Losing The Dream Team

Growing up there was always that one kid you hated playing a sports video game with. You would pop in NHL ’94 and that kid wanted to be the Eastern Conference. Correction, he had to be the Eastern Conference All Stars. You would usually choose the Pittsburgh Penguins because c’mon, they had Lemieux, Jagr, Francis and Stevens. Okay there was a desire to be the Blackhawks to use the overall power of Jeremy Roenick.

While playing as the Penguins versus the clones of Mario and Jaromir, the kid had the audacity to keep playing the most undisciplined hockey. Always checking your Penguins after each whistle, taking slap shots from the blue line, numerous offside penalties, in a nutshell just sucking the fun out of NHL ’94.

What’s the point of this? As we approach the Winter Games in Vancouver the NHL will form their Dream Teams and suck the fun out of international hockey.

Obviously the suits from the individual countries and the equipment makers love this as it allows the ability to market already highly market players, logos and games. Nike will want you to buy their Sidney Crosby jersey over your Penguins Reebok jersey. Better yet get some official Team Canada socks. All over Canada on ponds and public rinks kids will be guarding their legs with not just Jofa, Easton and CCM but also the flag of the leg, Team Canada socks.

I myself have no problem with this repackaging but the games itself suffer along with the spirit of the Olympic Games.

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Miracle on Ice. Twenty college kids were able to overthrow the mighty international dynasty of The USSR. The Penguins beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars. David slays Goliath.

The Nagano Games unveiled the Dream Team, the powerful countries (Canada, U.S.A., Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia) were able to arm themselves to the teeth with established NHL veterans and young superstars to annihilate second tier countries. Japan was fortunate enough to make a solid showing in those games. However, that has yet to be seen in future Olympics.

Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks voices his criticism of the Dream Teams at the end of Miracle, summing up that the wonder and mystery of an upset is unlikely. His opinion is true.

The 1994 Olympics showcased that. Canada was looking to win the gold against a Sweden team most Americans and Canadians had little knowledge of. Canada’s Corey Hirsch was looking to keep the shootout still tied until future NHL star Peter Forsberg deked and scored. His goal, viewed from an overhead shot became a stamp in Sweden and became an iconic image in Olympic hockey (second only to the celebration at Lake Placid). Then it was up to Canadian star Paul Kariya who would be stopped sealing it for Sweden. Those natural images are lost when Olympic veterans such as Nick Lidstrom and Marty Brodeur are featured.

As the NHL’s best square off it’s sad to think about how amazing and wide open the tournament would be if it showcased the best from the juniors and national teams comprised of teenagers looking to get that chance to show scouts all over the world what they have to offer. These aren’t throw away games in Prague or Stockholm against kids destined for second or third tier European leagues. No, these are the Olympic Games where the next fifty goal scorer or Vezina trophy winner will be found.

While jersey sales for little known left wingers playing junior hockey in Alberta won’t sell in America or team photos of the Slovakian national team void of any current All-Stars would be minimal, the spirit of the Olympics would be intact. The Russian dynasty was comprised of players who did not have the chance to defect and play NHL hockey, so they merely became mercenaries of the ice. They created the Summit Series and the Canada Cup to beat heavily publicized Canadian All-Star teams and brawled against NHL teams to prove that amateurs were just as skilled.

As the Olympics get underway next month and NBC airs Team USA’s match up against another set of NHL All-Stars think about the possibility of an unknown from St. Cloud taking the face-off or even a highly touted prospect from Rochester between the pipes. Both players or rather all players looking for that glowing scouting report and a chance to draw high on the NHL draft and achieve the true dream. A dream of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. It seems more meaningful than seeing the same team assembled to win a third or fourth gold medal.




ROC SPORTS NET 2009