Toe to Toe - Bertuzzi back and World Juniors
Two combatants from Cogeco’s Sports Firing line Frank “The Toe” Caruso (left), and Chris Dawson (right) now take their arguments to the web with a new BayToday.ca weekly sports opinion feature called, “Toe to Toe.” Photo by Lee Anne Dawson.
Two combatants from Cogeco’s Sports Firing line Frank “The Toe” Caruso (left), and Chris Dawson (right) now take their arguments to the web with a new BayToday.ca weekly sports opinion feature called, “Toe to Toe.” Photo by Lee Anne Dawson.
Todd Bertuzzi has been reinstated by the National Hockey League and is now practicing at the Canadian Olympic team's evaluation camp in Kelowna, B.C. Did his punishment for hitting Steve Moore fit the crime?
Chris:
"I'm just thrilled that the NHL has made a very smart decision and I'm glad that Hockey Canada has followed their lead by inviting the power forward to the Olympic camp. Although many think the length of his suspension was short (only 19 games), remember this guy was left in complete limbo because of the suspension during last year's lockout and could not sign or play with any European club overseas, nor could he dress for Canada at the World Championships, plus he lost about $500,000 in salary. I admit it was an extremely, extremely foolish thing for Todd Bertuzzi to do, but the good news is it appears that Moore is on the road to recovery and may suit up again for an NHL team as soon as this fall.
"I bet you agree with me Toe, this was absolutely the right thing to do and now we can all sit back and watch one of the best power forwards in the game strut his stuff on the ice for the Canucks and for Canada at the Olympics."
Frank:
"Well if you pardon my clapping the league again has done a good thing. Todd Bertuzzi should have been reinstated as soon as the league got back. There's no doubt about it, Gary Bettman made the right decision here. Furthermore, no doubt about it should he be on the Canadian Olympic team. This is one of the pure dominant hockey players in the NHL and as far as what he did with Steve Moore I understand he shouldn't have done what he did, but I've seen a lot worse and people penalized for a lot less. I think Bertuzzi being reinstated is a feather in the NHL's cap because we finally get one of the elite players back."
The Canadian World Junior evaluation camp is taking place in B.C. as well. Will Canada be able to defend the gold medal in Vancouver with only one returning player?
Frank:
"I keep hearing everywhere that the U.S. is going to win gold, it's going to be like what Canada was last year, well, no, it's not going to happen. The U.S. is the favourite team in the tournament, and they are a terrific team, Bobby Ryan, Phil Kessel all those guys, terrific, terrific hockey players, especially Jack Johnson is back which I think he will be, this is a great hockey team, but never, never count out the Canadian team and I'll tell you why Chris. The competition in Canada because of the OHL, the WHL and the QMJHL players develop in those circumstances and they are always on the upslope of hockey in the world so that means the Canadian team will be fine coming into the World Junior Tournament. Are they going to be as dominant as last year? No way, because you're never going to see a team like that. That was an incredible team and the good part of it was the NHL lockout allowed all those good guys to play okay, that's first and foremost.
But the big thing, I think Canada is going to be good, I think they'll be solid and if they get the right goaltending Canada has got a shot at gold, don't count the Canadians out.
Chris:
"Before I get started you have to remember that hockey development goes in cycles and last year was arguably the best ever junior team Canada sent to the event. That cycle occurs in every hockey program around the world and this season it is the Americans who are far and above the best team on paper at this point. This is a team that last weekend hosted the Finnish and Swedish junior teams in Lake Placid, New York. The European clubs which left a handful of their top players at home played U.S. split squad teams last week and the American teams finished with an impressive 7-1 record against the European clubs.
"The Americans have talent galore; four of the top 10 players drafted this summer were American and those four(Ryan, Skille, Lee, Jack Johnson) will all be in Vancouver. They also have the amazing Phil Kessel, who will be taken 1st overall in 2006, along with veterans Rob Schremp, Chris Bourque and OHL sniper Bobby Ryan. The Americans should win this thing hands down.
"But Canada's dominance last year will hurt them this year. Because of the lockout, a number of players that would have been on the team on a normal year, were left off because of the lockout. That's why you see only one returnee at the evaluation camp.
"This is a 19 year old tournament, but it doesn't hurt to allow younger players to develop by playing a smaller role and build a foundation for next year's club that way. For instance, two youngsters who should go in the top 10 in next year's NHL draft weren't invited to the evaluation camp (Justin Toews and James Sheppard).
"So of course we'll all be cheering hard for the Red and White in Vancouver, but remember this year's team is only a shadow of its former self and this time the Americans will be bringing their best ever to the west coast."
Toe to Toe can be seen every Friday on BayToday.ca.
