[News] Hudler and Smid named to Czech Olympic Hockey Team

[Drury18]

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=694021

Former Flame Roman Cervenka also makes the list.

As there is no selection camp, this is the final roster.

[killer_carlson]

Great!

No surprise with either actually, but it will be fun to cheer them on to a silver.

[PeteMoss]

Isn't this just a projected roster?

[SuperMatt18]

Yeah from what I can see this is just NHL.com's projected roster.

[Huntingwhale]

Gold metal additions

[Enoch Root]

Okay, how many people are now happy that Horak didn't make it?

(I, for one, was hoping that he would)

Edit: this is not the actual roster? Never mind.

[PeteMoss]

If Matt Stajan doesn't make Team Canada I guess I have to cheer for the Czechs now.

[GreenLantern]

Pretty good depth up front.. not so much on D.

[Freeway]

Not the final roster.

[djsFlames]

Hope they can beat the States. That would be awesome.

[19Yzerman19]

How the hell do you read "NHL.com's projected roster" and come to the conclusion that anyone from the Czech hockey brass selected this team?

[codynw]

Hudler would be top 6 before Hemsky, no?

[Righteous1]

Hoping Hudler has a Pavol Demitra-esque Olympics for the Czechs

[btimbit]

Always forget how strong that team can be. This one looks like a real contender

[moon]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Always forget how strong that team can be. This one looks like a real contender

A real contender for what?

That roster looks like it would be great for the 2006 Olympics but that is a terrible roster for 2014.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by moon

A real contender for what?

That roster looks like it would be great for the 2006 Olympics but that is a terrible roster for 2014.

Well please explain further. They're in a pretty weak grouping and have a strong roster

[moon]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Well please explain further. They're in a pretty weak grouping and have a strong roster

The main problem is the overall average level of talent they have and lack of any elite players. I would say put that team in the NHL (ignoring the Cap issues) and they are top 4 in the East and probably 5-10 in the West. Not exactly stellar stuff when compared to the all-star level teams of Canada, Russia, Sweden and even the US and Finland.

That defensive group is below average for an NHL team let alone a national team and includes a guy that just passed through waivers. Up front their best line is 37-27-4. Outside of Krecji and maybe Hanzal/Svobotka the forwards are all below average defensively. Hemsky-Pleckanec-Voracek is a okay to average second line in the NHL but not a international level line. The goaltending is awful with a back-up NHL goalie, bottom 5 starter and a Euro league guy.

Always tough to compare to the superstar team Canada puts out but not a single guy on that team makes Canada and only Krecji even comes close, everyone else is not even in the realm of being considered.

Teams can always surprise and make a run in these short tournaments but that team looks a number of steps below Canada and certainly in the 2nd/3rd tier of teams behind the teams mentioned above.

[vilzeh]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Well please explain further. They're in a pretty weak grouping and have a strong roster

Don't bother battling with him. :P

[moon]

Originally Posted by vilzeh

Don't bother battling with him. :P

Solid contribution to the thread as always.

[vilzeh]

How is Pavelec a backup NHL Goalie?

Though I do agree Czech really ain't a contender with that roster, but it's a tournament, 1 game playoffs, so anything can happen on a good or stellar day.

my predictions are Canada/Sweden will probably win the olympics, unless USA doesn't beat either one of those in the semis.