Was Cujo selected for team Canada because of his recent play, or because of who he is?

Question

I'm curious, has he been playing well for his club? Or are that just not that many Canadian goalies playing in Europe so he got selected by default? Or did the selectors just figure Cujo would help improve the Spengler Cup ratings?

Who are the selectors?

Answer 1

He was selected for who he is..................Cujo has been living on the family farm north of Toronto since September, but he's been working out with various teams keeping in shape while he searches for NHL employment.

He's considered the best unemployed goalie in the world, so Canada grabbed him.

The Spengler Cup is the world's most prestigious club tournament aside from the Stanley Cup. The television rights for the tournament are second only to the Olympics in terms of international hockey exposure, and it has been carried in Canada by either TSN, SportsNet or The Score for the last several years. It's a great tournament, it will mark Doug Gilmour's coaching debut as he is one of Canada's assistant coaches, and the Leafs have lent the team Simon Gamache.

It's my favourite tournament of the year now that the Izvestia tournament is dead and gone.




The selectors are Hockey Canada. The same people that pick all of Canada's international teams. The GM for this team is Steve Yzerman.


Craig.............the host broadcaster for the Spengler claims they specialize in hockey.............but I agree with you, their video is lousy, and ofttimes so is the audio. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before but the final game was almost unwatchable because the cameraman couldn't keep up with the puck. Horrendous.


Bob - The Spengler and the Izvestia were more balanced, and they are/were team events. The calibre of hockey is obviously better as they are all professionals too.

I've seen too many blowouts at the World Juniors, plus I criss-crossed the country seeing those players play week in and week out. So, the novelty wasn't there for me. I always preferred the Memorial Cup anyway. A lot of times the young kids play with a wreckless abandon for that thing than the pros do for Stanley!

But then, as Brian Kilrea once told me....a junior star who becomes an NHL star has 15-20 years to win Stanley - he's only got 2-3 chances at a memorial Cup!

Answer 2

This might be a big deal if he was selected for the World Championships next spring, but this is the Spengler Cup. I mean, this is the same team that had Justin Pogge in goal last season, so it's not like he's displacing a superstar by volunteering.

Either way, I don't think the addition of Cujo will increase the ratings at all. This is very much a niche tournament in North America, and only the most hardcore among fans in Canada will watch. I enjoyed last year's tournament, but the broadcasts looked weird - does anyone else remember that? It was like watching a hockey game on video, not a live broadcast.

Answer 3

Cujo was selected because he's a great goalie...who's unemployed. The same thing happened to Pat Quinn last year.

Bob, Nothing wrong with the Spengler Cup. It's older than the Worlds.

Answer 4

First, this is the Spengler Cup we're talking about. It's about as prestigious as the Quebec Winter Carnival Peewee Tournament.
Second, I think it has as much to do with his experience in International play. He did backstop Canada to an IIHF championship a few years back and he also played in the Olympics.
And I think Curtis volunteered. He could still catch on in the NHL where a number of teams are short a goalie. This is his chance to show that he still has it.

Answer 5

Asked and answered. They are an old team too, averaging close to 32 or something in that neighborhood.

Did you hear the Mooseheads obtained Brad Marchand today?