otto on the World Cup's official site. He was a gritty player who epitomized what USA Hockey is all about.

Players To Watch
CBC has come out with a good article suggesting which players may use this tournament as a breakout platform. Players featured include Dany Heatley, Marek Malik, the Sedin twins, Marian Gaborik, Alexander Ovechkin, Scott Gomez, Jochen Hecht and Miika Kiprusoff. Let's include Vincent Lecavalier and Tomas Vokoun in that group.

CBC also suggests that though Canada is a lot younger than in 2002, they are also a lot more balanced.

Prusek Czechs Out Of Tournament
The Czech Republic have had to replace Martin Prusek with Dusan Salficky. Prusek, of the Ottawa Senators, pulled out with a hip injury. Salficky, who plays with CSKA Moscow in the Russian league, will back up Tomas Vokoun and Roman Cechmanek.. The Czechs have previously replaced Robert Lang, Pavel Kubina and Frantisek Kaberle, along with deceased head coach Ivan Hlinka.

Sweden Looks For Redemption
Scott Burnside continues his excellent coverage for ESPN with an article entitled Swede Demons, referring Tommy Salo as hockey's Bill Buckner. By the way Canada, have we thanked Belarus' Vladimir Kopat yet? We should.

August 27, 2004
Canada To Stack Top Line?
Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic found themselves with a new left winger on Thursday -Team Canada captain Mario Lemieux.

Speaking of tinkering with the line up, TSN has a nice article that suggests that even though they were brought in as depth defensemen, Jay Bouwmeester and Scott Hannan may have won themselves spots on this team.

Meanwhile, Forecaster.ca takes a look at all of the top lines in the World Cup of Hockey, giving many of us our first good look at teams other than USA and Canada.

A quick note: Nice strategy by Sweden to try Jorgen Jonsson with the dynamic duo of Forsberg and Naslund. Jonsson is one of the best defensive forwards in the world, if not the best.

Czechs Beat Swedes, Remain Undefeated
The Czech Republic boosted their exhibition record to 2-0-1 with a convincing 5-3 victory over Sweden. The Czechs, who are playing to honour fallen coach Ivan Hlinka, had five different goal scorers, including a beauty by Tomas Vlasek on a nice pass from Petr Cajanek. Mats Sundin scored twice for Sweden.

Finland Defeats Germany In WC Exhibition
Olli Jokinen and Ville Peltonen scored 2 goals each as Finland defeated Germany 4-2 in World Cup exhibition.

Canada plays its last exhibition game on Saturday against Slovakia. As Slam! Sports tells us, its the last chance for players to earn a spot among the starting 20. 

Liles In For Gill
Team USA's defense just got significantly smaller. 6'7" and 250lb Hal Gill broke his foot, and he's being replaced with 5'10" 185lb sophomore John Michael Liles. The USA's blue line has been decimated with Mathieu Schneider, Jordan Leopold, Derian Hatcher and possibly Brian Rafalski leaving the tournament for various reasons.

Slovaks Lose Majesky
An already thin Slovak blue line just got a bit thinner, as Atlanta Thrasher Ivan Majesky has pulled out of the World Cup with a broken hand. The Slovaks are already without star Ziggy Palffy, and possibly without Michal Handzus. The injuries will hurt the Slovak team that most are calling the best they've ever iced.

August 26, 2004
Canada Answers Back - Defeats USA 3-1 In Exhibition
Canada answered the critics by handing the United States a solid 3-1 loss. Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Joe Sakic scored for Canada. Chris Drury scored for Team USA. Mario Lemieux had a calming effect on Team Canada.

Some thoughts:

Canada did a much better job defensively in this game. The wingers came back deep to hold up the American's two man forecheck system. Canada, despite sitting out Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper, also played with more physical presence themselves, particularly on the forecheck.

Canada was smart to change up the defense pairings. Eric Brewer and Ed Jovanovski together is scary defensively. Brewer played with Adam Foote while Jovo played with Wade Redden.

Doesn't Dany Heatley look great out there? I know Sakic and Iginla have good chemistry, but what about Sakic and Heatley? And Jay Bouwmeester was incredible last night.

In other exhibition news, Sweden edged Finland in 2-1 in overtime

Talk About Pressure!
If you don't understand the pressure Team Canada is under on a daily basis, check this out. Players are receiving media report cards based on single exhibition games.

Another US Defender Down and Out
Hal Gill left the second exhibition game with a cast on his foot and will miss the World Cup with a reported broken foot. USA is already missing Jordan Leopold, Derian Hatcher, Mathieu Schneider and possibly Brian Rafalski on their blue line.

