Team Germany Roster and profile

For the Germans, it's about coming back from a very disappointing showing from Italy in 2006 where they didn't even win a single game. Even though perhaps they biggest disappointment was that they weren't even able to beat the host Italians in the Group Stage where everyone was expecting them to get beat pretty bad in all their games.

In addition to having a strong Olympic tournament, they also looking to be a build up for the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championships that the German Cities of Mannheim and Cologne. In addition, an attempt at a world attendance record when the Germans will play the USA at the home of the FC Schalke Soccer Team in Gelsenkirchen for the tournament's opening game.

After the 6 NHL'ers which include superstars Marco Sturm and Marcel Goc, the rest of the roster will be made up of players that play in the DEL which is the German Top League. One of the big controversy of the German players is that they have the highest number of players that are not naturally born in Germany, as the team has 8 players that were moved in.

However, they have been checked out and their eligibility is fine and all have them have been cleared. Of the 8 players, 4 moved from Canada, 2 moved from Austria, while two others (1 each) moved from Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic.

Among the goalies, Thomas Greiss should be the starter as he is the only NHLer among the goalies. After spending the last 2 years with the Worcester Sharks (AHL), he's getting a chance as a backup for the San Jose Sharks and has played well in his few chances he's gotten a 6-4-0 record with a pretty strong 2.47 GAA and a .918 SV% this season and has been a steady hand with the team when called upon this season. Challenging him will be Dimtri Patzold who plays for the Ingolstadt Panthers and Dennis Endras for the Augsburg Tigers.

The forwards have a couple of surprising cuts as Buffalo's Jochen Hecht and Atlanta Defensemen Christoph Schubert that would have helped out the German hopes of bringing them to Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Tournament. In an interview with the German Sport Agency SID said when making up the roster "If a player over there (In North America) plays a marginal role and gets only a little ice time, it's absolutely possible that we will take a player to the Olympics who plays a bigger role in Germany or elsewhere in Europe."

Another player who's playing in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates, who's hoping to use this tournament to improve his stock in the Buffalo system is Phillip Gogulla. Who's playing in his 1st season in North America where after a strong showing for Kolner Haie in the German DEL the last 2 years, he has 6 goals and 14 assists so far this season through 47 games this season.

Germany is also going in a new mood in mind hoping to give some new players a shot to improve and become a regular on the national team. Only 12 players from last year's team that finished 15th at the IHWC are on this roster.

If it weren't for the Germans hosting the IHWC this season, they would have been relegated to the IHWC Division 1 Tournament this season. Also back this time last year, the Germans played Austria, Japan and Slovenia over at the TUI Arena in Hannover last year to get one of the 3 spots in the Qualification Tournaments.

Germany needs to show it's fans that they can put their recent IHWC and Olympic Disappointments behind them if the Germans are going to be able to go forward and steadily improve their national team so that eventually they league can get better.

Where they can get their Junior Teams in the World Junior Tournaments on a regular basis, and compete for major International Medals. The team has been disappointing so many times that it has affected the growth of the sport over sports like soccer and some of the other Winter Sports like skiing.

The Germans are in Group C with Sweden and Finland who will be in a rematch after the Northern Euro rivals faced off for the Gold Medal back in 2006.

It will be a tough road for the Germans with the lack of NHL players and even players in leagues like the KHL and AHL while the Swed's and Finns will have loads of experienced NHL players. And tons of experience for these players at both the International and Club levels with players winning everything from Olympic Medals to Stanley Cups and everything else in between.

Germany will face Sweden and Finland right out of the shoot before facing Belarus in what will be a huge game towards the hopes of going far once the tournament reaches the Knockout rounds later in the tournament.

Here's the player profiles of the North American Based Players

Marcel Goc (BUF): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8469473&view=stats

Phillip Gogulla, Portland Pirates (AHL): http://theahl.com/stats/player.php?id=3247

Marco Sturm: (BOS): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8464979&view=stats

Christian Ehrhoff (VAN): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8469555&view=stats

Dennis Seidenberg (FLO): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8469619&view=stats

Andrew Suzler (NSH): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470685&view=stats

Thomas Greiss (SJ): www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8471306&view=stats


Germany Group Stage Schedule

2/17: VS. Sweden 6:30 PM

2/19: VS. Finland 10:55 PM

2/20: VS. Belarus 10:55 PM


Goalies

44: Dennis Endras, 6'0" 167, 7/14/1986, Immenstadt GER, Augsburg Panthers (DEL,GER)

