Friday, February 22, 2002
Little country that could
By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Jarome Iginla admits he couldn't point out Belarus on a map.
Nor could Theo Fleury.
In fact, the only thing Wayne Gretzky knows about Belarus he learned from the media yesterday.
"I know my grandfather is from there -- I just found that out," laughed Gretzky.
Puzzled by a question early in the press conference inquiring about his grandfather's homeland, Gretzky informed the media Anthony Gretzky had immigrated from White Russia in 1917.
When told such a country was now known as Belarus, he was dumbfounded.
"I didn't know there was a difference," he shrugged. "See, I'm learning too."
Like Gretzky, the Canadian squad has tried hard over the last 24 hours to soak up as much information as possible about its semifinal opponents who upset Sweden just a week after qualifying for the tourney. Canada plays Belarus today at noon.
"I know I was cheering for them when we watched the (quarter-final) game in our dorm," said Iginla of his limited knowledge.
"We haven't really seen any of them so I guess we'll try to concentrate more on ourselves.
"It was fun to see them pull off the upset but I hope it stops there."
Improving steadily following a shaky opening to the tourney, Canada has adjusted well to the large ice and the international rules to put itself in a position it couldn't have planned any better.
Facing a team with only one NHLer on it (Ruslan Salei), Canada should easily be able to overpower a squad that has little more than a hot goaltender and a four-man defensive system to prevent a blowout.
"Everything is single elimination and it started (against Finland)," said Team Canada defenceman Rob Blake. "They knocked off a pretty good team by beating Sweden and you don't want to give them a chance.
"Belarus didn't get a lot of shots on net, but they took advantage of the chances they did get. We have to be ready."
Fleury took Blake's we-can't take-them-lightly stance a comical step farther.
"We're the underdogs," said Fleury with a relatively straight face. "We lost to the Swedes and they beat Sweden. Everybody has considered us underdogs after the way we played the first game and that's the way we like it so we're going to go with it.
"Those guys are loose and they have nothing to lose, especially with their goalie playing so well," he said, referring to Belarus netminder Andrei Mezin, who stole the show Wednesday against Sweden in the 4-3 upset.
Curtis Joseph suggested the rare unfamiliarity with their opponents could pose a few problems but Gretzky disagreed.
"Somebody told me they had they flights booked and trucks ready after the game," said Gretzky.
"It was shocking they won. In 1998, after the first four games, they were saying we were the best Canadian team ever and before we knew it we were on our way home.
"This (Canadian) team is taking a different route by a long shot but we're still here and finding a way to win and move along."
Kind of like the Belarussians.
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2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
