Team Canada

Canada Soccer has reached an interim funding agreement with its women's national team for 2022 amid negotiations on a final collective bargaining agreement, it announced Thursday in a statement.

TSN's Rick Westhead clarified that while players will be compensated for their work in 2022, Canada Soccer and the women's national team have not reached an agreement on the 2023 budget.

The Canadian women's national team's last CBA with Canada Soccer expired in 2021, and players have been fighting for equal treatment, pay, funding and resources ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup.

The interim funding agreement includes terms similar to that of the Canadian men's national team, including per-game incentives and results-based compensation. The agreement is subject to change on the details included in the final CBA.

Canada Soccer's general secretary Earl Cochrane said in a statement:

"This is about respect, this is about dignity, and this is about equalising the competitive environment in a world that is fundamentally unequal. We have been consistent and public about the need to have fairness and equal pay be pillars of any new agreements with our players, and we are delivering on that today. While this is an important step forward, and it signals progress, there is still more work to do to ensure both of our national programs are given the necessary resources and supports to prepare and compete."

The news comes after the Canadian women's national team threatened a work stoppage before the SheBelieves Cup last month, citing budget cuts, equal pay issues and a lack of support from its governing body.

The women's national team ended up competing in the tournament under protest after being threatened with legal action. Players even took the field for their opening match against the United States wearing shirts that read "enough is enough."

Canadian WNT players wore "Enough is Enough" shirts at the SheBelieves Cup in protest of labor disputes with Canada Soccer. pic.twitter.com/m7bkWeuGCM

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) February 17, 2023

Nick Bontis, the former president of Canada Soccer, resigned earlier this week, citing a need for change amid conflict with both the men's and women's national teams.

"While I have been one of the biggest proponents of equalizing the competitive performance environment for our Women's National Team, I will unfortunately not be leading this organization when it happens. I acknowledge that this moment requires change," he said in a statement.

Additionally, women's national team players Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie, Sophie Schmidt and Quinn are set to testify before the Heritage Committee on March 9 in Ottawa, according to Westhead.

Members of Parliament "want to hear their views on Canada Soccer's pay equity issues and drastic budget cuts in a World Cup year," Westhead added.

The Canadian women's national team is back in action on April 11 against France before traveling to Australia and New Zealand this summer for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Highlighted by a gender discrimination lawsuit filed in March 2019, it took the United States women's national team years to reach a suitable collective bargaining agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The USWNT settled their equal pay lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for $24 million in February 2022 before reaching a historic collective bargaining agreement with the federation in May 2022 that included equal pay structures for the men's and women's national teams.

Hockey Canada announced Friday that it was made aware of an "alleged group sexual assault" involving members of its 2002-03 National Junior Team at the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Investigative journalist Rick Westhead, who works for TSN/CTV National News, notified the organization of the alleged sexual assault via email on Thursday.

Hockey Canada wrote in a statement:

"Yesterday evening, Hockey Canada learned of an alleged group sexual assault from 2003 involving members of the 2002-03 National Junior Team after being contacted by Rick Westhead of TSN/CTV National News with disturbing details of the alleged incident. Mr. Westhead informed Hockey Canada he has spoken to multiple witnesses who provided him with explicit descriptions of an assault, following an interview with Conservative MP John Nater who is in possession of the same or similar information."

Hockey Canada has contacted the Halifax Regional Police and is urging Westhead and his sources to do the same, per the statement. Halifax co-hosted the 2003 World Junior Championship.

Hockey Canada also said in the statement that its staff had heard about "something bad at the 2003 World Juniors," but were given "no details of any sort." The organization hired a third-party investigator in an attempt to find more information, but they "were unable to learn anything."

With most of the members of Canada's 2003 World Junior roster having gone on to play in the NHL, the league released the following statement on Friday to Sportsnet:

"We were made aware earlier today of the horrific allegations against members of the 2002-03 Canadian National Junior Team. The National Hockey League will look into the allegations and will respond appropriately."

These are only the latest allegations surrounding Hockey Canada.

