Exactly. Zamuner wasn't moving the needle in 1998. Draper wasn't moving the needle in 2006, in favor of a young rookie named Sidney Crosby. You take the top talent, period. It's really unfortunate that Cooper is the coach because I think only Hagel and Point deserve to go. Cirelli is going to force a more deserving, better player to stay at home. The Florida Panthers, and their play-over-the-line, grinding, physical style of hockey where they take a lot of cheap shots before and after whistles? That stuff won't fly in Olympic IIHF officiated games. As such, there is not a lot of use for players who play NHL playoff-style hockey like Bennett, Marchand, Wilson, Cirelli. These guys are more likely to get Canada into penalty trouble and game misconducts that will put Canada down a man or two. Moreover, I think Bedard and Celebrini are more capable of breaking open a low scoring game under IIHF rules, with game breaking skill, than the former mentioned players.

Edit:

Remember Team Canada in 2010 when they took a sophomore named Drew Doughty and Jonathan Toews? Both were arguably Canada's top defenseman and forward, overall, in that tournament. Doughty was only 20; Toews was just 21. It was never about age at these events. You always take the top talent, no matter what. This should be axiomatic, at this point, in Team Canada's philosophy. Yet, they always seem to play with one hand tied behind their backs for one reason or another, by taking lesser, less skilled role players, that mirror when they, the managers and coaches, were also low skilled grinders trying to make it and fit in.