Thursday, February 14, 2002
Mario ready to lead golden quest
Former NHL GM isn't convinced Lemieux can carry our hopes
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Team Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- Only hours after Captain Canada arrived at the Olympics last night, Mario Lemieux' ability to carry the country to gold was called into question.
With Team Canada set to play its opener tomorrow against Sweden at the E Center, Lemieux came under attack from San Jose Sharks senior pro scout John Ferguson, a former NHL GM and Montreal Canadiens enforcer, in an interview.
Speaking from his home in Windsor, Ferguson, who is recovering from a heart procedure, said he doesn't believe Lemieux has enough gas left in the tank to be the go-to-guy for Canada in a short tournament.
Instead, he believes players like Paul Kariya and Joe Sakic, and defencemen Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis, are going to end up being the stars of the show for Canada as it bids to end a 50-year Olympic gold drought.
"All you had to do was look at the game in Ottawa (a 5-1 Pittsburgh loss Tuesday) to see that he's not the same type of player that he was," said Ferguson. "He hasn't lit up the NHL the way he has in the past.
"The only reason he was named captain of that team is because of his name. He's just not the same player he was in the past and I think that it's too much to just expect him to lift his game to another level for two weeks ... especially on that big ice surface. That's just my opinion."
Ferguson still believes Canada can do well.
"I still think the country can win gold, but they're going to have to rely on guys like Paul Kariya and Joe Sakic to carry the torch," said Ferguson, adding "I thought they should have found room for Joe Thornton."
Though the production hasn't been there, Lemieux is still driven to win. It was a thrill to win two Stanley Cups with the Penguins, but Lemieux told a French reporter an Olympic gold medal could mean just as much to him.
He said the three biggest thrills of his career are the Cups and the Canada Cup victory in 1987, when he scored the winning goal on a pass from Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux has no problem with the pressure he's feeling to perform strongly at these Games.
"(Pressure) is something over the years that I've always welcomed," said Lemieux. "When I play under pressure, it seems to bring the (best) out of me. When there's a lot on the line, it's something I enjoy and want to be a part of. I don't shy away from it.
"We all know the pressure we have here in the next 10 days and if you're not able to play under pressure, you should stay home and watch it on (TV). We're all professionals here. We all know what's at stake and we all have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We're ready and we all think we have a real good chance to win the gold here for the first time in 50 years."
Lemieux, 36, hasn't had the kind of NHL season anybody expected because he has been troubled by a sore hip. But he made it clear his priority has been the Olympics.
"I've been thinking about the Olympics for a little while and that's why I skipped games this year, to make sure that I had the chance to play in the Olympics," said Lemieux.
"Now that I'm here, I can concentrate for the next 10 days. I'm really looking forward to giving everything I have to bring back the gold medal for Canada. Getting that done would be special to me."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
