Mike Brophy

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday on Sportsnet.ca and appears regularly on Hockeycentral.

Steven Stamkos is tied for fifth among NHL goal-scorers.

It isn't fare to judge a team before it even has the opportunity to play.

And who knows, playing before a home audience, the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team may sweep right through the Vancouver tournament this month and the men who put the team together will be anointed as geniuses.

But, if for some reason the team has trouble scoring, you just know there will be plenty of questions about the failure to include Steven Stamkos on the club. Stamkos, who turned 20 on Sunday, is tied for fifth in NHL goal-scoring with 32, the same number as Dany Heatley of the San Jose Sharks, although he has played in one fewer game. He is a supremely-skilled young man with a nose for the net like few others.

There seems to be a reluctance on the part of Hockey Canada to include young budding stars on the Olympic team. Four years ago, even though he was being praised as the best young player in the world, Sidney Crosby was not included on the team that had trouble finding the net in finishing a very disappointing seventh.

Maybe because Canada boasts so much depth, there is a tendency to over think certain situations. Depth can be a luxury, but it can also be a curse. When you look at the number of quality forwards available to play for Team Canada, it is easy to understand the organizers of the team looking at Stamkos' youth and inexperience and opting to go for older players.

But what other country would snub the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft? Only in Canada you say? Pity.

In retrospect, it is a joke that Crosby was not on the 2006 team. Canada scored a measly 14 goals in five games and nobody had more than two goals. Vinny Lecavalier, who didn't make this year's team, Rick Nash, Ryan Smyth and Todd Bertuzzi had no goals.

Ryan Getzlaf suffered a sprained ankle Monday night and may not be available to play in the Olympics which could open the door for Stamkos or Lecavalier. But if either Lightning forward is added due to unfortunate injury, Canadians will simply have to keep their fingers crossed that Stamkos wasn't needed.

Bye bye Bob: A few years ago it seemed like Bob Gainey had positioned the Montreal Canadiens to be a Stanley Cup contender for years to come. He had a host of young developing players who looked like they would keep the Habs near the top of the standings for years, but sadly that has not been the case.

Now, two years after the Canadiens finished third overall with 104 points, this team is not a lock to even make the playoffs. There have been numerous roster changes in two years, some good, but too many bad, and the promise the team showed has all but disappeared.

Quiet and reserved, Gainey takes a lot of pride in his ability to succeed and clearly the way the team is playing is not up to his standards so he'll turn the job of running the NHL's most-prized franchise over to somebody else.

You have to believe losing his 25-year-old daughter, Laura, in a tragic accident at sea when she was swept overboard in Dec. of 2006 has affected his ability to operate as an effective NHL executive.

It is no secret that I questioned Gainey's decision to let three highly-regarded defencemen walk as unrestricted free agents with his team getting nothing in return for those valuable assets. Also, I wasn't crazy about the acquisition of high-priced Scott Gomez who gives the Canadiens very little bang for the buck. But the inability to turn the Canadiens into champions in 2010 in no way diminishes his status as one of the greatest men I have ever met in the game.

Having known Bob for many years, I hope he is able to find peace in his life.