Team Canada Red vs. White scrimmage

by Hungryhawk on Aug 31, 2009 7:30 PM CDT

Hungryhawk has a really good write up about the Team Canada - Red Vs. White Scrimmage the other week. I thought I'd add it to the main page here so more people can get a look at it. Pretty awesome that 18,000 peopled showed up to watch the scrimmage. As popular as the event out in Woodridge was, I can't see the USA team packing the UC for a scrimmage. Though the Canada roster reads like an all-star game while the USA team... not so much.

Anyways - hit the jump for Hungryhawk's report

I was at the Red vs. White scrimmage in Calgary Wed. night and sat in the 10th row behind Brodeur for a period and a half, Mason for ½ the second period, and Fleury for the third. This scrimmage was a sellout with 18,000 fans roaring. There’s no other way to put it other than an absolutely astounding display of talent. We had Keith, Seabrook, Toews and Sharp playing in this game put on essentially to showcase the talent for a fun fan night only, though it was obvious some of the guys were trying harder than others. Information on lines and invitees are out there in the usual spots. The irrelevant final score was something like 4-2 for either Red or White. I thought I’d just pass along a very brief cap from the night with a couple of observations on the Hawks foursome.

Most of the night Toews played with D. Roy and St. Louis which was fast and exciting, and while I thought both Roy and St. Louis showed some real spark, it's almost certain Toews will be the only one from the three to make the team. Damn he looked hungry, which is more than I can say for others out there (Thornton, LeCavalier, Pronger). Sharp played with Ryan Smith and LeCavalier and was all over the ice, constantly turning up wherever the puck seemed to be and certainly playing a great 2-way game so maybe he'll make it too. Apparently Toews had one of the prettier goals of the four day camp during the morning practice on a feed from Crosby, and Brodeur robbed him of a beautiful shot from the outside very early in the first period.

Keith was absolutely textbook all night – technically sound and one of the treats for me as I live too far away to see him play live except once or twice a year. Seabrook looked good too but got worked in the second period by Marleau and ended up on his ass out by the blueline looking over his shoulder while the third goal was being scored (Marleau to Ward) as a result.

Luongo was unbelievable getting twice the shots as Brodeur in the first period but keeping the score even - scoreless, which was really unexpected, but then… not a huge surprise given the goaltenders and defensive pairings. Mason and Fleury came in later and then they stayed for the post game crowd-pleaser shootout involving almost every skater. This was rapid fire with too little time between shooters to even show the replay on the big screen and Mason looked like he was going to have to crawl to the dressing room puking by the time it was all over.

The third period had Iginla paired with Crosby and Nash. Wow. I was secretly hoping for one of the three Staals (well, Eric or Jordan anyway) on the ice to play with Crosby and Nash just because that line would have a great ring to it.

I have to say that even with the unreal talent on the ice, two players really stood out which I found (only) slightly surprising given the overall expertise and flair out there at any given time. Crosby and Neidermayer. Just unbelievable.

Heatley was booed all night whenever he touched the puck in the town he largely grew up in and after all he's done on the international stage for Canadian hockey. What a bunch of douchebags. All 4 of us leapt from our seats and cheered like gorillas when he scored on Mason in the shootout just to spite the Calgary chumps.

We’ll see how it all pans out now. Say what you will of the Russians and their superstar centres, no other team at the Olympics is going to have the depth of this one. This was a very fast-paced affair and had a lot more soft-hitting than I would have thought. A most entertaining evening and I think everyone there left feeling pretty confident and very excited about Vancouver.

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Why 18,000 for a scrimmage game in Calgary?

For it is probably as good as it gets for the fans in Calgary as far as watching exciting offensive hockey for given what the Flames are expected to trot out this season (Rene Bourque on the 1st line?) offensive hockey may become a foreign language.
I do agree with your assessment that Toews will be the only one making this squad from his line combination for it seems he is essentially a lock. No suprise that Keith didn’t look out of place, and eventhough Seabrook may have stumbled on the Marleau goal I still believe he has a wonderful opportunity to make this squad.
Luongo unbelievable stopping shots? Must have been from the lack of intensity and pressure that goes along with a scrimmage for if it was the playoffs…well we all know what happens to ‘Touchdown Luo’ there.

