Three Oilers Off To Sochi!

Three members of the Edmonton Oilers will be representing their home country at the Olympic games next month in Sochi Russia. Forward Ales Hemsky was named to the Czech team Monday, while defenders Anton Belov (Russia) and Martin Marincin (Slovakia) were named to their team’s Tuesday.

Hemsky:

I had a huge smile on my face when I first saw Ryan Rishaug tweet this out. There is no one more deserving of this honor than number 83. He’s been through it all in Edmonton, from the 2006 Cup run to the terribly dark years we currently sit in. He’s been nothing but a good soldier, and has brought fans to their feet every season with jaw dropping goals.

Say what you want about him, but he plays hard and gives it his all. Some fans will totally disagree with me there, but Ales Hemsky, in my books, is a stud. He’s dealt with some unfair criticism too, and never once spoke out on it. He’s the kind of guy you want on your team.

Hemsky missed the 2010 games in Vancouver due to a shoulder injury he suffered in November of 2009, which caused him to miss the remainder of that season. He won bronze back in 2006 with the Czech team, and won a Gold at the 2005 World Championships with them.

It’ll be his second go around at the Olympics, and I think he is very deserving of that. He’ll be one of the top weapons on the Czech team, and should have a field day with the larger ice surface. I’m happy for Ales, and am really looking forward to watching him.

Also, shout-out to former Oilers Ladislav Smid and Petr Nedved, who also made this team.

Belov:

I won’t lie, I was quite surprised at this selection when it came out. Belov had a good start to his NHL career in October and November, but struggled mightily in December, and hasn’t played much in January. Whether it’s the system, the speed or the skill, something has caught up with him, and he’s been exposed recently.

That being said, Belov is very familiar with the larger ice surface, and has been very good in events where he has represented his country before, mainly the World Championships this past spring. Belov was also the best defender in the KHL last season, and has a very strong reputation in the league.

I’ll be interested to see how Belov does in Sochi. The team will be under a lot of pressure, and you would have to think his confidence is a little down due to his recent play. That said, I’m rooting for Belov to have a good tournament, and I hope this is a positive experience that allows him to get his game back, and sets up a solid second half for the Russian.

Marincin:

For Martin Marincin, this has been a pretty good month and a half. He made his NHL debut in early December, has seemingly earned an NHL job in his second stint, and now has been named to the Slovakian Olympic roster.

Marincin is a bigger guy, and has some good offensive instincts to his game. He’s been making sound decisions, and has looked good in limited minutes for the Oilers this year, he certainly looks like he will be an NHL defender to me. This is going to be an awesome experience for him, and that’s good news.

He’s going to get to play with guys like Zdeno Chara, and going to get to go up against some of the best in the world. It’ll only help the young defender’s confidence and should help his game. It’s a big honor for Marincin, and shows how valued he is by his country’s hockey program.

I’m not sure if he’ll put up great numbers over there, but it’ll be an extremely valuable experience and should help him moving forward.

Congratulations to all three of these guys. While I’ll be rooting for the USA during the tournament, I’ll be keeping an eye on these three and hoping they do good things. In the cases of Hemsky and Marincin, this represents some bright spots in a dark season. It’s not major for the team, but it’s still good to see these three getting this chance on the big stage.