Twelve Players You Can Expect To Be Unsung Heroes at the 2010 Winter Olympics

With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver now just a few weeks away, our thoughts in Canada are firmly on all the hockey rosters, our own and our opponents.

In each and every Olympics, there are numerous players that may not be household names who establish themselves as key contributors to their team's/country's success.

This year will be no exception. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the unsung heroes that will be at the Olympics and how their presence will impact their team's/country's success.

Remember, we are not talking about the Sidney Crosby’s and Alex Ovechkin’s of the world, we are talking about players that are under the radar, players that establish themselves through tremendous role play—often doing the dirty work that other players would reject.

Which player do you think will be your country's unsung hero???

Canada: Brent Seabrook (Defenseman)

Through 49 games, Seabrook, who often plays second fiddle to Chicago Blackhawks teammate Duncan Keith, has posted three goals and 21 points. His plus/minus rating of +23 is second amongst all NHL defensemen, and his penalty minute total is exceptional considering the role he plays on the Blackhawks blue line.

Seabrook is expected to be paired with Keith at the Olympics. The talented combo will be asked to shut down some of the most potent offenses ever assembled, with Seabrook leading the way in the shutdown department.

Together, Seabrook and Keith make up one of the best—if not the best—defensive duo’s in the entire NHL. Seabrook is capable of playing in virtually any situation, so don’t be surprised if he is one of the leaders in ice time on a nightly basis.

Offense can win games, but defense wins championships. Seabrook’s contribution defensively may very well determine whether or not Canada brings home Gold this winter.

No question about it, Seabrook may very well earn the title of unsung hero for Canada when everything is said and done at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

USA: Dustin Brown (Forward)

Team USA would be smart to play Dustin Brown to a fault at the 2010 Winter Olympics. This three-time Bobby Smith Trophy winner (Scholastic Player of the Year award- OHL), is as smart as he is on the ice as he is off the ice.

Brown, who plays a solid two-way game, will likely be asked to hit everything and anything that moves when he is on the ice, which should be no problem for the 25-year-old. Brown finished second overall in the NHL with 258 hits in 2006-07 and has registered 183 in 2009-10—the most amongst any American players and second overall in the NHL.

It’s one thing to score goals, quite another to stop your opponents from doing so; fortunately, for the U.S. Brown is capable of doing both and, for that reason, he gets the nod as Team USA’s most likely unsung hero.

Russia: Anton Volchenkov (Defenseman)

Much like Seabrook and Brown before him, Anton Volchenkov will have a huge impact on Russia’s success. Volchenkov is known as one of the NHL’s best open ice hitters, as such, if Russia has any chance of keeping the opposition at bay, Volchenkov will need to step up in the physical department.

Russia is expected to ice one of the best offensive lineups in Olympic history. Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Pavol Datsyuk, Alexander Semin, and Ilya Kovalchuk will have every team playing on their heels throughout the tournament and should score at will.

The biggest challenge for the Russians will be keeping the puck out of the net, which is why Volchenkov’s contribution will be so valuable. Look for Volchenkov to log heavy minutes, lay the body at will, and play a huge role on the penalty kill for Russia.

Finland: Jere Lehtinen (Forward)

The Finnish squad will ice one of the most well-balanced squads at the Olympics. Team defense will be a priority with goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff and defenseman Kimmo Timonen leading the way.

At forward the Fins will rely heavily on NHL veterans Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Mikko Koivu, and Olli Jokinen to supply the offense. Look for forward Jere Lehtinen to step up his game—he had eight points at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, and his shutdown capabilities paid huge dividends for the Fins.

Lehtinen may be having a weak NHL season, but he has three Frank J. Selke Trophies to his name (1998, 1999, 2003)—which he earned as the NHL’s best defensive forward—two Bronze Medals (1994, 1998) and one Silver Medal (2006) at the Olympics; three Silver Medals (1992, 1994, 2007) and one Gold Medal (1995) at the World Championships; and one Stanley Cup Championship (1999).

In a word, Lehtinen is a winner. His leadership and responsible play in all areas of the game should serve him and his country well at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Sweden: Mattias Weinhandl (Forward)

Over the summer numerous predicted roster lists surfaced where Team Sweden is concerned, almost none of these lists included NHL defector, Mattias Weinhandl.

Weinhandl now plays in the KHL with the Moscow Dynamo and, judging by his totals, he has done well for himself.

Through 46 games with Dynamo, Weinhandl has posted 20 goals and 30 assists, good enough for 50 points—eight points ahead of former Detroit Red Wings player, Jiri Hudler.

Sweden boasts numerous NHL All-Stars, all of them capable of leading not only their team, but the tournament in scoring.

The Sedin Twins (Daniel and Henrik), Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, and Loui Eriksson should lead the Swedes in scoring, but a player like Weinhandl may be the difference in this short tournament, supplying secondary scoring, all the while competing under the radar.

Czech Republic: Pavel Kubina (Defenseman)

Through 49 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Kubina has registered five goals, 20 assists and has a plus/minus rating of +8, an impressive statistic when you consider the Thrashers are ranked 27th overall in goals against.

