With all of the media coverage continuously surrounding Canada’s poster boy, Sidney Crosby, who has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice this year alone, it is often easy to forget the rest of Canada’s young hockey talent. Our country produces skilled hockey players in such great numbers that one must ask if Crosby is really all that deserving of this constant lime light.
If you know me personally, you probably just took a second look at the previous sentence. You’re also probably in complete shock and disbelief that I am writing an article de-praising The Kid, considering I have been an avid fan, even an admirer of Crosby since his days back in Junior. Even if you don’t know me, you must surely be questioning how someone can criticize Crosby after he reaffirmed Canada’s hockey preeminence, winning the 14th gold medal of the Winter Games last month in sudden-death overtime against the U.S.
You need not panic. In no way am I trying to take anything away from Crosby, but I do think that it is about time that some of the other young Canadian superstars were praised for their tremendous on-ice performances. Perhaps the spotlight shines on The Kid because he somehow manages to do his best work when it counts the most, but nonetheless, young NHL stars such as Jonathan Toews, Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Rick Nash, Drew Doughty, and Duncan Keith are more than deserving of a little praise.
Jonathon Toews is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks at only 21 years of age, and is currently the youngest team captain of any franchise in the league. Following the 2007-08 season, he was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year. During last year’s playoffs, Toews captained his young team to the Western Conference Finals. This year, he led Chicago into their current second-place standing in the league, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs.
In Vancouver, Toews exceeded all expectations as he progressed from a fourth-liner into the eventual top forward of the Olympic tournament. Toews led the Canadian team with a tournament total of eight points and an astounding plus-nine rating. On top of being named best forward, he was also an all-star selection of the tournament.
Eric Staal, at the age of 25, was recently named team captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2006, when he and the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, he led the team and the league during the playoffs with 28 points. Last year, the Hurricanes made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but were eliminated by the eventual winners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Staal was a major team contributor as he led the team in playoff points and was ninth in the league overall.
After winning the gold in Vancouver, Staal was the only new player to gain entry into the Triple Gold Club, which is awarded to players or coaches who have won the three most important hockey championships: a World Championship gold medal, an Olympic gold medal, and a Stanley Cup.
Ryan Getzlaf is currently an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks at 24 years of age. In 2007, when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup for the first and only time in franchise history, Getzlaf lead the team in playoff points. In last year’s playoffs, he was ranked sixth in overall league points, which is a tremendous feat considering that Anaheim only made it to the Western Conference semi-finals. Getzlaf played in the NHL All Star game in both 2008 and 2009. He also tied for second in team points during the Olympics with three goals and four assists to tally seven total tournament points.
Rick Nash is currently the captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets at 25 years old. In 2002, he was selected first overall in the NHL entry draft and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy in his rookie season. In 2004, he won the Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the leading goal scorer in the NHL. Nash appeared in the NHL All Star game in 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Last year, with Nash as their team captain, the Blue Jackets made their first playoff appearance ever in franchise history and had previously been the only team to have never made the playoffs.
Drew Doughty, who is a defenceman for the Los Angeles Kings, just turned 20 years old, making him the youngest player on the Canadian National hockey team that won gold in Vancouver. Doughty was selected for the Team Canada roster over defensive stars such as Robyn Regehr, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, and Mike Green. Considering his age, Doughty needed to prove that his selection for the roster was warranted. Doughty surpassed all expectations and ended the tournament with a plus-six ranking.
Duncan Keith is currently an alternate captain and defenceman for the Chicago Blackhawks. At only 26 years old, Keith is my early prediction for this year’s Norris Trophy for top defence player in the NHL, as he has turned himself into a spectacular player this season by surpassing his career high totals in goals, assists, and points. On December 3, 2009, Keith extended his time in Chicago by 13 years with a $72-million contract, the richest in Blackhawk history. Keith is currently ranked the second-highest defencemen in points in the league, behind Mike Green. In Vancouver, Keith lead Canada in ice time and ended the tournament with six points and a plus-six rating, quite impressive for a defenceman.
I don’t blame Crosby for all the attention he gets as he is well-deserving most of the time, but the media focuses solely on Crosby to the point that other players’ accomplishments have become unrecognized. Yes, Crosby is team captain of the latest Stanley Cup winning franchise. Yes, Crosby did seal the deal in Vancouver with his game-winning goal in overtime. But the new postseason is soon approaching and Crosby cruised through the Olympic tournament and certainly did not play up to his usual standards until the last period of the last game. Forwards such as Jarome Iginla, Jonathan Toews, Eric Staal, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, and the San Jose Shark line compiled of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Patrick Marleau put on a tremendous show during their two weeks in Vancouver, but it was Crosby who was praised as King of Canada on that glorious Sunday.
Undoubtedly, scoring in overtime to win gold for your country should get you praise, and lots of it, but we must shine light on the fact that we wouldn’t have made it to that final game, or even to that final period, if it weren’t for the other players throughout the tournament.
That being said, it just wouldn’t have felt right if it hadn’t been our modern day prince charming, Sidney Crosby, who scored in overtime last month to clinch the gold.