In May, news broke that Hockey Canada had settled a lawsuit with a woman who alleged eight Canadian Hockey League players, including members of Canada's 2017-18 World Junior team, sexually assaulted her in June 2018.

Since then, multiple players on that team have denied their involvement, and Hockey Canada has had its government funding frozen. The organization has also reopened a third-party investigation into the alleged 2018 sexual assault.

It was also revealed earlier this week by The Canadian Press that Hockey Canada had "maintained a fund to pay for uninsured liabilities," including to settle claims of sexual abuse and assault. The organization later announced that the fund would "no longer be used to settle sexual assault claims."

Canada bounced back from a semifinal loss to Germany to score a 6-4 victory Saturday over the Czech Republic to win the 2018 Winter Olympics' bronze medal in men's ice hockey at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in South Korea.

Andrew Ebbett, Chris Kelly and Derek Roy scored first-period goals for the Canadians, who took a 3-1 lead and never trailed. Ebbett and Kelly scored again in the third period, while Wojtek Wolski also found the net for the bronze medalists.

Martin Ruzicka, Jan Kovar and Roman Cervenka, who scored twice in the third, picked up the Czechs' tallies.

Canada earned a men's hockey medal for the third straight Games, though it had won gold in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014). The country would have been favored to finish atop the podium again if the NHL had released its players to participate in Pyeongchang.

As the Canada offense clicked on all cylinders in the opening period, goalie Kevin Poulin made 14 stops to keep the Czech Republic at bay.

Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun noticed a clear difference from Friday's semifinal:

Derek Roy with another for Canada, who lead bronze medal game 3-1. Playing with so much more speed and desire than last night.

— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) February 24, 2018

Roy's goal with just over four minutes left in the period helped cap a strong tournament for the former Buffalo Sabres star. He racked up seven points (two goals and five assists) and showed much of the same playmaking ability he did during his NHL peak.

While he plays for Linkopings HC in Sweden, it wouldn't be a surprise if he got another look in North America based on his play in Pyeongchang.

Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press noted the veteran center had an injury scare in the third period:

Derek Roy takes skate to the chin as Czech kicks up leg. Getting looked over by the trainer. Nasty. #pyeongchang2018

— Neil Davidson (@NeilMDavidson) February 24, 2018

He later returned to the contest, though.

The Czech Republic, which lost to the Olympic Athletes from Russia in the semifinals, could never cut the deficit to less than two the rest of the way despite three goals in the third period.

Hockey Canada celebrated the triumph:

Congratulations @HC_Men! Bring that bronze home.🥉#BelieveWeCAN pic.twitter.com/3Hp088mWWE

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) February 24, 2018

CBC News' Devin Heroux summed up the game:

There’s something somewhat magical about bronze medal games.

The disappointment of not getting gold must be paralyzing and yet they have to shake it off and play the game. You can mail it in or rise up.

Today, Canada rose up for bronze in hockey.

— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) February 24, 2018

The hockey tournament at the Pyeongchang Games will come to a close Sunday (11:10 p.m. ET in the United States) with the OAR team taking on Germany in the gold-medal game.

Canada's men will vie for their third straight gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games without superstar assistance.

For the first time since 1994, active NHL players will not participate in the Winter Olympics. No longer led by Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Carey Price, Canada has forfeited its customary status as the heavy favorite. 

The country has nevertheless composed an experienced roster of professionals, many of whom have logged NHL reps. While he's no Crosby, 37-year-old captain Chris Kelly tallied 188 points over 13 NHL seasons and won the 2011 Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins.

Courtesy of Team Canada's official site and Twitter account, respectively, let's look at the squad's roster and uniform before its Olympic run begins against Switzerland. 

