Better Know Your Olympic Hopeful Nations

The list for hopeful Olympic hockey nations are out for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia-- and boy howdy is it quite the list, male and female alike. Now, for the men's side of things-- the top-nine team in the IIHF ranks automatically qualify, while the women's side have the top-six already in. That leaves only three spots for the men's side and two spots for the women's side to get spots.

The men's side has 32 countries that have declared for the Games-- leaving 23 countries vying for three spots. The women's side has 24 countries declared, 18 countries for two spots there. These are the 2011 Final Rankings and could be close to what we see for the 2012 Final Rankings. Click to enlarge (that's what she said??)

So, while the list is pretty straight-forwards-- the wide array of interesting markets could be intriguing to some, especially if we get some kind of upset special in one of these qualification rounds. For the women's side-- you can bet the Asian nations of China and Japan are always up there when it comes to getting into the Olympics, but never sleep on the Germans or Kazakhs either. If you want to go really out there-- I wouldn't sleep on Hungary either. They dominated the U18's this year, boosting themselves to the top level, which could play out well for qualifications.

The men's side could be a little more crazy, especially depending on how the top-nine play out. Sure, we can pretty much pencil in the top six-- yet, those 7 through 9 and the other three could get crazy-- especially in the qualifying round. The Belarussians are always hard and would want to play close to home, the Kazakhs are always a dark horse and would have the proximity motivation, but France and Denmark could also play the role of spoilers in all of this. Latvia and Slovakia are the stalwarts, too-- but you know one crazy bounce and it all changes.

There's one more tournament to go, the World Championship, which will probably make or break some nation's hope for an easy in to the Olympics. Considering there's already 16 teams there, there's a lot that could get shuffled around very quickly should a slip-up happen. Still-- we're two years away and the Olympic hype is already getting started.

World Hockey Summit Situation

It was announced on Wednesday that Daniel Alfredsson would lead up the leadership team for the Molson Canadian World Hockey Summit, which will be held in Toronto in August 23rd through the 26th. Alfredsson will be alongside Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, women's hockey pioneer Hayley Wickenheiser, and Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. Two Canadians, an American, and a Swede. Not exactly the world, but that's neither here nor there. The whole agenda will be on growing and developing the game in every facet on every level.

Topics include skill development in younger players, what can be grown off of the 2010 Men's Olympic Games, development amongst juniors while comparing the North American and European way of developing players, and long-term agenda when it comes to world tournaments through the IIHF. However, the two topics that I'm interested in learning from will be on the development of women's hockey and the growth of participation of the game.

For the women's hockey, the key will be on what's going to happen with the development of the game. Jacques Rogge of the IOC demanded that women's hockey needed to get better or else it may see it's demise in the Olympics. While it's an obvious statement-- seeing as how Canada and the US are dominate in that field; the other countries don't seem to be developing as quickly. While Sweden did have a glimmer of hope for a second, they seemed to have decline a bit over the years; which makes it really a two-team race through and through. However, I don't know how much the other countries will be willing to give to their women's national teams. Plus, with really not many options after college; the desire to actually give money for the glass ceiling of sport is something most Olympic contingents won't be keen on giving to when they can be distributed somewhere else. While there are two professional leagues in Canada, the publicity and development of them is something that seem to be suspect at best. The suggests that come out of it will be interesting, as will the reaction by some of these competiting nations when it comes to developing their programs in one way or another.

The other topic about participation is something that is going to be probably one where lay-people will be concerned and intrigued about. Hockey, for the most part, is one of the most expensive sports at the youth level. Outside of the equipment; parents have to deal with rink fees, league fees, and traveling around the residing areas to worry about. With the tough economic times, most of the people can't afford to deal with all of that; therefore while a kid can be put into hockey-- the longevity of their career may be short lived. Plus, with all the gear becoming more and more high-tech, the price tag will continue to go higher, rather than leveling out to affordability. Those that do move on have to deal with the competitive nature of travel teams, high school teams, junior teams, or college teams; which some may or may not lose the zest for the game if they get cut one too many times. While North America and some of Europe won't be a problem, I'm sure that many would like a deeper depth pool from all around the world and maybe find a gem in the last place thought of. Yet, that gem may not be able to deal with the pricing of it-- which I noted earlier.

While the idea of the summit is solid, the fact of the matter is that most of the public will be concerned mostly with the safety of the game and the development of the game. Other issues like transfers and most levels of hockey aren't going to be a hot-button issue outside of the fandom portion of people's psyche. The development and growth are going to be what people will practically thing about it, especially those who want to put or keep their kids into hockey. Plus, while the leadership doesn't have too much diversity; the panelist and representitives of the NHL, IIHF, Canadian Hockey League, and plenty more will give a nice variety of ideas-- or so one would hope. If the rhetoric is the same from each portion, the odds are that not much will get done and we'll be in the same spot when the next summit comes around.

The odd part about this is that media and fans aren't really given much of a voice on the prospective panel of things. You would think for a game who utilizes social networking and rely heavily on the media as much as hockey does-- the voice would be more prevalent and there would be some kind of inclusion of these such ideals rather than leaving them out of panels, while making them pay $450 CDN per person for only 500 people. Especially when most of the issues will be a buzz in the blogospheres and things like that-- maybe they would open up some aspect of their summit to new media. Granted, it's still early in the announcement process for this event; but I won't hold my breath about it.

