Oh, Canada! Big day ahead for Keith, Toews and Seabrook?
It's a big day in Canada.
Huge day.
The country will all but come to a grinding halt at 11 a.m. Wednesday when Team Canada general manager Steve Yzerman announces his 23-man Olympic roster.
While nothing is set in stone, the belief is Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and center Jonathan Toews will be named to the squad. Defenseman Brent Seabrook is a good bet to join Keith in Vancouver, but winger Patrick Sharp is considered a long shot.
The U.S. team will be announced Friday on the ice at Boston's Fenway Park after the Winter Classic game between the Bruins and Flyers.
Patrick Kane is a lock to play for the Americans. Dustin Byfuglien figures to have a better than 50-50 chance of being named by GM Brian Burke.
Everyone has an opinion about how the Canadian and American rosters should look. Here is mine.
Canada
Goalies: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury.
These are no-brainer picks.
Defense: Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Shea Weber, Dan Boyle and Dion Phaneuf.
Tough call going with Phaneuf over Jay Bouwmeester, Drew Doughty and Mike Green, but Canada needs a big hitter with the potential to strike fear into the opposition.
Centers: Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton, Ryan Getzlaf and Jonathan Toews.
The first three are automatic. Toews goes ahead of Mike Richards, Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard because he is the better all-around player, a top faceoff guy, great in shootouts and a superior battler along the boards.
Wingers: Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, Corey Perry, Martin St. Louis, Brenden Morrow, Shane Doan and Mike Richards.
Richards is my spare ahead of Bergeron, Sharp, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Eric Staal.
Team USA
Goalies: Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas and Craig Anderson.
Anderson has had a better first half than the Kings' Jonathan Quick.
Defense: Brian Rafalski, Erik Johnson, Ryan Whitney, Zach Bogosian, Ryan Suter, Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin.
This is assuming the Devils' Martin is healthy enough to play after missing nearly the whole first half. If Martin can't go, then it's Mike Komisarek.
Centers: Paul Stastny, Ryan Kesler, Scott Gomez and Joe Pavelski.
You hate leaving off Mike Modano and Tim Connolly, but not everyone can go.
Wingers: Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Phil Kessel, Ryan Malone, Dustin Brown, David Backes, Jamie Langenbrunner and Dustin Byfuglien.
Byfuglien's size gets him a spot over T.J. Oshie and Kyle Okposo.
Slovakia's Hawks
Hawks wingers Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky were named to Slovakia's 23-man Olympic roster on Tuesday.
It will be the third Olympics for Hossa, who had 4 goals and 6 points at Salt Lake City in 2002 and 5 goals and 5 assists at Turin in 2006.
This will be Kopecky's first Olympic experience.
Facing facts
After being shut out by the Hawks twice in a row, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock admitted his injury-riddled club was no match for the Central Division leaders.
"A lot of guys are tired, but at this time their roster is better than ours," Babcock said. "When they play hard and we play hard, they are better."
The Red Wings' 1-0 loss at Columbus on Monday was the third time they were shut out in the last four games.
Around the rinks
• The Canucks put 40-year-old defenseman Mathieu Schneider on waivers Monday. Schneider, who had just 5 points in 17 games, signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract last summer.
• The struggling Blue Jackets believe they filled two needs with Monday's trade for Washington winger Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina, getting a veteran with experience in Clark and a big defenseman in Jurcina.
Forward Jason Chimera went to Washington in the deal. Clark was the Caps' captain with the letter now likely to go to Alex Ovechkin.
• Ottawa will be without captain Daniel Alfredsson for from four to six weeks with a shoulder injury.
The list
It's approaching the season's halfway point and these have been among the biggest disappointments so far.
1. Nikolai Khabibulin
The Edmonton goalie missed his 16th straight game Monday with a back injury. He has been no help to the Oilers as they sink slowly in the Western Conference after signing him to a four-year contract.
2. Philadelphia Flyers
This was a team that added Chris Pronger in order to make a serious run for the Stanley Cup. The Flyers won't turn it around with that brutal goaltending.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
Perhaps Monday's trade with Washington for defenseman Milan Jurcina and right wing Chris Clark will be what coach Ken Hitchcock needs to save his job.
4. Martin Havlat
Minnesota hasn't been getting a good return on its five-year, $30 million investment with just 7 goals in 33 games.
5. Mike Komisarek
Toronto has stumbled through the first half and its big free agent addition on defense hasn't been very good.
Ex-Hawk of the week
Way back when, Dean McAmmond was the Blackhawks' first-round draft pick (22nd overall) in 1991.
While he appeared in only 154 games in two stints with the Hawks, McAmmond has been a productive NHL player over a long period of time.
McAmmond, who will be in town with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday wearing John Madden's old No. 11, was having a good year with 8 points and a plus-6 rating in 17 games entering the week.