What song would they play during the medal cermony?

Newspapers are reporting today that Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Quebecois, has suggested that Quebec field its own hockey team in international competitions, made up of Quebecois players.

For our international readers, Canada's Liberal minority government was defeated on a non-confidence vote on Monday, which has triggered a federal election campaign. Among our political parties is the Bloc Quebecois, a federal-level separatist party, of which Mr. Duceppe is the leader.

So let me get this straight, Mr. Duceppe. There are 54 days of campaigning, so you've got 54 opportunities to make it onto the front page of newspapers with a position that will affect public opinion. And on day two of the campaign, you thought your best move was to suggest that Quebec field it's own hockey team at international events?

That's the best you've got? Good luck.

Poor campaign decisions aside, what would an all-Quebec team look like?

Of the 81 players that Hockey Canada included on its long-list for the Turin Olympics, 12 are Quebecois.

These are Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Jose Theodore between the pipes, Eric Desjardins as the lone defenceman, and Patrice Bergeron, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Daniel Briere, Marc Chouinard, Simon Gagne, Vincent Lecavalier, Mario Lemieux, and Alex Tanguay up front.

The makings of a good team for sure, but it certainly has its shortcomings, especially on defence. And then there's the question whether any or all of these players would actually choose to play for an all Quebec team. Probably not.

It will be interesting to watch the sports news tonight and see how the Quebec-born NHLers try to wiggle out of answering this question.

Comments

[Budfan]

Pity guys like Dandenault and Dagenais, French Canadian Habs who will be put under intense pressure by pro-Bloc media types wanting to know if they will play for the Quebec Blockers.

[David Lee]

Well, obviously they would invite some people that team Canada didn't see fit to invite. I wondered the same thing you do, though. Would they even want to play for Quebec instead of Canada.

Doesn't matter, though. Since the IIHF doesn't recognize non-sovereign nations, that rules out any IIHF governed tournaments, namely the Olympics and the World Championships. The only legit tournament not ruled by IIHF is the World Cup, and I don't even know when the next one will be. It seems like they don't have a fixed schedule for those things.
'76, '81, '84, '87, '91, '96, '04. There's no pattern there, and I don't recall hearing when the next one would be.

[Spinster]

I hear Jean Chretien is looking for a new job! Do I hear Head Coach?

[Spinster]

I hear Jean Chretien is looking for a new job! Do I hear Head Coach?

[Joe Elliott]

Hahaha, sure, he has three goalies.. here is the question, of the three, how many would play on Team PQ over Team Canada?

Zero.

No one passes up a Gold.