Lidstrom Says: "I'm Done with Olympics"

[Guest Crymson]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Nicklas Lidstrom, one of the most accomplished defensemen in hockey history, says his Olympics career for Sweden is over.

The 39-year-old, six-time Norris Trophy winner with the Detroit Red Wings said: “I’m not going to be a part of any more Olympics.â€

Sweden was upset by Slovakia, 4-3, late Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Vancouver Games.

Lidstrom is one of six players who are 31 or older on the Swedish team that was the defending Olympics champion.

It really stuck out to me that Lidstrom spoke so succinctly; that isn't like him. My suspicion is that this comment came less from any look at his future than from a quiet irateness about the coaching. From the arrogance inherent in how the coach ran things on the ice, I imagine he probably completely ignored the input of everyone on the team---including Lidstrom, one of the better leaders and defensemen ever to play the game.

This coach was a total tool. What a moron.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

Well, I'd have to imagine that in 4 years Lidstrom will be retired, so this is no real surprise, but I do agree that this is out of character for Lidstrom to say so succinctly.

[titanium2 867]

This coach was a total tool. What a moron.

I'm surprised there aren't more LGWers from Sweden talking about what happened with the coaching. The Swedish press has to be saying something about BAG.

[Original-Six 254]

i loled, but really its not a surprise. I highly doubt he will try to pull a Chris Chelios.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Original-Six

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I doubt he'd be playing in 4 years anyway, so its not really a suprise.

[KrazyGangsta 79]

I doubt he'd be playing in 4 years anyway, so its not really a suprise.

Agreed !!!

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

I'd want to retire too if I got owned by Kopecky.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

I'd want to retire too if I got owned by Kopecky.

[Trapt1307 81]

He's 39. I'll be surprised if he's playing in two years let alone four.

[Systemfel 33]

Really? He's not going to sign a four-year extension and aim for Sochi?

[Yellowknife Redwing 57]

The criticism for adding a 43-year-old Lidstrom to Tre Kronor's 2014 incarnation couldn't be much worse than that of having Fredrik Modin on the 2010 roster, could it? Part of me wants to buy into the theory that this is somehow a dig at the Swedish coaching staff, but chances are Nick simply has no intention of playing pro hockey for another 4 years.

[55fan 5,133]

At least he didn't say they could go f*** themselves.

[Yellowknife Redwing 57]

At least he didn't say they could go f*** themselves.

I think we all know who got the last laugh in that situation. One of these days Sammy is going to have to kick his feet up, enjoy a fine cigar and bask in the year that the Red Wings and Tre Kronor have experienced in his absence.

[Electrophile 3,554]

At least he didn't say they could go f*** themselves.

I'd love to hear Nick in an uncensored, unguarded moment.

[Guest Crymson]

I think we all know who got the last laugh in that situation. One of these days Sammy is going to have to kick his feet up, enjoy a fine cigar and bask in the year that the Red Wings and Tre Kronor have experienced in his absence.

With BAG's coaching job, rest assured that Samuelsson would have made absolutely no difference.

[FunkedUp 29]

I think Lidstrom will sign a 1 year deal, then go play a year in Sweden, then retire. For some reason, I'm expecting him to play another season as a wing.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

I'd love to hear Nick in an uncensored, unguarded moment.

Does he have those?

[Pepist 3]

I'm surprised there aren't more LGWers from Sweden talking about what happened with the coaching. The Swedish press has to be saying something about BAG.

I posted some things that were said in the GDT. We all knew what they were going to say, but here goes anyway:

After two quick and fairly fluky goals in 37 secs Slovakia pulls the whole team behind the red line. It is impossible to play through. Sweden comes back in another 37 secs, but continues to try to play through the mid zone and consequently gives up yet another goal on the counter-attack. Coaching change? Dump and chase maybe? Use Z, Backstrom, Sedins, Foppa, Franzen, Alfredsson down low, put some pressure on? Nope. No change whole game. Another goal is given up, in exactly the same way. Everyone agreed, even during the game, that Sweden should have changed tactics after the first two goals to dump and chase since Sweden, frankly, had superior players, and especially and significantly many experts at cycling down low. Which leads us to..

.. Only Weinhandl had less TOI than the Sedins among forwards in this game (a whooping 8 mins through the first two periods). Is it just me, or is Henrik Sedin second in league scoring? Let's not play him. BAG defended this by saying that shifts are different, some longer some shorter. But Daniel's and Henrik's shifts were no longer or shorter than anyone else's. Only fewer. They had only 16 shifts each. The Sedins were possibly Sweden's best players at cycling in the offensive zone.

Last minutes. After a good shift by the Sedins and Foppa in the last two minutes, the final shift and push is given to defensive center Sammy Pahlsson, Tallinder and, yes, Weinhandl (the guy they played the least the whole game). Honestly, what was BAG thinking here?

After the game one of the disappointed pundits basically said, this is unforgivable. Sweden plays an aging Slovakian team whose best players were in their prime in 2002. They have defenders ('Drako or whatever their names are') that wouldn't hack it in Rögle (second tier Swedish league). Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, Sweden should win this game.

Yeah.

[Guest mindfly]

I'm surprised there aren't more LGWers from Sweden talking about what happened with the coaching. The Swedish press has to be saying something about BAG.

What? We've been screaming it out loud all the time

When asked about Pahlsson being on the ice in the final minute of the game BAG replied: "I wanted someone in front of the net"... uhm... why not franzen?

Edited February 26, 2010 by mindfly

[FinWing 26]

He's 39. I'll be surprised if he's playing in two years let alone four.

This.

Swedish media have probably eaten the team alive by now.

[egroen 384]

What? We've been screaming it out loud all the time

When asked about Pahlsson being on the ice in the final minute of the game BAG replied: "I wanted someone in front of the net"... uhm... why not franzen?

Yeah, I couldn't believe who was on the ice at the end of a tight game like that.

[Guest micah]

His coach sucked, true - but he played like crap, was made a fool of more than once by inferior players, and isn't getting any better. Few men would want to come back in that situation. He was an elite Dman, as good as any that ever played - but those days have past. Better to retire and enjoy listening to sportscasters say "remember how great Lidstrom was?" than to keep playing and every time you're caught out of position have the sportsacaster say "remeber how great Lidstrom was?"

He won't play in 4 years because he won't be good enough in 4 years.

[9-HoweFan 2]

It really stuck out to me that Lidstrom spoke so succinctly; that isn't like him. My suspicion is that this comment came less from any look at his future than from a quiet irateness about the coaching. From the arrogance inherent in how the coach ran things on the ice, I imagine he probably completely ignored the input of everyone on the team---including Lidstrom, one of the better leaders and defensemen ever to play the game.

This coach was a total tool. What a moron.

That would be the only reason for Lidstrom to say anything about "done". It's not like him to everstate the obvious, considering he'd be 43 next olympics.

[titanium2 867]

What? We've been screaming it out loud all the time

When asked about Pahlsson being on the ice in the final minute of the game BAG replied: "I wanted someone in front of the net"... uhm... why not franzen?

Well yeah I know you, Dat's sick and Pepist have said their opinions on BAG but I'm just surprised there aren't more Swedish fans on here like that. I mean, the press in Sweden has to be tearing him up good.

[Finnish Wing 110]

BAG just wanted to screw it up. Just to annoy everyone. He's a good coach.