1: Tomas Greiss, 6'1" 190, 1/29/1986, Fussen GER, San Jose Sharks (NHL)

32: Dimitri Patzold, 6'0" 195, 2/3/1983, Ust-Kameogorsk KAZ, ERC Ingolstadt (DEL, GER)


Defensemen

2: Michael Bakos, 6'3" 190, 3/2/1979, Augusburg GER, ERC Ingolstadt (DEL, GER)

10: Christian Ehrhoff, 6'3" 190, 7/6/1979, Moers GER, Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

38: Jakub Ficenec, 5'11" 198, 2/11/1977, Rhadec Kralove CZE, ERC Ingolstadt (DEL, GER)

3: Jason Holland, 6'3" 219, 4/30/1976, Morinville AB, CAN, DEG Metro Stars (DEL, GER)

5: Korbinian Holzer, 6'3" 190, 2/16/1988, Munich GER, DEG Metro Stars (DEL, GER)

7: Chris Schmidt, 6'3" 200, 3/1/1976, Beaver Lodge AB CAN, Adler Mannheim (DEL, GER)

84: Dennis Seidenberg, 6'1" 210, 7/18/1981, Schwenninger GER, Florida Panthers (NHL)

52: Alexander Sulzer, 6'1" 198, 5/30/1984, Kaufbeuren GER, Nashville Predators (NHL)


Forwards

29: Alexander Barta, 5'10" 158, 2/2/1983, Berlin GER, Hamburg Freezers (GER, DEL)

11: Sven Felski, 5'10" 167, 11/18/1974, Berlin GER, Eisbaren Berlin (GER, DEL)

57: Marcel Goc, 6'1" 205, 8/24/1983, Calw GER, Nashville Predators (NHL)

87: Philip Gogulla, 6'2" 176, 7/31/1987, Dusseldorg GER, Portland Pirates (AHL)

39: Thomas Greilinger, 5'11" 211, 8/6/1981, Deggendordf GER, ERC Ingolstadt (DEL, GER)

9: Manuel Klinge, 5'10" 176, 9/5/1984, Kassel GER, Kassel Huskies (DEL, GER)

25: Marcel Muller, 6'3" 220, 7/10/1988, Berlin GER, Kolner Haie (DEL, GER)

15: Travis James Mulock, 6'0" 190, 6/25/1985, Langley BC CAN, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL, GER)

24: Andre Rankel, 6'1" 196, 8/27/1985, Berlin GER, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL, GER)

19: Marco Sturm, 6'0" 190, 9/8/1978, Dingolfing GER, Boston Bruins (NHL)

21: John Tripp, 6'2" 215, 5/4/1977, Kingston ON, CAN, Hamburg Freezers (GER, DEL)

16: Michael Wolf, 5'10" 165, 1/24/1981, Ehenbichi AUT, Iserlohn Roosters (GER, DEL)

Czech Republic Roster

Looking for the magic that helped the Czechs win gold in 1998. The Czechs are looking for perhaps one last big shot with a veteran and experienced group that has the experience of players like Martin Havlat, Jaromir Jagr who now plays in Russia with Avangard Omsk and Tomas Kaberle.

However experience comes age and with some of these players past their prime, will the age of the Czechs help them in their quest to bring Olympic Gold back to the Czech Republic, or will the age cost them as they will have to face younger and faster roster teams like Canada, the USA and Sweden later in the tournament.

One of the major problems that Czech Hockey has going into the future is the lack of strong youngsters that have been coming up recently. With results like a 7th place finish at the recent World Junior's, will the next generation of Czech Players be able to contuine their golden generation success in the NHL and in international tournaments or will they begin a long downhill slide with the lack of success and getting players to the NHL.

That's a question for another day, but for now, the Czechs are looking to at least match what they did in Italy in 2006, or possibly get back to the Gold Medal Game to possibly face somebody like Canada, Russia or the defending Gold Medalist Sweden this year.

In goal, it's expect it to be Florida Panthers starter Tomas Vokoun is expected to be the starter and did well when Dominik Hasek announced his international retirement prior to the 2006 Olympics in Italy. Vokoun went 3-4 with a solid 2.46 GAA in the 7 games to help the Czechs reach the Bronze Medal Game before beating Russia.

