2010 Men’s Olympic Hockey: Which Team Will Reign Supreme?

Hockey’s biggest names have touched down in Vancouver and are four days into their Olympic tournament, which they hope will end in a gold medal win!

Vancouver welcomes the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, three names that would make any hockey fan squeal.

The competition is tough, the stakes are high and any number of countries can take the gold home to their native country. Here’s a look at the top six teams on paper and what they bring to the table.

R U S S I A
The Russian Olympic hockey team should be highly feared. They have a group of seemingly effortless goal scorers and a group of consistent goaltenders.

The usual rivalry of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin will be put on the back burner as they will most likely be paired up for Russia’s first line. The two have already combined for 134 points just little over the half way mark in the NHL season.

The team's cavalry does not stop there, Olympic staples like Ilya Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov and first time Olympian Alexander Semin are just three more reasons why this team is to be feared.

There are also countless forwards from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) that have proven they deserve a spot on the team, like Sergei Federov, an NHL legend that will want to prove he still has what it takes to play on the biggest stage.
Ilya Bryzgalov and Evgeni Nabokov are as solid as goaltenders come. They are currently ranked 3rd and 4th respectively in wins in the NHL so far this season.

Russia's main weakness is their defence. Aside from Andrei Markov and Sergei Gonchar, they lack depth on the blue line.

Regardless Russia won’t be firing blanks and will surely give Canada a run for their money.

U S A
Baseball is the America’s national sport, but you wouldn’t know it from the amount of skill on its 2010 hockey team.

With fresh-faced snipers like Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Paul Stastny and Bobby Ryan team U.S.A will have plenty of weapons to choose from.

LA Kings captain Dustin Brown makes his first appearance and hopes to make a lasting impact. He is a sharp shooter who isn’t afraid to get into a few scuffles.

Ryan Kesler who is used to the rowdy crowds every night in Vancouver is also appearing in his first Olympic game. With his speed and great two-way play, he will be an asset to the team.

On the blue line the U.S. has two young defencemen to watch, Erik and Jack Johnson. Although it is his 2nd time on the world stage Ryan Miller, this time around, Miller is the consensus number one.
The youth factor on Team USA can go either way – it could provide the team with speed and agility or it could be their down fall.

S W E D E N
The reigning gold medal winners have something to prove. Stacked with prolific scorers and steady defencemen Sweden will try to come up with back-to-back Olympic gold medals and prove to the world that they too are hockey royalty.

Sweden has supplied the NHL with a myriad of talent. Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been highly touted snipers since their days playing for Modo Ice Hockey club in their hometown of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. And this year both twins have proven that they are truly elite players, which is a scary thought for the opposition.

Young guns like Niklas Backstrom and Loui Eriksson will be joined by seasoned pros Daniel Alfredsson, Peter Forsberg and Henrik Zetterberg to form a powerful offence.

Expectedly, Niklas Lidstrom will be depended on to lead the defence and provide some additional scoring from the back-end. Between the pipes, Henrik Lundqvist, aka “King Henrik,” will be backed up by Jonas Gustavsson. Both players are used to playing on the big stage and dealing with all the pressure as their NHL teams are two of the biggest hockey markets in the league: New York and Toronto.

The only challenge Sweden faces is the age factor. Sweden will have to face younger teams that are quick on their feet but with their experience and talent, Sweden’s push for gold will be hard to ignore.

C Z E C H R E P U B L I C
Led by New Jersey Devil Patrick Elias the Czech team is packed with some fire power. Countless NHL scorers are also donning the red, blue and white. Among them are Martin Havlat, Martin Erat and David Krecji. All of which have more than 30 points this season. Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec has also excelled this season. The 27-year-old has 60 points in 63 games and has been a leading factor in the Montreal Canadiens’ success. The Czechs are relying on highly decorated 38-year-old Jaromir Jagr to once again help the Czech Republic reach the podium. Jagr returns to the Olympic team for the fourth time and with his age being a factor many are looking forward to seeing if he still has the fire he once brought to the game. Tomas Kaberle, Marek Zidlicky and Filip Kuba are taking care of the blue line, along with the massive bodies of Pavel Kubina, Jan Hedja and Zbynek Michalek. Although Tomas Vokoun has proven he has what it takes to be a starter in the NHL he only won three of seven games at the last winter Olympics in Torino. With its strong blue line presence and more than capable scorers, the Czechs are in the mix for the golden prize.

F I N L A N D
Not only has there been a recent rise of phenomenal Finnish goaltenders there has also been a steady supply of undeniable scorers: the Koivu brothers being two of them. Saku has been in three Winter Olympic games, the first one being in 1994, while this is Mikko’s first experience. Mikko, a speedy center, is tied for second in the NHL for face-offs won and will most likely anchor the first line.

Olli Jokinen, recently acquired by the New York Rangers, will provide much needed scoring.
Kimmo Timonen and Vancouver’s own Sami Salo are the main representatives of the Finnish defense.

Finland's net is secured by three of the hottest NHL goaltenders: Nicklas Backstrom, Mikka Kiprusoff and Antero Nittymakki.
Even though Koivu and Jokinen are considered big names, they do not match the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby on the world stage.

Finland also suffers from a depleted defense but gained respect four years ago when they stood second at the podium and played a tight game. But this year many wonder if their lack in offensive spark will ruin their chance for first.

C A N A D A
Overflowing with talent, team Canada is hoping for an ending that differs from that of the 2006 Winter Olympics, when they finished seventh. Being the home team this time around, Canada will be under tremendous scrutiny.

Scott Niedermayer will have the privilege of leading one of the most gifted and star-studded rosters in Olympic history.

Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla will most likely make up Canada’s first line.
If that isn't enough to send chills down goaltenders spines, players like Jonathan Toews and Joe Thornton will do the job.
This year’s team has a younger feel to that of the 2006 Turin team having only three returning defensemen Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Dan Boyle. Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith>, Drew Doughty and Shea Weber are a crop of fresh defenders who are used to playing against the games toughest shooters.

Canada’s goalies are lead by a trio of French-Canadians. Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur are back to prove a point. They did not succeed in Turin and have a tough road ahead of them.
Canada is filled with skilled players but lack the finesse most European teams have. No host country has won the Olympic gold in hockey in three decades but Canada is hoping that streak stops this year.

It will be an exciting two weeks with so much talent and big names under one roof. Although Canada is the favoured to take home gold, the Russians are definitely a contender.