Thursday, February 7, 2002
Peca set for a run at Olympic glory
By MIKE ZEISBERGER -- Toronto Sun
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Fifty kilometres east of Manhattan, where the sports talk shows are infested with bitter callers carving the foundering New York Knicks, the hype back home concerning the Canadian Olympic team is foreign to Michael Peca.
Here in this affluent bedroom community of the Big Apple, there are no debates whether Joe Thornton should be on the squad. No commercials in which Olympic hockey fans carry big ol' cans of whup-ass. No talk radio chatter debating whether Martin Brodeur, who plays for the nearby New Jersey Devils, should be the starting goaltender for Team Canada.
But for Peca, who grew up in Brampton, just pulling on that red-and-white jersey in eight days when Canada opens up the tournament against Sweden will be motivation enough.
"I have an idea what's going on up there (in Canada) with the anticipation and excitement, but I'm probably underestimating it," the New York Islanders captain said last night.
"When I talk to my family, they're just excited about going to Salt Lake. And believe me, so am I."
Talent aside, Peca's heart was the quality that proved to be so alluring for Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky and coach Pat Quinn when it came time to decide the makeup of the roster.
In retrospect, one defining moment during the world hockey championship last spring in Germany should have been proof enough that he belonged. Peca suffered a broken cheekbone against Russia that knocked him out of the tournament -- but not before he scored at the end of that shift.
"When I got hit, a nerve in my face went numb so there wasn't a lot of pain," he said. "I told the doctor I thought I broke my cheekbone. He didn't think so but, near the end of the game, my face practically blew up."
Peca's appearance in that tournament marked his return to competitive play after sitting out the 2000-01 NHL season because of a messy contract dispute with the Buffalo Sabres. After being traded to the Isles this past off-season, he was named captain and has been the key cog in the team's resurgence.
Through it all, his Olympic dream continued to burn.
"When (Team Canada executive) Kevin Lowe called me to tell me I made the team, I recognized his voice but I didn't know how to react. I didn't know whether to scream or be cool. I think it ended up being somewhere in between.
"I have an idea what my role will be. In these tourneys, guys will accept anything. Having said that, I don't think Mario (Lemieux) will be asked to check the opposition's top lines.
"I do know there is not one player who will be happy with anything less than gold."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
