Goaltender Roberto Luongo was the only Vancouver Canuck named to Canada's men's Olympic hockey team Wednesday, but four British Columbia defensemen are on the squad under pressure to win gold on home ice in the Vancouver Olympics.
Luongo, the Canucks' captain, was one of three netminders named to the 23-man roster by Hockey Canada in a nationally broadcast ceremony in Saskatoon. The Montreal native will compete for the starting spot with New Jersey Devil Martin Brodeur, who backstopped Canada to gold at the Salt Lake 2002 Games, and Marc-Andre Fleury of the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Cranbrook defenceman Scott Niedermayer was named captain. Penguin Sidney Crosby, Calgary Flame Jarome Iginla and Philadelphia Flyer Chris Pronger are the alternates.
"There's a lot of great leaders that will be part of this club and a big advantage we'll have as a team," Niedermayer said in a TSN interview.
Niedermayer, 36, was born in Edmonton and won gold in 2002. He missed Torino 2006 because of a knee injury but is the only player with an Olympic gold medal and championship rings from the Memorial Cup, world junior championship, world senior championship, world cup and Stanley Cup.
Joining Niedermayer on the blueline are fellow British Columbians Duncan Keith of Penticton (Chicago Blackhaws), Brent Seabrook of Tsawwassen (Chicago) and Shea Weber of Sicamous (Nashville Predators).
Hockey Canada's Olympic team executive director Steve Yzerman has not made public a list of reserve players who may be called on in case of injury or illness.
Canada begins the tournament on Feb. 16 against Norway. The men's hockey final will be the last event of the Games on Feb. 28.
Puck dropping: Brodeur was picked 20th overall by New Jersey in 1990 when the National Hockey League player draft was held at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. B.C. Place is where the Olympics will open with a Feb. 12 ceremony and is across the street from General Motors Place... GM Place, the Vancouver Canucks' home rink will be renamed Canada Hockey Place during the Olympics because of International Olympic Committee rules prohibiting venue advertising. The secondary venue is Thunderbird Arena at the University of British Columbia... The 2010 Games will mark the first time that hockey will be contested on the narrower NHL-sized ice instead of the international standard.