Quote of the day: Glenn Healy

"In Pittsburgh Mario Lemieux is like a thoroughbred playing between two donkeys. Here in Canada its a thoroughbred playing with two other thoroughbreds."

Gretzky Back In Skates?
Apparently Wayne Gretzky was close to strapping on the skates last night for the intra-squad game in Ottawa.

Personally, I don't think he ever had any intention of doing it. He has too much respect for a) the team building process Quinn and Co are currently undertaking and b) for Canadian athletes at the summer games. Lets face it, Canada could win 6 gold medals and Gretzky's appearance would still have been top story on the sports if not news broadcasts.

I think it was more of a ticket sales ploy. There was only about 8500 people in attendance despite the $7 ticket with all proceeds going to charity.

Canada Cup Memories
It's nice to see Slam! Sports and IIHF.com come out with Canada Cup memory articles.

Oh Yeah, Germany's Here Too
Kudos to ESPN.com's Scott Burnside for profiling Team Germany.
Meanwhile Alan Adams of NHL.com suggests the depleted Russians shouldn't be overlooked.

What's With The Olympic Commercials In Canada? 
Have you noticed some of the commercials during the Olympic Summer games? CBC keeps promoting its World Cup of Hockey coverage, and the Royal Bank/RBC proudly touts its support of Olympic athletes in Athens by talking about the 1948 gold medal winning hockey team - the RCAF Flyers - and Trent Evans aka the guy who sticks lucky Loonies in ice rinks. 

August 25, 2004
USA Exposed Canada's Weakness
The Toronto Star is one of many news outlets focussing on the lack of grit on the Canadian defense given the absences of Rob Blake and Chris Pronger. Team USA exposed Canada's problems on defense in a 3-1 exhibition victory on the 23rd. A word of reason however: Canada did dress 8 defensemen, all of whom are used to averaging 26 or 28 minutes a game. When 8 thoroughbreds have to share that much time together, it can be tough to get in a grove. But full credit to the Americans for utilizing an effective game plan.

Despite the heat placed on Team Canada after the exhibition loss, Wayne Gretzky is ready for the challenge. And he wouldn't trade his job for anything in the world.

Team Canada meantime moved forward with an intra-squad match. Team White beat Team Red 3-2.

Team USA's Blue Line Woes
With Brian Rafalski already sitting out with a minor injury, Team USA announced Jordan Leopold will be out at least a week with a concussion sustained in the first exhibition game with Canada. Team USA also recently lost Derian Hatcher and Mathieu Schneider. Eric Weinrich was brought in as a replacement, but he has openly admitted he wasn't on skates all summer thus making for a difficult adjustment.

Which is better? World Cup or Winter Olympics?
The Sporting News' Kara Yorio puts forward an argument why she believes that World Cup is superior to hockey at the Olympics. She may be right, although her arguments are fairly weak. Plus the Olympics great equalizer is the mystique and history of the gold medal.

Lemieux's Flying - Richards
Any concerns over Mario Lemieux's health seemed to have been settled. Linemate Brad Richards is one who realizes Super Mario is ready to go, saying: "He's flying, I see it first-hand because I have to keep up with him.''

Furthermore, ESPN.com's Chris Stevenson calls a healthy Lemieux hockey's most intimidating presence. I highly recommend reading this article.

Don't Forget About Finland, Sweden
Well much World Cup attention in North America has been focussed on Team Canada and the Canada/USA rivalry, WCH2004.com accurately reminds us that Finland is a very serious threat to win the World Cup, and that their Scandinavian neighbors from Sweden are tournament co-favourites with Canada.

WCH2004.com has been doing a good job reminiscing about the 1996 World Cup as well. There most recent historical article looks at Bill Guerin's role in 1996.

Profile of Ron Wilson
Scott Burnside continues his excellent work covering the World Cup for ESPN.com. Check out his profile of USA coach Ron Wilson.

August 24, 2004
USA Beats Canada 3-1 In Exhibition
It was only an exhibition game, but I bet some journalists today will be calling for an early return to parliament to solve Canada's 3-1 loss to Team USA.

While Canada looked sluggish at times, perhaps they were playing a little bit of possum with Team USA. After all, Canada was playing without Conn Smythe trophy winner Brad Richards, Hart Trophy winner Martin St. Louis and active Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. 

Some general thoughts: Martin Brodeur looked solid in 30 minutes, but Roberto Luongo struggled with 3 goals on 16 shots. 