Kubina won a Bronze Medal with the Czechs in the 2006 Winter Olympics and a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04, giving him the experience and the accomplishments to earn his Czech teammates' respect.

Standing 6'4" and 250 pounds, Kubina is tough to move in front of his own net. He plays a sound defensive game and is willing to lay down his body to help his team, blocking shots with no fear on a nightly basis and often laying out opposing forwards.

Expect Kubina to be a leader on the ice and, to many NHL fans’ surprise, the backbone of the Czech Republic’s defense. Kubina is the epitome of the unsung hero and a big reason the Czechs will be a tough opponent at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Slovakia: Jaroslav Halak (Goaltender)

Ok, to be fair, Jaroslav Halak is not the type of player that can come in under the radar. That said, if the Slovaks are going to have any kind of success, Halak will all but have to stand on his head.

Stuck in a “sometimes starter” role with the Montreal Canadiens, Halak is seen by most as a legitimate starting goaltender. Through 22 games with the Habs, Halak has amassed a 13-7-1 record, with a 2.56 goals against average (16th overall), a .924 save percentage (seventh overall), and two shut outs.

A lot of attention will be on Slovakian forwards Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa, Pavol Demitra, and defenseman Zdeno Chara, but if the goaltending is not there, their efforts will be all for not.

If the Slovakian team has any success, it will be a direct reflection of Halak’s strong play in goal, and for that reason, Halak will emerge as Slovakia’s unsung hero.

Belarus: Dave Lewis (Assistant Coach)

Let’s face it folks, Belarus has a very thin roster. In fact, there are only four NHL players on this roster (Ruslan Salei-Colorado Avalanche, Mikhail Garbovsky-Toronto Maple Leafs, Andrei Kostitsyn-Montreal Canadiens, Sergei Kostitsyn-Canadiens).

As such, for Belarus to have any chance at success, the coaches will have to do one heck of a coaching job.

Former Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins head coach Dave Lewis has joined the Belarus team as an assistant coach. His knowledge of NHL players and systems will be invaluable to his troops, and his attention to detail should help Belarus be competitive.

That said, let’s be realistic here, Belarus is going to get lambasted on more nights than not, so don’t expect a miracle on ice...

Switzerland: Hnat Domenichelli (Forward)

Much like Belarus, Switzerland will be hard-pressed to have any success at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Led by Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller and defensemen Mark Streit (New York Islanders), and Yannick Weber (Montreal Canadiens), the Swiss may be deep in heart and pride, but they are very short on marquee talent.

Canadian-born Hnat Domenichelli has an opportunity to step up and be the unsung hero for the Swiss. Domenichelli has been a member of the Swiss-A League since 2003-04 and is currnetly playing for Lugano.

Known as a solid two-way player, Domenichelli will be asked to step up in all situations for the Swiss. His veteran leadership will be very valuable and his NHL experience should serve him well.

Germany: Michael Wolf (Forward)

Not well known in hockey circles, Michael Wolf, who plays for the Iserlohn Roosters in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, owns a number of scoring records for that franchise, including most career goals (108), most points (201), and he is ranked second in assists with 93.

In 52 games, Wolf scored 27 goals and added 28 assists with the Roosters last season. He scored a career-high 44 goals with the Roosters in 2007-08 when he notched 44.

At 5’10" and 165 pounds, Wolf will not intimidate anyone, but he’s fast, skilled, and has the ability to score the big goal. Think of Canada’s own Martin St. Louis, the German version...

Wolf is a legitimate threat on the power play and should be a major focus of the Germans' offense.

Latvia: AKA “Riga Dinamo”

Team Latvia will feature 15 players from Riga Dinamo of the Russian Kontinental League. As such, one has to believe that Latvia will be relying on their players' familiarity with each other to get them through what should be a difficult tournament for them at the 2010 Olympics.

Latvia will also feature two NHL defensemen, Karlis Skrastins of the Colorado Avalanche and Oskars Bartulis of the Philadelphia Flyers. Neither one of these players is considered an All-Star talent, but they should be a step ahead of their counterparts, leading to a lot of ice time for the NHL duo.

It’s pretty tough to pick an unsung hero for Latvia. Searching the Internet, statistics are tough to come by, so I will just say this: the first player to beat an opposing netminder will be Latvia’s unsung hero, but don’t expect them to score often, if at all, on most nights.

Norway: Per-Age Skroder (forward)

Norway will be in tough at the 2010 Winter Olympics. With only one NHL player on its roster, defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Philadelphia Flyers), the Norwegians will rely on players from the Swedish Elitserien League, Norwegian League, and German DEL to get it done.

Per-Age Skroder will be asked to lead Norway offensively. Skroder scored 30 goals and added 29 assists with Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik of the Swedish Elite League last season, totals which earned him the League scoring title.

Skroder currently has 16 goals and 15 assists through 40 games with Modo, which puts him second overall on his team.

At 5’11" and 203 pounds, Skroder has decent size. Combine that with his scoring abilities and you have a player that is capable of stepping up for Norway in a big way.