I think I did the same thing.

We all remember where we were that fateful February evening in 2010.

I was in the living room of my student rental in Guelph. I vividly recall sharing stunned disappointment with 5 of my best friends watching Zach Parise take the Gold Medal Game to overtime with a scrappy, dirty goal as the clock wound down.

More so, though, I remember the pure, unparalleled elation that followed a short time later. The “Iggy!” cry. The 5-hole squeeze by Ryan Miller that was just a touch too slow. The Sidney Crosby corner jump, crowd-screaming, gloves-flying celebration that comes with a victory of that calibre. A joy that only comes along once in a while. We were the best. And there’s no better feeling than being the best.

In 2002, when Canada ended its 52 year gold-less drought, my Grandpa and I took to the streets of downtown Kitchener. I waved a huge Canadian flag out the passenger window while we sat in a slow parade of King St. traffic, soaking it all in. It was amazing. One of my favourite childhood memories.

Naturally, we recreated the feeling again in 2010. Downtown Guelph was buzzing, justifiably so. We broke the horn on my old ’97 Monte Carlo, whaling on it while people screamed and cheered on the sidewalks and in the bars.

To say that the Olympics are just another hockey tournament would be a massive understatement. It’s easy to see just how big a deal it is, not only for the players but for the entire country. Winning those 2 hockey games did arguably more for our nation’s psyche than any other event over the past 11 years.

It goes without saying then, that the team in charge of selecting the upcoming 2014 Olympic hockey roster has their work cut out for them. Pressure? Yeah, they’ve got a ton of it. And unlike any other hockey team, this one has 33 million fans expecting them to win. Hardly a cakewalk with the hockey world as competitive as ever.

So, given that I have no pressure to include, or not include whoever I want, I thought I’d put together my own team. Just for fun, here’s a look at my picks for the upcoming 2014 Sochi roster:

Forwards

Not too many remain from the team that took home the gold in 2010. Some ageing players from that team are no longer in their prime, and while still beyond serviceable in the NHL, aren’t as mobile as in years past. With the international tournament being played on the larger ice surface used overseas, that speed and agility is paramount when competing with the European teams (See: Miracle). This means the likes of Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Pat Marleau don’t crack my roster. This opens room for a couple young players with a pedigree of World Junior Championship success. This is what I project the lines to look like:

Steven Stamkos- Sidney Crosby- Martin St. Louis

Claude Giroux- Jonathan Toews- Patrick Sharp

Corey Perry- Eric Staal- James Neal

Taylor Hall-John Tavares- Jordan Eberle

Patrice Bergeron

The kid line of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and John Tavares has the chance to be a difference maker in the tournament. They’ve piled up points and been clutch on the international stage for Canada before. The Perry-Staal-Neal line is very much a puck-possession line. It features 2 sizey, prolific goal-scorers centred by another big guy with tremendous vision. I had Rick Nash in Neal’s spot, but decided that if coming through under pressure mattered, Neal’s successes of late far trump those of Nash.

The top two lines both feature elite skill and scoring prowess. The second-line features 3 versatile guys who can put up points while being strong in their own zone. The first? Well, between them they have 3 Art Ross trophies (Most Points), 3 Rocket Richard trophies (Most Goals) and is simply a combination of the 3 best players in the NHL last season. Hands down.

The forward units aren’t structured like the NHL clubs. The players are all elite-level talents, no grinders or enforcers to be found. Even Patrice Bergeron in the 13th spot is capable. Though he finds himself in the same “extra man” role he played in 2010, expect big things from him as he can jump into any spot in the lineup if the need arises.

Defence

Canada has always been known as a strong defensive team. Even in 1998 in Nagano, when Canada didn’t medal, the team featured 6 of the 7 best Canadian defencemen of the last 20 years. Consider though, that with the game being played on larger ice, even a D corps featuring Rob Blake, Ray Bourque, Adam Foote, Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens in their prime would be scrambling to keep up. These are my picks to fill the 7 back-end spots:

Shea Weber- Kris Letang

Alex Pietrangelo- Drew Doughty

Duncan Keith- Brent Seabrook

Pernell Karl Subban

There are some fantastic skaters in this mix, to say the least. I’d deem Seabrook and Weber the least mobile of the set, and even then, it’s hardly a drawback. Every single one of these guys can play on both sides of the puck, and when the latest Norris winner is the 7th-best defenceman on your team, you’re in pretty good shape.

Goaltending

This one’s pretty easy. I get to pick 3 of maybe a half-dozen or so potential candidates, only 2 of which are really standouts.

Roberto Luongo

Carey Price

Corey Crawford

Seen as Canada’s most glaring weakness, let’s just remember that we won gold with Roberto Luongo last time around as well. Granted, it may have been as much in spite of him as was because of him, the fact remains that his performance was…sufficient. We’ll go with that.

Luongo figures to be Canada’s game 1 starter, with Carey Price the clear-cut #2 option, if not a solid 1B. These two guys are essentially locks to make the team. The third spot is up in the air between 3 other goalies: Mike Smith, Corey Crawford, and Braden Holtby; who you figure might’ve made the cut as Marc-Andre Fleury played his way out of a spot in the last two post-seasons. I give the nod to Crawford based on the stellar numbers he put up this season, backstopping the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup. Plus, if we win, we might get the chance to hear another one of his off-colour parade speeches. And wouldn’t it be glorious. All we have to do now is win the thing.

Note: If I’m way off base, let me know in a tweet or comment. For another opinion, check out my pal Brandon Decoppel’s (@bdecoppel) Team Canada roster: http://bdecoppel.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/sochi-14-my-team-canada-roster/