Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!jeff From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey Subject: Canada Cup Message-ID: <1086@dciem.UUCP> Date: Wed, 29-Aug-84 13:20:16 EDT Article-I.D.: dciem.1086 Posted: Wed Aug 29 13:20:16 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Aug-84 15:08:07 EDT Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 72 Has anybody been following the Canada Cup news? Does the Canada Cup get any coverage in the U.S.? I'd like to hear some opinions on it because as far as I'm concerned, this tournament is THE BIGGIE, the only hockey tournament where the winner can reasonably lay claim to the title "world's best". I know it's still a little early for some people to get into hockey, but how can any hockey fan ignore the Canada Cup? CANADA: They made a big mistake cutting Rick Vaive. Toronto Maple Leaf players have been the keys in both of Canada's victories: Paul Henderson scored the last two winning goals in 1972 and Darryl Sittler got the winner in '76. The 1981 team lost because it had no Toronto players, and now the 1984 team is doomed because they have made the same mistake. But seriously folks, the absence of Trottier & Pederson will definitely hurt, but even without them the list of forwards looks awesome. However, they may have a weakness behind the blue line. The defence is pretty young so they'll need good leadership from the veterans, especially Robinson. Robinson's getting on in years but he showed in the playoffs that he is capable of providing the type of leadership they need from him, and I predict that he'll do it again. That, together with the maturation showed by the Oilers (There are 8 of them on this team) in the playoffs makes me believe that Canada will regain the title this year. The goaltenders are solid but not spectacular, but with Tretiak retired, Canada's goalies will be at least as good as anybody else's. USSR: Tretiak has retired, taking away their goaltending advantage (Myshkin is good, but not as consistent or experienced as Tretiak, and Tyzhnykh has little or no North American experience.) and their key player, defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov, and their top scorer from the Olympics, whose name I've forgotten (Kasatonov maybe), are both injured. I know the Russians have always come up with able replacements, but I don't care what you say, Tretiak and Fetisov are the world's best at their positions and they can't be replaced. This combined with Canada's improvement should land the Soviets second. CZECHOSLOVAKIA: They've got some good young players, and they could surprise us and upset the Russians, but I can't see them beating Canada, especially since the best Czech is probably Peter Stastny, who is playing for Canada. I'll give them a very close third. (close to 2nd, that is) USA: There are a lot of good, young American players around today, but I was surprised to find how many of them refused to join the team. However, their loss should be offset by the addition of Bryan Trottier, probably the best all-around centre in the game. He should be enough to keep them ahead of Sweden and West Germany. SWEDEN: They have a lot of good players in the NHL, but not very many of them will be on the Canada Cup team, probably because they were such a disappointment last time. I can't see the youngsters from back home, with no North American experience, being able to get them any higher than 5th. WEST GERMANY: A big mystery. I don't think I've ever seen a German hockey team play, and I don't think they've ever played in North America except for the 1980 Olympics. As far as this tourney goes, they're the new boys in town, and I doubt they'll be able to challenge any of the other countries that have been coming here for years. FINLAND: They weren't invited, which I think is an injustice. Tom Haapanen (watdcsu!haapanen) says that it's because they finished 7th (behind West Germany) in the world championships. But surely the Canada Cup organisers must realise that the addition of Jari Kurri and other NHL stars probably would make them a much better team than the West Germans, who have no players in the NHL. Also, the reason why the Canada Cup was created was to give Canada and the U.S. their only chance to put their best up against the best from the USSR and Czechoslovakia, since most NHL players are either ineligible or unavailable for the other tournaments. With the large number of Swedes and Finns in today's NHL, they're in the same boat as Canada and the U.S., so by prohibiting Finland from playing in the Canada Cup, we're denying that nation of the only chance it has to field its best possible hockey team. -- Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073 {linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd}!utcsrgv!dciem!jeff {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!dciem!jeff