As for Heatley? Being that I’ve been born and raised in the Ottawa area I actually find it fitting that Heatley got “BOOED” during the orientation camp. The fact that many people in Ottawa are having to relive the Yashin debacle and facing the fact that yet another player doesn’t want to play there can be pretty upsetting. After all the community of Ottawa has done for this guy personally after his departure from Atlanta, were his accident while under the influence killed his best friend Dan Snyder, it sure is a hard pill to swallow for the fans in Ottawa to take. Eventhough I’m not a Sens (far from it) I was truly impressed with how the Sens fans embraced Dany Heatley upon his arrival so I can share their anger when after the Sens management gave Dany a 7-year deal that one year into that deal he decides that he wanted to be traded. After everything that Dany went through and how Ottawa helped him through it I can’t say as if I blame them that they’re a little upset.
Not to mention that Heatley became another player that decided that he didn’t want to play in Edmonton. Pronger and Nylander come to mind as others who opted out of Edmonton recently to go along with the Pocklington era when guys like Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey etc. were all shipped out of town, now Heatley so “NO” to Edmonton well… I can understand the disappointment there, for I’m sure there were a few Edmontonians at the Saddledome to witness the scrimmage.
The fact that Heatley doesn’t want to play for 2 out of the 6 Canadian teams yet was still invited to the Orientation Camp has been a hot button topic and for that I seriously doubt that in the end he will be selected to this team. Yzerman doesn’t want to deal with another Bertuzzi scandal like Gretzky had to deal with in 2006.

It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!

by hawks61 on Sep 1, 2009 12:05 AM CDT reply actions

Heatley wasn’t under the influence when he crashed.

by ChicoMaki on Sep 1, 2009 7:18 AM CDT up reply actions

Yes and NO.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, that at the scene of the accident Dany Heatley’s blood-alcohol level was well below the state limit of 0.08, however Heatley did admit that he had consumed alcohol.
To think that Dany, according to the Georgian authorities, was clocked at 130 km in his Ferarri (nice choice of weapon) through a narrow road that he eventually lost control and hit a brick and wrought iron fence, splitting the car in half, he is too lucky to be alive. To think his injuries included (get this) a broken jaw, minor concussion, bruised kidney and lung, and required surgery to repair a torn MCL, ACL, and lateral meniscus in his right knee. And because of this accident he faced the possibility of serving 15 years in prison for vehicular homicide.
To quote Dany after the accident “I’ll think about this forever. Every time I go to sleep I’ll think about it, think about Danny. That’s something I’ll deal with the rest of my life.” It definitely was a lot for a 22-yr. old at the time to deal with.
And that’s what makes his “vocal displeasure” about his playing time and his trade demands out of Ottawa that much more unpleasant. It has become personal in many ways. Interesting how it plays out from here but I doubt that Sens fans and the people of Ottawa will soon forgive and forget Dany Heatley and the way in which he asked for his dismissal. Unfortunately, Dany has forgotten along the way that it was the community of people that not only helped Dany get his life back together but his family’s as well. It really a tragic end to an already tragic story.

by hawks61 on Sep 1, 2009 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions

So … uhhh … ya: like I wrote, Heatley wasn’t under the influence when he crashed.

I hate the Sens more than any team in sport, so the only news I care to hear about Heatley is that he isn’t coming to Chicago. I do think, however, that Heatley’s character assassination has very little foundation in fact. For one, it makes complete sense to me that after the Atlanta tragedy he’d want to go somewhere else. And as for Ottawa, who the hell wouldn’t want out of that dressing room?

by ChicoMaki on Sep 2, 2009 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree with the dressing room part, that's for sure!

That dressing room is in complete disarray right now. There is no “True” leader on this team, with everyone passing the buck when the chips are down-Nobody ever will stand up and take control (except Alfredsson maybe). Have you ever looked at the Sens record when Alfredsson is hurt? It’s atrocious! The lack of leadership is apparent on the Sens, and for that I can understand his situation and that Murray is a massive liar when it comes down what he says to the media and what actually is happening behind closed doors. For I’m sure that there are more teams than Edmonton interested in Dany Heatley services.

Not trying to assasinate Heatley’s character by any means, just trying to paint a picture of what Sens fans and the people of Ottawa are feeling at this moment towards Heatley’s demands of a trade from Ottawa. They’ve made it personal and many of the details of his accident are being brought up on a daily basis here. Unfair? Yes. But that is what has happened.

