Sunday, December 16, 2001
Backup plan is in place
By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Team Canada's last few cuts might live to fight another day in Salt Lake City.
Wayne Gretzky and his selection committee have one goaltender, two defencemen and three forwards in mind as replacements on the 23-man roster, should anything happen between now and the first game against Sweden on Valentine's Day. Mario Lemieux and Ryan Smyth are already in the doubtful category and there are two months of a condensed National Hockey League schedule for the 23 to get through.
"We will be notifying some (extra) players soon," Gretzky said, after completing congratulatory calls to the 15 men named yesterday to join the original eight.
The shadow cabinet is expected to include goaltender Sean Burke, defenceman Derek Morris and forwards such as Joe Thornton. Most of the players will have gone to the orientation camp in Calgary during the first week of September.
"The reason I don't want to (name) the other five guys right now is that if somebody says no I don't want them to be embarrassed publicly that they've turned it down," Gretzky explained. "There might be some guys who say, 'I should have been part of the first 23. I don't want to do it.'
TOUGH DECISION
"I'll call the five guys and if they say no we've got other guys we've slotted in. I'm sure all five will be comfortable. If they're not, nobody has to know."
Kevin Lowe, assistant managing director of Team Canada, said Friday's 90-minute, final selection meeting came down to nine players for three different positions. He mentioned a particularly tough decision with defencemen Derek Morris and Wade Redden, both eventually left off the list, in favour of surprise pick Ed Jovanovski.
"Unfortunately, we had to cut it off somewhere," Lowe said.
"There was a lot of debate, but we all got along remarkably well (on the committee)."
Morris took the news in stride.
"I'm not mad or anything," he told The Calgary Sun. "I'm excited for (the Canadian) team. They've got a good team. Hopefully down the road, I'll get a chance to do it."
Lowe said the players who were chosen took a greater interest in the selection process compared to the first group of NHLers who went to Nagano, Japan, in the 1998 Games.
"We had guys who were taking their cell phones right to the (bench) today at the morning skate in case they got called," Lowe said.
-- With files from Sun Media
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
