Saturday, September 8, 2001
Hard to stop speculation
Netminders do their best to deflect the one obvious question: Who's No. 1
By JEAN LEFEBVRE -- Calgary Sun
It's either a windfall or a conundrum.
It's a process that can alternately be likened to shooting fish in a barrel or choosing to perish by the noose or firing squad.
There isn't a wrong answer when selecting a) Ed Belfour, b) Martin Brodeur, c) Curtis Joseph or d) Patrick Roy to guard the Canadian cage for the critical games of the Salt Lake City Olympics.
Executive director Wayne Gretzky, right-hand man Kevin Lowe and the coaching staff of Pat Quinn and assistants Ken Hitchcock and Jacques Martin have treaded softly when it comes to the goalie issue. The fact Quinn's and Hitchcock's main men (Joseph and Belfour respectively) are in the mix makes the issue even more delicate.
Canadian officials have thus far skirted the question by excluding netminders on the list of eight early entries for the Olympic roster that was submitted earlier this year to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
"One of the reasons we stayed away from pinpointing one guy right off the bat is because we know it was a difficult decision," noted Quinn.
And so the Canadian orientation camp wraps up with no real indication how this quartet quandary will be resolved.
Track record? How can all-time wins leader, three-time playoff MVP and four-time Stanley Cup champion Roy be overlooked?
"I don't think I have any edge," countered Saint Patrick, who was the No. 1 man in '98 at the Nagano Olympics.
Familiarity?
"Hopefully, we're not thinking about 'ours.' Of course we know our guys better but we have to look beyond that and make the right decision for the good of the team," Quinn answered to a suggestion he would favour Joseph.
"We're all confident," said Cujo. "We can make it on our own merit."
Numbers? Belfour's goals-against average is a shade over 2.00 in the last four years while Brodeur has the most wins and shutouts since Nagano.
Brodeur, Roy's backup in Japan and the youngest of the group at 29, may have been the frontrunner until he was outplayed by Roy in the Cup final.
In any event, Gretzky insists the competition is wide open.
"There's no ranking," he asserted. "We haven't talked about goaltending."
While that hardly seems likely, the implication is the matter will be decided between the start of the season and the Dec. 22 roster deadline. That suits all parties just fine.
"Quite honestly, I think Team Canada is going to have to go with the guy that's playing very well at the time. I'm preparing myself to have a good start and put the chances on my side," said Roy.
"It's whoever is going to be hot from the start of the season until the time they pick the team," echoed Belfour.
"It's an honour to be among the top four goalies fighting to see who's going to be the starter," offered Brodeur.
"It's a difficult decision," said Joseph, the third man on the '98 Olympic squad. "But, as the old saying goes, check your egos at the door. It's all for the better of the team."
Running neck-and-neck with the 'Who's No. 1' debate is the prickly matter of whether any of the leading men would accept the humbling, thankless role of third-string understudy.
"I'll make the decision when I have to," shrugged Brodeur. "But right now being Number 3 is not something that's even crossed my mind."
The sometimes-brash Roy is often cited as the least likely candidate to accept a lesser role but Nagano has the former Hab craving another visit to the five-ring circus.
"The experience of the Olympics was fantastic," he raved. "So whether it's Number 1 or Number 3, it's a privilege to meet those athletes and just be there."
That's the public stance anyway. Privately, the also-rans may politely decline backup duty, giving the brass the opportunity to invite a youngster such as Florida's Roberto Luongo.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
