PerhaPs not since 1972, when canada faced the hated russians in the historic eight-game summit series and an entire nation stood still for a month, has there been quite the same level of expectation for our national hockey heroes.

You recall what happened in 1972, when virtually the best NHL players Canada could assemble played a team of socalled amateurs from the Soviet Union. It was supposed to be a romp for Canada, but it instead was a nail biter of a series in which Canada had to win the final three games in Russia to prevail. Only one result that was acceptable and that was winning, no matter how close the series.

Canadian fans will carry the same hopes and expectations in February when the NHL shuts down its season for a fortnight and sends its best players to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Once again for Team Canada there will only be one acceptable result. We expect out team to be golden, as they were in 2002 in Salt Lake City. Nothing else is good enough, like the forgettable seventh-place finish in 2006 in Torino, Italy.

Whether Team Canada is up to the task remains to be seen, of course. There will be some familiar faces in the lineup, but also a decidedly new look to the team

- and not just the sweaters they will be wearing!

Needless to say, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby will be the kingpin on the Canadian team. He could be joined by a cast of other first-time Olympians.

Rosters don’t have to be submitted until December 31, so there is plenty of time for Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman and his staff to make up their minds.

The first few months of the NHL season will be important to many of the 45 players who attended an orientation session in Calgary in August. That group of 45 included five goaltenders, 16 defencemen and 24 forwards. While players such as goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo, defencemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, and forwards Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier are virtually guaranteed spots based on their talent and experience, there could be some new blood playing its way onto the 23-man roster.

Youngsters such as Marc-André Fleury, Steve Mason and Cam Ward are vying for a goaltending position. On the blue line, the likes of Jay Bouwmeester, Drew Doughty, Mike Green and Duncan Keith are looking to earn a spot. Up front Iginla, Lecavalier, Dany Heatley, Ryan Smyth and Shane Doan all have a wealth of experience and should make the squad, but the likes of Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Carter, Eric Staal and Jonathan Toews are sure to find their way into the mix as well.

One of the main challenges for Yzerman, Mike Babcock and the coaching staff will be deciding on the forwards.

Canada has a ton of natural centres, many of whom will have to play on the wing during the tournament, not always an easy adjustment.

Whoever the 23 players selected to the final roster are, they will be good. And the selections will be hotly debated and second-guessed depending how the tournament unfolds. Back when he first announced the initial 45-player guest list, Yzerman said the team would not be selected solely on points production. Rather he and Babcock were looking for a mix of skill and determination in players who could handle the pressure of the Olympics.

“Hockey sense is important; skating ability is important - plus competitiveness, versatility and guys that are responsible players,” said Yzerman.

As good as Canada will be, the competition is going to be fierce.The Americans, for instance, are a team in transition, with grey-beards such as Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Bill Geurin and Keith Tkachuk no longer in the picture. There is a new, younger guard taking over, led by the likes of Patrick Kane, Zach Parise (whose dad played for Canada in 1972) and Phil Kessel. Team USA may not be a leading contender, but they will still be tough.

Defending Olympic champions Sweden will again be good. They are exceptional at the back end with Henrik Lundqvist in goal and Nicklas Lidstrom on defence. Up front they have the Sedin twins along with Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Backstrom and Johan Franzen.

Finland, which won silver in 2006, and the Czech Republic, which won bronze, will also be tough.

Perhaps the biggest threat to Canada in the tournament will be the Russians, who have incredible firepower with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk. Their defence is also very solid, led by Andrei Markov, and Evgeni Nabokov will likely be their starting goaltender.

When it is all said and done, Canada just might have to pull off another historic win over the Russians to bring home the gold on home ice.