                

Team Canada Men's Hockey Roster/Uniform

Goaltenders

Kevin Poulin, Medvescak Zagreb (EBEL)

Justin Peters, Kolner Haie (DEL)

Ben Scrivens, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

               

Forwards

Rene Bourque, Djurgardens IF (SHL)

Gilbert Brule, Kunlun Red Star (KHL)

Andrew Ebbett, SC Bern (NLA)

Quinton Howden, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

Chris Kelly, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Rob Klinkhammer, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

Brandon Kozun, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)

Maxim Lapierre, HC Lugano (NLA)

Eric O'Dell, HK Sochi (KHL)

Mason Raymond, SC Bern (NLA)

Derek Roy, Linkoping HC (SHL)

Christian Thomas, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)

Linden Vey, ZSC Lions (NLA)

Wojtek Wolski, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

                    

Defensemen

Stefan Elliott, HV71 (SHL)

Chay Genoway, Lada Togliatti (KHL)

Cody Goloubef, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Marc-Andre Gragnani, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

Chris Lee, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

Maxim Noreau, SC Bern (NLA)

Mat Robinson, CSKA Moscow (KHL)

Karl Stollery, Dinamo Riga (KHL)

              

It's here! #TeamCanada's hockey teams will be wearing this jersey in #PyeongChang2018. 🇨🇦🏒 pic.twitter.com/EfmUacQnYP

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) November 1, 2017

          

Olympic Preview

NHL fans will still know plenty of Team Canada's representatives. Perhaps the most notable of the bunch is Derek Roy, who registered 189 goals and 355 assists over 11 seasons. 

While the 34-year-old center is a decade removed from 2007-08's 81-point campaign with the Buffalo Sabres, he has stayed spry, with 33 points and a plus-19 net rating in 39 Swedish Hockey League games.

Rene Bourque, who scored 27 goals for the Calgary Flames in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, joins Kelly and Roy to form a veteran nucleus. The owner of one goal in 27 NHL games scattered across four seasons, Christian Thomas is Canada's youngest participant at age 25.

Canada also has plenty of seasoned players to shield the net. Goaltenders Justin Peters, Kevin Poulin and Ben Scrivens all have NHL experience, albeit as reserves. Scrivens notched a .905 save percentage in 144 career games, including a then-record 59-save shutout for the Edmonton Oilers four years ago.

"It's unbelievable," Goloubef told Feschuk of his Olympic opportunity. "It's a place I don't think many of us thought we'd ever be."

A sage group of scorers and athletic defenders should at least reserve Canada a spot at the podium. Without its elite crop of NHL headliners, it may instead settle for silver or bronze behind the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

              

Statistics obtained from hockeydb.com.

Canada named its 2018 Olympic hockey team roster on Thursday, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN:

Team Canada 🇨🇦 Men's Olympic hockey roster for PyeongChang 2018: pic.twitter.com/C55a2FyB3H

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 11, 2018

Nick Zaccari of NBC Sports, meanwhile, provided more details on the team's NHL experience:

Canada Olympic roster: 23 of 25 players with NHL experience (total 5,553 games/avg. 222 per player)

U.S. Olympic roster: 15 of 23 players with NHL experience (total 3,083 games/avg. 134 per player)

U.S. to name its last two players -- both goalies -- later today.

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) January 11, 2018

Per Seravalli, Team Canada general manager Sean Burke "cast a net far and wide to find Canada's best talent playing abroad, pulling in 13 players from Russia's KHL, four from Switzerland's NLA, three from the Swedish Hockey League, one from Germany's DEL, one from Austria's EBEL and three from the AHL."

Team Canada abstained from inviting any CHL or NCAA players, however, but the team's former NHL experience is vast.

Most notably, forward Rene Bourque, 36, spent 12 seasons in the NHL with six teams, accumulating 163 goals and 153 assists. Forward Derek Roy, 34, spent 11 years in the league, posting 189 goals and 335 assists. Goalie Ben Scrivens spent five years in the league, posting a 2.92 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. Forward Mason Raymond, 32, scored 115 goals and added 136 assists in 10 NHL seasons. And 29-year-old forward Wojtek Wolski notched 99 goals and 168 assists in his eight-year NHL career.

"It has been an exciting journey to arrive at this 25-player roster," Burke said in a statement, per Doug Harrison of CBC Sports. "We have a very special group of talented players and staff who are ready to compete in South Korea."

With NHL players not participating in this year's Pyeongchang Games, Canada—like many other countries—will be leaving its top talents behind. But the team's veteran experience will make them one of the favorites for the tournament alongside the Olympic Athletes From Russia team, which is likely to feature former NHL stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk.