It's been 11 years since the last summit in 1999, which basically dealt with the Canadian side of things. I guess the ideal of Canada being the end-all be all has leveled out to the believe that other nations may be able to give their two-cents in about all of this. It should be an interesting thing to look forward to, especially to see what, if anything, comes from all of this. If nothing else, it'll give people something to talk about right before the start of NHL training camps in mid-September.

Killjoy Was Here

The hot topic is not that the Canadian women's hockey team won the Gold Medal yet again in the Olympics, but the aftermath that happened. It seems that the ladies stayed at GM Place (or Canada Hockey Place if you're daft and hate sponsors) and lived it up on the ice-- with brews, stogies, and hanging out on the ice and chilling like villains on the ice afterwords.

The one picture that seemed to peeve a lot of people was of Marie-Phillip Poulin was drinking a beer while she was only 18 years old, a year younger than the British Columbia drinking age; but is the age of drinking in her home province of Quebec. It seemed to upset Adrian Dater, who posted on his blog on Versus about what he would have to explain to his kids about it and why the post-game celebrations aren't banned by the PC cops already, because they should be.

I'd like to thank Dater for channeling Helen Lovejoy from "The Simpsons" when writing this.

Here's my thing, what's the big effin' deal with all of this?? It's not like Poulin is the first person to ever drink without being of age-- I mean, that was most people's high school lives. We've had enough teen-angst movies that displayed that, does that mean those should be banned, as well?? That's just something that is as common as the sun rising in the East and the Leafs not winning a Cup. Maybe these critics just can't remember their teen years due to drinking themselves stupid and can't remember how awesome it was.

And let's be honest-- let them live it up. They just won a goddamn GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS!! That's instant cause for celebration and they should have lived it up. What better way to live it up than on home soil, on home ice, then just hanging out until they kick you out. It's not like anyone is going to rush stuff to get them out, especially since it's the home team. If this was in Torino, then you could see them getting rushed off, but let the ladies celebrate because they pretty much dominated the World and should celebrate for being at the top of their sport.

This is a non-story. They didn't wreck the ice, they didn't break the glass, the didn't shot-put a couch out the Nagano Olympic Village after not medaling (shoutout to Chris Chelios); they just celebrated the way anyone would celebrate when winning a championship. Hell, beer league teams do it all the time-- win, lose, championship or first win; it doesn't matter. Anyway-- they are just doing what any WINNERS would do-- live it up because you never know when it'll be crashing down.

For the slideshow, check out Yahoo's picture gallery of it.

Hall Of An Idea

In 2010, the Hockey Hall of Fame has decided to do something that could be a couple years in the making, but they will update their bylaws in order to consider women to become part of the Hall of Fame. Currently, the by-law states that only four players to be inducted per induction ceremony. However, with the new by-law change, four men and two women will be allowed to be inducted per induction; which will open things to the women's side of the game to finally be given the honor they deserve.

I have talked about this subject before when Cammi Granato got the nod for the US HHOF, and I still believe it's beyond the time for women to be inducted. The women's game, especially in the last decade, has taken off and the time is right for the HHOF to actually start up the bands for the pioneers of the modern game and those who have broken the barrier in years past to allow the pioneers to excel as they have.

However, the main concern I have is that after you get Granato, Hayley Wickenheiser, and a couple others who have excelled, there could be a stall in the voting that the by-law could be changed once again, which could screw the pooch for this whole ordeal. This could be a whole thing where the Hall knows it's time to induct women, but they don't want some to take the spot of a male player for one reason or another. Maybe once they get all the top names out there and appease the masses, they'll change it back to normal. That's the eternal pessimist in me, so pay me no mind.

The ol' boys club seems to be seeing the light on the issues that have changed hockey for the better for all involved. Now, if only they could get Dino Ciccarelli in the Hall and things would be on the up and up.

A Case For Cammi

It was announced Tuesday that Cammi Granato would be inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame with Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, and pseudo-American Brett Hull. Now, Granato is the first female to be inducted into the US HHOF and should very well be the first female inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Granto was already inducted to the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame this May, with three other women's players to become the first women to be inducted.

There will be plenty of people who will debate what that Haley Wickenheiser should get the first nod over Granato for what she has done with her status and getting into professional ranks, but either or at this point-- it's high time that a figure in women's hockey needs to be enshrined into the HHOF, especially with the expansion of women's hockey all over the world.

Granato should recieve the nod first, mostly since her contribution to women's hockey in the US has gone above and beyond what anyone could imagine. Granato was the captain of the Gold Medal winning USA team in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, which was the first time women's hockey was in the Olympics and really has been the figure-head for women's hockey in the US. Also, for what it's worth-- Cammi had 139 goals and 256 points in 99 career college hockey games; both of which are records for Providence College. Sure, it was in the infancy of women's college hockey-- but even still; that's damn impressive.

You have to remember, the HHOF is for all forms of hockey-- which seems to be forgotten. There have been plenty of international stars, male and female, who have been overlooked for enshrinement. I know on the June 25th edition of Face Off Hockey Show, Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey talked to us about how overdue it has been for a women to be inducted.

With all these accolades being given to Granato in the past few months, it's about time that the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee give a serious look at Granato being the first female to be inducted. Granato is one of the most recognizable faces when it comes to women's hockey and it would be a fitting honor for her to be the first women to be inducted into the HHOF after the US HHOF and IIHF HHOF.