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Behind the Scenes: Choosing Canada's 2014 Olympic men's ice hockey team

Steve Yzerman, Peter Chiarelli, Ken Holland, and Mike Babcock talk about Sochi's Winter Olympic games and picking the right 25 players.
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Steve Yzerman talks about selecting the players for Canada's 2014 Olympic men's ice hockey team


On Tuesday, Steve Yzerman and his executive crew – including Kevin Lowe, Peter Chiarelli, Ken Holland, and head coach Mike Babcock – unveiled the roster for Canada's 2014 Olympic team, which heads to Sochi for the Winter Games in February.

There was controversy, sure. Surprises, perhaps. And a lot of happy phone calls. (Some sad ones, too.)

In the video above, go behind the scenes – even if it's just a little bit – with some of Canada's Olympic roundtable as they talk about selecting the right 25 players for Sochi's Games.

"Well, I'll tell you, being an Olympian's a dream come true," said Babcock, who will coach Canada in February and won gold in the same position in 2010, in Vancouver. "To have an opportunity to represent our great nation, I can't even explain it to you.

"It's a thrill... It's a once in a lifetime thing. I guess, for me, it's a twice in a lifetime thing."

Steve Yzerman

"We all sit there and we write down on paper, our team. And then you look back and you go, 'Oh my God, I forgot him.' And then you kind of readjust, well... today we can't pull the eraser out and change a name."

Peter Chiarelli

"You respect what everybody says at the end of the day. It's a decision you make and you have to be firm and you have to hold up to it."