On Wednesday, Canada announced its preliminary 16-man roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey beginning on Sept. 17 in Toronto.   

The hosts have until June 1 to finalize their full 23-man roster, but already getting over half of the roster set will give hockey fans an idea at which direction the team is moving in for such a big tournament. 

Here are the 16 men set to represent Canada in September:

Player	Position	NHL Team	Notable 2015-16 Stats
Sidney Crosby	C	Pittsburgh Penguins	25 G, 35 A
Tyler Seguin	C	Dallas Stars	32 G, 36 A
Steven Stamkos	C	Tampa Bay Lightning	28 G, 23 A
Patrice Bergeron	C	Boston Bruins	24 G, 30 A
John Tavares	C	New York Islanders	23 G, 27 A
Jeff Carter	C	Los Angeles Kings	15 G, 27 A
Ryan Getzlaf	C	Anaheim Ducks	9 G, 41 A
Jamie Benn	LW	Dallas Stars	32 G, 39 A
Jonathan Toews	C	Chicago Blackhaws	22 G, 22 A
Marc-Edouard Vlasic	D	San Jose Sharks	37 Pts, +12 Rating
Duncan Keith	D	Chicago Blackhawks	38 Pts, +13 Rating
Drew Doughty	D	Los Angeles Kings	40 Pts, +16 Rating
Shea Weber	D	Nashville Predators	16 G, 23 A
Carey Price*	G	Montreal Canadiens	10-2-0, .934 SV %
Braden Holtby	G	Washington Capitals	40-7-3, .923 SV%, 2.22 GAA
Corey Crawford	G	Chicago Blackhawks	33-16-3, 7 Shutouts

This Canadian team already has experience winning on some of the biggest international stages. Of the 16 players selected on Wednesday, 12 of them were a part of Canada's gold-medal-winning team from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Goaltenders Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford—along with forwards Tyler Seguin and Steven Stamkos, who was nursing a leg injury at the time—were not in Sochi.

Canada, though, is going to have a whole lot of firepower on its roster. Seven of its 16 players are ranked within the top 50 of the NHL in goals scored this season, including reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn. The Dallas Stars forward ranks only behind Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane in goals with 32 in 65 games. 

One of Benn's teammates, Tyler Seguin, will join him on the roster and also has 32 goals this season. Put the two together on a line, and they could be a potent combination in the World Cup of Hockey. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6vODEwX498

They're just two of a number of big names, including Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and John Tavares of the New York Islanders, who will ensure that all four lines on Canada's team will be dangerous.

Notable players excluded from the preliminary roster were Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban and Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry. Subban is one of the premiere two-way defensemen in the league, while Perry is ranked 11th in the league with 26 goals.

They'll have an opportunity to nab one of those seven spots up for grabs before June 1.

Playing at home and with this kind of stacked roster, Canada should be among the favorites to take home the title at the World Cup of Hockey this year.

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com.

On Sunday, the Canadian national team announced its final 23-man roster for the 2016 IIHF Junior World Championships starting on Dec. 26 in Helsinki, Finland.   

Featuring some of the best young talent in the world, Canada is looking to defend its 2015 championship—its 16th title at the world junior competition. 

Here is the 23-man roster, including where the team members are currently playing and which NHL team drafted them, per the Canadian Press (via TSN.ca): 