His Backups should be Ondrej Pavelec who the last 2 seasons has split his time between the AHL's Chicago Wolves and the Atlanta Thrashers who's looking to become a solid NHL Backup at just age 23, but still has a 3.45 GAA in 34 games played this season, then the 3rd goalie could be used sparely is Jakub Stepanek of the HV Vitkovice of the Czech Extraliga.

If the Czechs are going to go far, a solid d core with the likes of Pavel Kubina who at 6'4" 250, will be one of the biggest players at this event and will be a hitting force. As for players that can put it from the point, look for Tomas Kaberle and Roman Polak are looking to be the top D man unit to make their mark. Finally to make.

The player that may be the most untested and will need to get up to speed pretty fast is Michalek who has experience in both the WJC and the IHWC, but this is his first experience at the Olympics and that may reek havoic for him and the team if he can't get the hang of the defesne quickly enough.

Forwards like Martin Havlat who plays for the Minnesota Wild who's been a bit of journeyman in recent years which have include stops with teams Dynamo Moscow (KHL) and Sparta Prague (Czech Extraliga) is back in the NHL where he had 29 goals last year will be looked upon to to score huge goals for the Czech Side.

Also perhaps the best player ever to come out of the Czech Republic Jaromir Jagr has made it known that he will be making his final international tournament apperance of his career is with Avangard Omsk in the KHL will want to end his international career with a bang by winning a 2nd Olympic Gold Medal of his career.

In all the Czechs will have 16 NHLers to play in the Olympics as well as 5 from the KHL in Russia. Finally 2 from the Czech Extraliga which is the top Czech Professional league.

As for their group, they have been placed in what a lot of people are saying is going to be the most competitive and exiciting group of the 1st round with matchups against Slovakia, Russia and Latvia. With basically every team being a major rival here, they will be no easy games and the one that could turn the tide for the Czechs is Russia where that could be for a 2nd round bye.


Czech Republic Group Stage Schedule

2/17: VS. Slovakia 10:55 PM

2/19: VS. Latvia 6:30 PM

2/21: VS. Russia 2:00 PM


Czech Republic Olympic Roster


Goalies

Ondrej Pavelec, 6'2" 200, Klando Cze, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)

Jakub Stepanek, 6'1" 156, Vsetin Cze, Vitkovice Ostrava (Extraliga, CZE)

Tomas Vokoun, 6'0" 194, Karlovy Vary Cze, Florida Panthers (NHL)



Defensemen

Miroslav Blatak, 6'0" 174, Zlin Cze, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL, RUS)

Jan Hejda, 6'3" 209, Prague CZE, Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Tomas Kaberle, 6'0" 198, Rakovnik CZE, Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

Filip Kubla, 6'5" 227, Ostrava CZE, Ottawa Senators (NHL)

Pavel Kubina, 6'3" 244, Celadna CZE, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)

Zbynek Michalek, 6'0" 200, Jindrichuv Hradec CZE, Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)

Roman Polak, 6'0" 227, Ostrava CZE, St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Marek Zidlicky, 5'10" 189, Most CZE, Minnesota Wild (NHL)


Forwards

Petr Cajanek, 5'10" 176, Zlin CZE, SKA St. Petersburgh (KHL, RUS)

Roman Cervenka, 5'11" 187, Prague CZE, Slavia Prague (Extraliga, CZE)

Patrik Elias, 5'11" 194, Trebic CZE, New Jersey Devils (NHL)

Martin Erat, 6'0" 200, Trebic CZE, Nashville Predators (NHL)

Tomas Fleischmann, 6'0" 191, Koprivnice CZE, Washington Capitals (NHL)

Martin Havlat, 6'2" 216, Mlada Boleslav CZE, Minnesota Wild (NHL)

Jaromir Jagr, 6'3" 242, Kladno CZE, Avangard Omsk (KHL, RUS)

David Krejci, 6'0" 176, Sternberk CZE, Boston Bruins (NHL)

Milan Michalek, 6'2" 224, Jindrichuv Hradec CZE, Ottawa Senators (NHL)

Tomas Plekanec, 5'10" 198, Klando CZE, Montreal Canadians (NHL)

Tomas Rolinek, 5'8" 171, Zdar Nad Sazavou CZE, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS, KHL)

Josef Vasicek, 6'3" 229, Havlicku Brod CZE, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (RUS, KHL)