USA Looking For Goaltender To Emerge
Rick DiPietro looked solid in the first exhibition game and may emerge as the USA's replacement for the retired legend Mike Richter. ESPN.com's Scott Burnside takes a look at the three goalies looking to fill Richter's skates.

Germans Come Back To Tie Russians
Christian Erhoff played hero as Germany tied the Russians 3-3 in World Cup Exhibition hockey in Cologne, Germany. In other action, the Czechs tied the Finns 1-1 in Prague.

More Simulated Results
As reported earlier, HockeySimulation.com simulated a World Cup tournament with Sweden edging out Canada in the one game final.

Joe Gucciardo, founder of HockeySimulation.com, did some further simulation and sent us the results.

"I used the simulator to play an 84 game schedule between World Cup participants. Each team played 12 games against all of the other teams. I used NHL regular season overtime rules (4 x 4  - 5 minutes). I played the schedule numerous times.

Here is a quick look at one particular run. I can post detailed stats
if people ask for it.

CANADA – 116 points
FINLAND – 95
USA – 90
CZECH REPUBLIC – 87
SWEDEN – 86
RUSSIA – 80
SLOVAKIA – 72
GERMANY - 62

Remember, this is just one sampling. I ran it a number of times and
Canada came out on top every time. Second place seemed to change every time with Finland, USA, Czech Republic, and Sweden all finishing in second place during various samplings. Germany was a consistent last. Russia and Slovakia never finished higher than fourth place."

August 23, 2004
Canada, USA Square Off In Not-So-Friendly Friendly
Any time Canada and the USA play, you know the intensity will be there, even if it is just the first exhibition game of the season. 

According to the article, the two teams will dress 22 players each, 2 more than usual. Martin Brodeur will start for Canada, though Roberto Luongo is expected to finish. All 8 defensemen will play, but the line of Mario Lemieux, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis will sit this one out. Lemieux's sitting out is a bit of a surprise given that he had been saying he wanted to play the first two exhibition, and Team Canada has given him complete decision making power when it comes to him playing and even practicing.

On the US side, Brian Rafalski will sit out, as he left practice on Sunday with an undisclosed injury. It is believed the injury is minor.

Kiprusoff's Contract Negotiations Get Nasty
The Calgary Sun is reporting that contract negotiations between the Calgary Flames and Miika Kiprusoff have gone so sour that the Finnish sensation is upset and bitter. One has to wonder how this will effect his play at the World Cup. Fortunately for Finland they have great depth in goal, and Vesa Toskala and Kari Lehtonen are capable of shouldering the load.

Sweden Beats Slovakia In Tune Up
Daniel Sedin and Markus Naslund scored in a 2-0 Swedish exhibition victory over Slovakia, but the real story here might Mikael Tellqvist's play in nets. By all accounts he wasn't the star of the show by any means, but a goose egg and game one start is a pretty good indication that Sweden is looking to pass the goaltending torch from Tommy Salo to Tellqvist.

Lemieux Slips
Its almost comical how the entire arena gasped when Mario Lemieux took a hard fall in practice. Lemieux laughed it off, but how can the most unstoppable player in history be that fragile? Unfortunately Canadians have a good reason to gasp. Message to Ed Jovanovski, keep your stick out of Mario's feet!

August 22, 2004
Canada Worried About Power Play?
TSN.ca is reporting that with the loss of Rob Blake and Chris Pronger, Canada is looking for someone to quarterback the power play. Ummm....I wonder if it is too late to call in Adrian Aucoin? Hello, we've only been campaigning for him pretty much for this very reason!

Hoping For A German Victory
Slam! has a rare article about Team Germany. Lance Hornby takes a look at former Toronto Marlie Robert Leask, now a German citizen and Team Germany defenseman.

Other articles from Slam!: Bruce Garrioch looks at the pressure Team Canada is under every time a championship is contested. Al Strachan has a similar article, looking at "The Essence Of Our Country."

Canada Looking To Pass Torch To Lecavalier?
With this likely to be the last top level tournament for perennial Canadian stars like Mario Lemieux, Ryan Smyth and possibly Joe Sakic, Canada is looking to pass the proverbial torch to the next generation. 

While there are plenty of worthy candidates, it appears Vincent Lecavalier has been singled out as someone Team Canada would like to hand the torch. Lecavalier's dressing room stall is right next to Mario Lemieux's.

Lecavalier is in a similar position as Lemieux was in back in 1987. Mario had all the talent in the world, but really harnessed the understanding of how to utilize thanks to being around the likes Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Ray Bourque. Canada is clearly hoping Lecavalier can learn the same lessons in 2004.

