EHM The Blue Line

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=7125

Very interesting article there by Dan Tencer from Hockeybuzz.

What do you guys think?

Personally, I'm with Dan and Andy here. Dan says it best at the end of the blog:

if your country asks you to put that Maple Leaf on, you put that Maple Leaf on.

Hands down, bottom line - unless you're having surgery or are already injured (Crosby) - I don't see any good reason to not play for your country in a legitimate international tournament.

I'm kind of confused. Is that a real article, or is that one of those satirical internet articles poking fun at how hardcore Canadians can get with hockey?

Because to be honest, that whole article looks like a joke to me. I can't imagine anyone out there really believes that players should obey all calls from "their country" with no excuses(Nazi Germany, anyone?). And I really don't think anyone out there would suggest blowing off family, simply for the sake of representing your country in a sporting event.

So, I guess in conclusion...

If that was a real article: No player/person has any obligation whatsoever to participate in a sporting event for their country.

If that was a satirical article: It gave me a couple laughs.

Hockey players in Canada in the past have been criticized for not playing for their country. Patrick Roy is the one who comes to mind off the top of my head, but I know there are many others.

Canadian hockey people consider it a huge honor to be asked to play for TEAM CANADA in whatever version you are asked. Ask Ryan Smyth, who was super upset he was injured and could not go this year with the Isles out. He has gone to World Champs 7 times.

It does bother me when the younger guys say no. I don't know why but it does. Trust me, the article is not a joke. There are always questions about why our players do not choose to go...Canadians feel they always should.

You are right that there is no obligation, but it is an honor bestowed upon few people to play for Canada. It should be a chance taken. I am sure in the days when Hull and Deadmarsh got cut from Team Canada, they would have been real widdled if a player who made the team said...Nah, I wanna sit at the beach. The fact that they felt "slighted" by Canada (Junior level for both) led them to use their dual citizenships and play for the USA.

I just cannot imagine saying "Nah, I don't want to play" to someone like Steve Yzerman the Canadian GM, Wayne Gretzky or Steve Tambellini as some have done in the past. It makes no sense.

Holy rubbish, batdad and I agree wholeheartedly on something!

That's exactly it - it's an honour that you shouldn't be turning down because you want to hit the golf course with your homies.

I'm certainly not suggesting that players should be forced to play, or experience any negative fallout from choosing not to. But come on, it makes you scratch your head a little when a professional hockey player doesn't want to play for their country 'just because'. I mean really, we're supposed to be the best in the world - we should have too many players to choose from and they should all be psyched to play when they get the call.

500th post!

Yeah...no negative fallout from saying no.

Congrats on 1/2 century checking line boy