Dave Feschuk: Canada´s crew of unwanteds blew their chance in semifinal loss to Germany
(The Star Canada)

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA—When Canadian Olympic GM Sean Burke introduced his team to the country last month, he laid out a narrative that suggested the national men’s item at the Games would be a lot of fun to follow.These were players, the Team Canada brain trust told us, who’d spent key moments in their careers being told “no.� These were the undrafteds and the unwanteds — the castoffs of the Canadian hockey factory. Yet because of the collective setbacks that made the NHL a non-option, these were also the unbreakables — honourable lovers of the game who’d persevered through Russian winters and Euro existences to anonymously pursue a passion.Now that Canada’s run at a third straight Olympic gold medal is over, we’ve come to find out there’s a damn good reason why many of these guys are mostly anonymous. After a 4-3 semifinal embarrassment at the hands of the not-so-mighty Germans, it’s probably only fair most of them stay that way. Legends aren’t made in bronze-medal games. Journeymen don’t morph into Olympic heroes by not showing up for the first 40 minutes of the biggest game of their lives. You don’t get points for effort when you dig yourself two three-goal deficits against the national team of a country that for decades clung to a 1976 bronze medal as its Olympic highpoint — until this Olympics.Read more:Russian athletes headed to Olympic men’s hockey final as goalie Koshechkin shuts out Czech RepublicU.S. beats Canada in shootout for women’s hockey gold. And they deserved itTeam approach lifts Canada past Finland into men’s hockey semifinals“Doesn’t matter who you’re playing,� said Andrew Ebbett, Canada’s Swiss-league winger. “You can’t win a game like that without playing 60 minutes.�If this Canadian team was hoping to entice its fellow citizens to make an emotional investment in their Olympic f ...