Tuesday, December 18, 2001
Canada is equipped
Gretzky's picks make perfect sense
By AL STRACHAN -- Toronto Sun
In the aftermath of the selection of Team Canada for the 2002 Olympics, there were very few complaints.
Sure, some TV critics complained about the lack of criticism, but such is the nature of TV critics. They want everyone to follow the credo to which they themselves adhere to -- if you can't find something genuine to complain about, complain anyway.
Still, there were a few questions, as is inevitable. All weekend long, wherever the subject of hockey was raised -- which was pretty well everywhere in Canada -- there were some minor disagreements with the team.
Every objection had its counter-argument. Here, in no particular order, are some of the questions and answers:
Why Ed Jovanovski over Wade Redden or Derek Morris? This was a razor-thin decision. The organizers would have been happy with any one of the three, but only one spot remained open.
All three are young, have offensive skills, and are sound defensively. The factor which gave Jovanovksi an ever-so-slight margin was the fact that he has an edge to him.
Even though the Olympics won't be unduly physical, there will certainly be battles in front of the net, and the opponents -- almost all of whom will be NHLers -- know that it's never wise to try to take liberties with Jovanovski. It's not a huge factor, but this decision was so tight that it swung the balance.
Why Joe Nieuwendyk instead of Joe Thornton or Anson Carter?
Again, it was a close decision, but the organizers want a true hockey team, not an all-star team.
Nieuwendyk is highly versatile, knows his teammates well and has superb hands. Also, he has a reputation of coming through in pressure-packed games.
Furthermore, Canada wants to play a puck-possession game and Nieuwendyk's passes are invariably right on the mark.
This team has a lot of veterans. Why not make a move towards youth?
The pressure in the Olympics is often understated, but it's as great as any seventh game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The organizers wanted to make sure that the people they select can handle that pressure.
Players like Carter, Alex Tanguay, Thornton and Jeff O'Neill are unknown quantities in that regard.
In fact, Thornton has a reputation for taking stupid penalties. On pure talent, he's probably better than some of the players selected, but there was a concern about his discipline.
In a single-game elimination series, discipline has to be of the highest calibre. One power-play goal can make the difference between elimination and the gold medal.
Again, it boils down to the team concept as opposed to the all-star concept.
Why not include a goalie of the future like Jose Theodore or Roberto Luongo to give him exposure to the Olympics?
That was the original plan, but in the end, the organizers felt they had to conform to the one over-riding principle that they used as the basis for the whole selection process.
That was, as executive director Wayne Gretzky said, "Just take the best players."
Curtis Joseph, Ed Belfour and Martin Brodeur have proven themselves over long careers and while the youngsters have had some brilliant moments this season, the veterans are a much safer bet.
Even though the third goalie isn't likely to play, anything can happen. The organizers want to make sure that they can be as totally prepared as is humanly possible. And that means having the three best available goalies of today, not setting the table for tomorrow.
Lots of adversities can befall goalies, from injuries to food poisoning. Imagine the fuss if the gold medal were to be lost on a shootout with Luongo or Theodore in the net. Even if it wasn't the goalie's fault, fans would be outraged that the nation had to rely on a youngster in such a crucial situation.
Why not a net-crasher like Keith Primeau, who played so well in Nagano?
The Canadians have a net-crashing line if they want it in Eric Lindros, Owen Nolan and Jarome Iginla. They also can use Ryan Smyth in that capacity.
One of the attributes of the Canadian team is its ability to play any style. The game against the Americans will probably be physical. The Czechs are highly skilled and positionally sound. The Swedes play a smothering trap or their torpedo format. The Russians will throw caution to the winds.
No matter what the opposition produces, Canada is equipped to counter. It is a team for all occasions and, in the long run, it has to be judged as a whole, not part by part.
2002 Games Columnists
