Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Canada's Great choice
Gretzky the right man to lead Olympic charge
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Team Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Great One was the right one for Team Canada from the start.
When he was looking for somebody to lead Team Canada's entry into the 2002 Winter Olympics, Canadian Hockey president Bob Nicholson didn't look much past Wayne Gretzky after a day-long meeting in Los Angeles 18 months ago.
There were other qualified candidates who wanted a chance, but when Nicholson looked at his list of names, he couldn't find anybody who'd be better to lead the team off the ice than a player who was prolific on the ice.
That's why it was so easy to select Gretzky for the job as executive director for Team Canada. He's been hockey's greatest ambassador and when he speaks, everybody listens and his opinion is well respected.
"Coming out of Nagano in my debriefing with (1998 GM) Bobby Clarke, the one thing he really recommended to me was that I get Wayne Gretzky involved in some way, shape or form. (Clarke) thought it was a good idea," said Nicholson.
"There were a number of quality people available, but Wayne was the first guy I spoke with. I knew five minutes into our conversation that he was the right guy for the job. I met with him (in Los Angeles) and he told me he'd just be honoured to be involved."
Since accepting the position, Gretzky has been involved every step of the way for Team Canada and he'll stay that way through the tournament. He wants to make sure everything is in place when the majority of Canadian players start arriving here tomorrow.
Nicholson says Gretzky is a man who pays attention to detail and he's tried to create the perfect environment for success.
"I chuckle to myself when people say I hired this guy to be a figurehead," said Nicholson. "That makes me laugh because I know right now he's downstairs in the dressing room, checking to make sure where every picture is going to hang and making sure everything looks the way he wants. He has left no stone unturned. The one thing about Wayne Gretzky is he's always three steps ahead of everybody."
Still, the question in the public's mind is: If Wayne Gretzky can't build a winner for Team Canada, then ...
"Who can?" asked Nicholson. "There's pressure on him, but there's pressure on everybody. But we think we've selected the right people and we've changed our philosophy to go with skill over role players.
"These guys want to play for their country. We know it's a tough competition, but I think it's the Canadian way for people to step up and get the job done."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