Player	Age	Position	Current Team	NHL Draft Rights
Mathew Barzal	18	C	Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)	New York Islanders (2015)
Anthony Beauvillier	18	LW	Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)	New York Islanders (2015)
Rourke Chartier	19	C	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	San Jose Sharks (2014)
Lawson Crouse	18	LW	Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)	Florida Panthers (2015)
Julien Gauthier	18	RW	Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)	2016 Draft Eligible
Travis Konecny	18	RW	Ottawa 67's (OHL)	Philadelphia Flyers (2015)
Mitch Marner	18	RW	London Knights (OHL)	Toronto Maple Leafs (2015)
Brendan Perlini	19	LW	Niagara IceDogs (OHL)	Arizona Coyotes (2014)
Brayden Point	19	C	Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)	Tampa Bay Lightning (2014)
John Quenneville	19	C	Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)	New Jersey Devils (2014)
Mitchell Stephens	18	C	Saginaw Spirit (OHL)	Tampa Bay Lightning (2015)
Dylan Strome	18	C	Erie Otters (OHL)	Arizona Coyotes (2015)
Jake Virtanen	19	RW	Vancouver Canucks (NHL)	Vancouver Canucks (2014)
Thomas Chabot	18	D	Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)	Ottawa Senators (2015)
Travis Dermott	18	D	Erie Otters (OHL)	Toronto Maple Leafs (2015)
Haydn Fleury	19	D	Red Deer Rebels (WHL)	Carolina Hurricanes (2014)
Joe Hicketts	19	D	Victoria Royals (WHL)	Detroit Red Wings (Undrafted-2014)
Brandon Hickey	19	D	Boston University (NCAA)	Calgary Flames (2014)
Roland McKeown	19	D	Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)	Los Angeles Kings (2014)
Travis Sanheim	19	D	Calgary Hitmen (WHL)	Philadelphia Flyers (2014)
MacKenzie Blackwood	18	G	Barrie Colts (OHL)	New Jersey Devils (2015)
Mason McDonald	19	G	Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)	Calgary Flames (2014)
Samuel Montembeault	19	G	Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)	Florida Panthers (2015)

In order to finalize its 23-man roster, Canada had to cut four players Sunday. Among them was Montreal Canadiens' 2015 draft pick Noah Juulsen, a defenseman who was selected 26th overall. 

Scott Salmond, the vice president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada, spoke with the Canadian Press (via CBC.ca):

We had a really good evaluation period in Toronto and Imatra, and were able to see how the players responded to different situations — from practices to games. These are never easy decisions, but we feel confident in the team we have and their ability to make the nation proud and give us all something to get behind this holiday season.

Hockey Canada relived its past year of preparations for Helsinki, too:

3 days left until #WorldJuniors.
A look at Canada's journey to Helsinki.https://t.co/935lYhX3r9

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 23, 2015

Canada is headlined by the 2015 No. 3 and No. 4 NHL draft selections Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner. Both forwards are scoring machines for their respective teams in the OHL. 

Strome, with the Erie Otters, has recorded 16 goals and 37 assists in 25 games. Marner, with the London Knights, has 22 goals and 36 assists in the same amount of games. 

With these scorers on a top line, Canada has a high-powered foundation for a lethal first unit that any country is going to have trouble stopping. 

They are just two of 21 members of the roster that have been drafted by NHL teams in the past two years. Right winger Julien Gauthier is eligible for the draft in 2016, and defenseman Joe Hicketts went undrafted in 2014, later signing with the Detroit Red Wings.

Canada will be opening its tournament against the United States on Saturday, with the junior championships containing 10 teams split into two groups. The two are featured in a Group A that also includes Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. 

Each country plays every team in its respective group once before the top eight move on to the quarterfinal round. Once there, a single-elimination format takes over until the final.

Stats courtesy of EliteProspects.com.

Canada has done it again.

After securing the gold on home soil in 2010, Mike Babcock managed to lead arguably the most balanced international roster in history to a second consecutive Olympic title in Sochi.

It wasn't always easy, as Canada barely scraped past lowly Norway and Latvia, but in the end, Canada put away three of the world's best, toppling Finland, the United States and Sweden in succession.

Obviously, Canada needed adequate performances from big names such as Drew Doughty, Sidney Crosby, Shea Weber and Jonathan Toews, but the gold medalists also received critical contributions from some of its secondary stars.

Here's a look at the unsung heroes who delivered the goods for Canada on the world's biggest stage.

Jamie Benn

Last summer, Dallas' Jamie Benn was left off the list for Canada's Olympic orientation camp, and clearly, the 24-year-old used that snub as motivation.

From there, Benn put together a very impressive start to the season, as the former Kelowna Rocket racked up 51 points in 58 games in his first season as captain of the Stars and left Steve Yzerman with no choice but to put the 6'2" winger on Canada's roster.

