The Red Wings are the obvious choice, and with good reason.

In a funny way, the frequency of disappointment in Detroit is a sure sign of how good this team has been.

The Wings have been on the wrong end of some huge playoff upsets. Their recent opening-round flops include 2001 (to Los Angeles), 2003 (Anaheim), and 2006 (Edmonton).

When you're a championship contender every year, an occasional stunning defeat is inevitable.

Don't feel too badly for Detroit fans. Their decade also included three trips to the Stanley Cup Final and a pair of championships.

Going back to the turn of the century, no other franchise comes close to matching the Wings' 82-game consistency, or the frequency with which they followed it up in May and June.

See also:
Detroit Red Wings Franchise Profile
The Story of the Detroit Octopus
Origin of Detroit's "Winged Wheel" Logo

Photo: Goaltender Dominik Hasek contemplates a Red Wings tradition during the 2002 Stanley Cup Final. (Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Until now, Ryan Malone was outside looking in. But 10 goals in 15 games cannot be ignored, so he's the latest addition to our projected Team USA men's Olympic roster.

Now that he's healthy and playing again, Joe Pavelski also makes the cut.

Meanwhile, Mike Komisarek has played his way off the team, and David Booth is a concussion casualty until further notice.

With so many quality American players emerging these days, the management group is facing some youth-versus-experience decisions. Just how young should this team be?

The team will be named on New Year's Day, during the NHL's annual Winter Classic game.

(Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Based on early returns from this NHL season, we've revisited our projected Team Canada men's Olympic roster.

Among the latest changes: welcome aboard, Martin St. Louis (pictured) and Patrick Marleau.

Simon Gagne's surgery puts an end to his chances, and Vincent Lecavalier has played his way out of a job.

The team will be named on New Year's Eve.

Belarus: December 23
Russia: December 25
Sweden: December 27
Latvia: December 29
Norway: December 29
Slovakia: December 29
Czech Republic: December 30
Finland: December 30
Germany: December 30
Switzerland: December 30
Canada: December 31
USA: January 1

(Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

I never thought I'd be arguing this, but maybe it's time to put some legal interference into the rulebook.
- Elliotte Friedman, CBC.ca

"There are more high-impact collisions due to a faster game... collisions in the NHL have never been this huge."
- Pierre McGuire, TSN.ca

It's been said that journalists follow stories like birds on a wire. If one leaves, they all leave. If one comes back, they all come back.

The McGuire and Friedman comments appeared this week, with columnist Eric Duhatschek making similar noises.

A few days earlier, it was ex-player Bill Berg raising the "speed" issue on the NHL Network, a day after it was discussed on HNIC Radio.

All reached the same conclusion:

Without holding and hooking, hockey players are out of control, charging into each other like runaway freight trains.

It's a convenient blanket argument - Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray is convinced - but it doesn't hold up.

The hit that caused David Booth's concussion had some speed behind it.

But Darcy Tucker was a victim of plain, old dirty hockey. Willie Mitchell was gliding from the penalty box when he leveled Jonathan Toews.

And names like Eric Lindros and Pat Lafontaine are a reminder that brain-rattling hits have been around much longer than today's speedier brand of hockey.

If head shots are the problem, more hooking isn't the solution.

As for the recent spurt of other injuries, we've seen it before.

Hockey's a rough game. Sometimes injuries come in bunches.

The current cluster is making headlines only because it includes so many star players.

Until someone finds a prolonged spike in the numbers, there's no trend, and no reason to slow the game down.

(Photo: Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)