As far as Heatley not being under the influence my opinion tends to teeter-totter on that one. Sure the GB of I said that alcohol wasn’t a factor, yet Heatley admitted to consuming alcohol. Don’t know really, but I kind of lean to the side that he and Danny Snyder must have had a few drinks into them to all of a sudden race a Ferrari at 80 MPH through a narrow and winding road. But all of this just an opinion, and in the end is behind Heatley, his family, and the family of Danny Snyder. It’s always tragic to see a young man’s life get cut short over something so senseless and preventable.

by hawks61 on Sep 2, 2009 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Eh, why let facts get in the way of a good ol’ fashioned lynching?

by Dr. Ice on Sep 1, 2009 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

"Good ol' fashioned lynching"?

In an era that has seen a Black American become President of the United States I really would like to think yoiu could come up with a better choice of words. There are many better choices out there like " a public thrashing" etc. whatever; but I’m sure there isn’t much worse than the one you have chosen.
My post was just to reflect the sentiment here in Ottawa towards Heatley that’s all-nothing more , nothing less. It wasn’t meant to be a defamation of Heatley’s character.

by hawks61 on Sep 1, 2009 10:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I suppose I apologize if you’re offended, but you should really lighten up. You’re starting to sound like Mike Kiley.

by Dr. Ice on Sep 2, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Not offended at all...

…just giving you a heads-up so to speak on the choice of words. There are a lot of Blackhawks fans whether it be for 20 years like myself, or new of 2 years or less. Not everyone will take the sentence ‘Good ol’ fashioned lynching’ as a joke and may be offended.
Just be careful of what you write…not everybody will take it as a joke especially when it comes to words like ‘lynching’. That’s all.

by hawks61 on Sep 2, 2009 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Absolutely

I cannot blame anyone from Ottawa for being pissed. I would be too – but I’m not from Ottawa. Being as he was in his hometown of Calgary, and I’m not from there either, 3500km. (2100 mi.) from the nation’s capitol with related b.s. and seeing as he holds the record for most goals by any Canadian ever in the World Championships, I figured someone there should give him a token “hell ya!!” He might have turned down 2 of 6 Canadian teams… that leaves exactly 4 I can think of that could desperately use a 40 or 50 goal scorer on their roster. It’s pro-sport business and it is what it is. Just ask our dear old friend JHC.

The stands did have a lot of Edmonton fans. I had to shake my head in disbelief at seeing the wave go around 6 or 7 times from boards to rafters. I’ve watched hockey in this town since day one of the NHL here (including playoff games) and can tell you I’ve never witnessed that before. I’ll credit it to the fans visiting from Edmonton and other great Canadian cities. This is definitely the finest hockey Calgary will see for a loooong time.

As for Lou… I’m counting on Huet to bring home the Cup this year… so I’ll reserve judgement.

I really have to say that I don’t know what constitutes a “lock” on this team (unless your name is Crosby or Neidermayer). The talent on the ice is unreal across the board. For Stevie Y and Babcock the job is really one of creating the magical chemistry amongst everyone out there. There will be injuries between now and the Olympics and there will be other tweaks along the way too I imagine. None of these guys will play together again until Vancouver 2010. Can’t wait to see it.

"Call Detroit, tell dem... BULLSHIT!"

by Hungryhawk on Sep 1, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions

Sharpie

I know his chances are not great, but I would love to see him make the team. If only for the sole fact that I would hate a 2 week mid season stretch where I don’t get to see him.

by DudeMcnude on Sep 1, 2009 3:15 AM CDT reply actions

Likewise... and he might just be a "go"

Word on the street (and by “street” I mean other sources of media) is that his powerplay may see him on the squad. To me, he really stood out as being everywhere all the time. You could tell he was playing with something to prove – sheer speed, driving to the net, etc. The original format of the evening was to make the first half of the second period 4 on 4 and then split the last half of the period for powerplays, but I guess they decided to scrap this somewhere along the way. I think he would have been even more conspicuous had this occurred. Go Sharpie!

"Call Detroit, tell dem... BULLSHIT!"

by Hungryhawk on Sep 1, 2009 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for the recap!

by ChicoMaki on Sep 1, 2009 7:20 AM CDT reply actions

Thanks for the ReCap HungryHawk!

by WirtzGMnomore on Sep 1, 2009 8:50 AM CDT reply actions

Pleasure's all mine

It was just a treat to be given the opportunity to attend. I was very glad when it was announced the scrimmage would be in Calgary and NOT Vancouver as I’m only an hour out of Cowtown – but my heart’s with the Blackhawks in Chicago!!

"Call Detroit, tell dem... BULLSHIT!"

by Hungryhawk on Sep 2, 2009 3:36 PM CDT reply actions