And he didn't disappoint.

While many of Canada's studs were snake-bitten in the scoring department for much of the tournament, Benn made the most of his somewhat limited minutes.

Against Norway, Benn notched the game-winner late in the second period and, as a result, earned more responsibilities from Babcock and shifted onto a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

That move paid off in a big way against the Americans, because Benn played the role of the hero, scoring the game's only goal on a beautiful redirection off a smart feed from Jay Bouwmeester.

Only one forward finished with more goals than Benn, which is indicative of how much this formerly overlooked offensive dynamo contributed to Canada's success.

Jeff Carter

After Steven Stamkos was ruled out of the Olympics due to injury, Jeff Carter immediately became Canada's No. 1 pure sniper, and he lived up to the billing. 

As ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reported four years ago, Carter was actually the guy tabbed to replace Ryan Getzlaf if his ankle issues had kept him out of the Vancouver Olympics, but as we all know, the Anaheim Ducks superstar potted two goals in his last outing before joining the Canadian squad, and Carter was left off the roster.

This time around, Carter earned a spot on Yzerman's initial roster after playing a key role in L.A.'s Stanley Cup title run in 2012, and he rewarded the former Detroit captain with a superb performance in Sochi.

Against Austria, Carter potted a hat trick and an assist and, for a time, was the lone player on Canada's roster with multiple goals in the tournament—but he wasn't done there.

In the gold-medal tilt, Carter was the catalyst on Toews' eventual game-winning goal, as he sent the puck into the crease and Toews finished the play off with a subtle tip through Henrik Lundqvist's legs.

Carter ended the Olympics as Canada's most productive forward (and leader in plus-minus at plus-six), and given that he wasn't always a lock for this team, it says a lot about the 29-year-old's ability to step up when it counts.

Alex Pietrangelo

While much of the credit for Canada's unbelievably stingy defensive effort will go to Doughty, Weber and Duncan Keith, Alex Pietrangelo's name certainly should not get lost in the shuffle.

As a right-handed shot, the St. Louis Blues standout had to beat out an impressive crop of blueliners just to make the team, but once he arrived in Russia, he established himself as a valuable member of this historically spectacular defense corps.

This alone truly demonstrates how well Pietrangelo performed in Sochi:

Mike Babcock is a shrewd coach, and if he was going to keep the reigning Norris Trophy winner (P.K. Subban) on the bench, there had to be at least three right-handers whom he trusted considerably more. Pietrangelo lived up to that billing.

Though he posted just one assist in six games, Pietrangelo finished a plus-six, which was second to only Weber among Canada's defensemen, and provided his country with a steady, mobile presence on the back end.

Ryan Getzlaf

While Crosby and Toews were struggling to score during the earlier stages of the tournament, Getzlaf was Canada's most dangerous pivot and generated more offense than any other forward on the roster. 

As a playmaker with silky hands and sublime vision, Getzlaf's ability to not only find wingers or blueliners for open looks, but also use his size to create chances for himself, was critical to Canada's 3-0 round-robin record.

To see how talented the 6'4" center truly is, one need only take a gander at the beauty he scored against Austria, in which Getzlaf rushed down the left wing, toe-dragged the opposing defender and deftly deposited a backhander past the helpless goaltender.

He played a huge role in Canada's Olympic run in 2010, but one could argue that he was even more important to this gold-medal triumph.

Roberto Luongo

Yeah, this may seem ridiculous given that Roberto Luongo played just one game in Sochi, which came during a 6-0 stomping against Austria, but the Vancouver Canucks starter contributed to this Olympic title in a big way.

As the guy who led Canada to the gold four years ago, Luongo may have assumed that he'd be given a shot at being the No. 1 this time around, but Babcock seemed to have his heart set on Carey Price.

Nonetheless, Luongo supported Price throughout the tournament and genuinely seemed happy to see his younger goaltending partner thrive, just as he had after taking over for Martin Brodeur in Vancouver.

Forming a cohesive unit is vital to any team's success, especially in a short tournament such as the Olympics, and Luongo's team-first mentality (and his shutout against the Austrians) played a part in this triumph.