2007 Team Canada IIHF World Championships - Making a Mark

About 6 seconds into his first shift in the World Championships, Shea Weber laid out Yannic Seidenberg with what I would characterize at best as a clothesline and at worst a forearm shiver to the head. After the hit, Lindros...I mean, Seidenberg, was so rocked he couldn't stand up straight. Although I don't mind Weber making his mark early on the tournament, he has to remember that the European officials are very very touchy about hits to the head. I'm not going to preach about Canada being a bunch of goons on the world stage, but quite honestly I'm sure it's a play that Weber wishes he could take back. In many ways he got off lightly with a 3 game suspension (IIHF president Rene Fasel initially proposed a 5 game suspension), but that doesn't alter the fact that Canada will have 3 less games to integrate a top defenceman into their lineup.

"I'm sure Shea regrets it," said Canadian coach Andy Murray. "But check his penalty minutes, we all know he's not that type of player."(Source)

"Obviously I was thinking about it all night," said Weber. "It's unfortunate. I'm going to serve it and hopefully come back and help out."

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I thought Canada's game against Germany went pretty well. The Germans showed a lot of heart to keep the game close, and I thought at times they carried the play. Albert Dwayne Roloson (players in this tournament are announced by the names on their passport, and apparently, Dwayne Roloson is actually Albert Dwayne Roloson...I'm sure his teammates will be very non-reactive to this peice of information) let in a soft second goal, a blast from the centre ice line, but was otherwise very good to spectacular. He made a particularly beautiful save on a shorthanded 2-1, a play that went the other way and eventually led to Jamal Mayers scoring the game winner, (his second of the evening).

Actually, the Chimera, Mayers, McClement line was one of the most effective of the night, they really used their speed and grit to cause the Germans to turn over the puck. Contrary to my prediction, Toews played on a line with Doan and Nash, who I thought provided a lot of good physicality and forechecking presence. It looks like it will be Jordan Staal who won the jackpot and will centre Doan and Nash for the game against Norway today.

And for those that remember how much I like Mike Commodore, here's a great story.