Jagr Might Have Skipped World Cup Too
The Toronto Star says that Ivan Hlinka is the main reason Jaromir Jagr decided to participate in the World Cup. The story suggests Jagr has had some relationship troubles and would have rather focussed attention on his girlfriend than play, but Hlinka convinced him to stay on the team.

Canada's Lines To Be Changed Up
Although Canada's lines in practices have been the same for the first two days of training camp, expect lines to be changed up, according to the Toronto Star. 

Canada Is Looking For Traitors
Team Canada is planning extensive scouting missions, particularly for the three teams in their own pool - USA, Slovakia and Russia. However Pat Quinn concedes they won't have the European pool scouted as heavily, and that they are "looking for traitors" to spill the beans on those countries.

Quinn also talked about the coaching responsibilities. Ken Hitchcock is in charge of defense, Jacques Martin is in charge of offense and Wayne Fleming is the "drill guy." When asked what that left for head coach Quinn, the big Irishman playfully said "I have nothing to do."

Russian Great Maltsev Rips Today's Russian Stars
Alexander Maltsev isn't impressed by the mass desertion of Russian stars from the World Cup national team:

"Back then, players wanted to play for national team, some even cried when did not get invited. Now players come to have a good time. Indeed, to relax, to have fun. Nobody plays for the country, except perhaps Alexei Yashin."

This quote is a translation from Sport Express.ru. 

Other Stories of Interest.
Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun shows he knows his hockey history, comparing Ivan Hlinka to Herb Brooks.

August 21, 2004
Sweden Beats Canada in Simulation
HockeySimulation.com is picking Sweden to defeat Canada in thrilling fashion. Joe Gucciardo, creator of the hockey simulation game Quest, said that if the World Cup participants were simulated over a full 82 game schedule, Canada would come out ahead more of than not. However Gucciardo's simulator nicely underlines the fact that anything can happen in a one game showdown.

WCH2004.com Honours Damphousse, Richter 
There's a nice article on the official World Cup website. John McGourty recalls the fine but snake bitten performance by Vince Damphousse. That reminds me of another good WCH2004.com article - Shawn P. Roarke remembered the amazing performance of Mike Richter.

Germans Missing Star Player Too
TheScore.ca is the only North American source I found that mentioned Jan Benda's absence from the World Cup. Alright, so most of you never have heard of Jan Benda. Benda's a veteran national team member played with the Washington Capitals at one point. Benda was not allowed to play because his club team, Khimik Voskresensk of Russia, has already begun league play. Christoph Ullmann replaces Benda.

Russian Replacements
The same TheScore.ca report notes Russia has lost another original member. Maxim Sushinsky, of the Russian club team Avangard Omsk, is also not allowed to play.

Sushinsky, a Minnesota Wild draft pick, joins Nikolai Khabibulin, Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Zhamnov, Valeri Bure Daniil Markov and Alexei Zhitnik as Russians who have opted out of the World Cup for one reason or another.

Replacements so far include former NHLers Oleg Petrov and Andrei Kovalenko, and NHLers Dmitri Afanasenkov and Alexander Frolov.

Palffy Out, Cibak In for Slovakia
So umm...when did this happen? Ziggy Palffy apparently has pulled out of the World Cup, and has been replaced by Tampa Bay's Martin Cibak. I don't know how I missed that one.

August 20, 2004
Forsberg out of World Cup?
There's no online confirmation of this report yet, but Canadian television network The Score is reporting Peter Forsberg is experiencing more stomach problems and may be out of the World Cup altogether. This story sounds a bit suspicious at this stage. Perhaps the Swedes are showing some gamesmanship?

Doug Weight's World Cup Diary
Doug Weight is keeping an online diary of his World Cup experience. He says all the right things about 1996, his teammates and the city of Columbus on day one.

Also check out USA Hockey's interview with coach Ron Wilson. 

Lemieux Remembers 1987
TSN.ca has reported the obvious - Mario Lemieux has been officially named as captain of Team Canada. But more interesting was Lemieux's comments about the 1987 Canada Cup in the same interview.

``I was in the same boat in 1987, playing with Gretzky and guys like that,'' said Lemieux of the torch passing from veterans to newcomers. ``It's important that the veterans spend a lot of time with the young guys and make them feel they are part of the team.

``In 1987, I learned what it takes to win - a lot of hard work and dedication; just to see guys like Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey work so hard in practice.''

Lemieux appears to be in great shape. He weighed in at a trim 218 pounds. "Both hips and my back are in good shape," he insists.

By the way, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Scott Niedermayer were named as alternate captains.

Canada's