Thursday, February 14, 2002
Quinn turns his attention to Team Canada
By GEORGE GROSS -- Toronto Sun
The scene was set a few minutes after Pat Quinn, the generalissimo of the Maple Leafs, switched his cerebral tool box to Salt Lake City.
It was Monday night, a short time after the Leafs had struggled to a narrow win over the Atlanta Thrashers thanks to Tomas Kaberle's winning goal, his second of the night.
Quinn, as usual, was puffing on his stogie, obviously relieved that his proteges had managed a comeback after being two goals down to a team that sits lower in the NHL standings than a frog's bottom.
He wasn't alone in the coaches' room. Sitting across from him was Maple Leafs chairman Steve Stavro, who was evidently pleased with the outcome and looking forward to the hockey tournament in Utah, which he will attend.
Bill Watters, the corporate -- or should I say corpulent -- executive assistant to president Ken Dryden was there, as were assistant coaches Rick Ley and Keith Acton. The three-man medical staff sauntered in a few minutes later to report on the status of the injured Alex Mogilny.
Before I had an opportunity to ask Quinn about the honour bestowed upon him by being appointed coach of Team Canada's Olympic hockey team, he was making out his post-game report and evaluation of the various Leafs players.
"I wasn't very happy with the way we played in the first period, losing by a couple of goals," he said. "So, I did what I don't do very often -- I walked in the dressing room and let them have it. I just knew I had to do it."
He completed his player evaluation report, handed it to Acton and turned to me to answer my question as to whether the Olympic appointment was the biggest thrill of his career in hockey.
"It's certainly a big honour," said Quinn with the diplomatic aplomb of a corporate lawyer. "Being in the Stanley Cup final with your team is certainly also a major accomplishment. But I'm looking forward to the Salt Lake City experience.
"I'm leaving for Utah early because I want to inspect the Olympic village and the rinks, as well as take in the Olympic atmosphere."
He didn't want to talk about the team strategy for obvious reasons -- the "enemy," changing next door in the dressing room, was within earshot. The "enemy" in Salt Lake will include several Toronto players -- Mats Sundin and Mikael Renberg, playing for Sweden; Robert Reichel and Kaberle representing the Czech Republic; Aki Berg and Jyrki Lumme wearing Finland's jerseys.
"We will have to devise the proper strategies to reach the goal we all want to reach -- winning the gold medal," Quinn said with the determination of a man who learned his trade from his former coach, Punch Imlach.
Obviously, Wayne Gretzky presented Quinn with the best players with the possible exception of the Boston Bruins' Joe Thornton. So, as they say, Quinn has the horses and must convince them to pull in the same direction tomorrow in the game against Sweden and Sundin.
Pssst, I'm certain he'll whisper in the ears of the Team Canada players how to stop Sundin, Renberg, Vancouver Canucks' Markus Naslund and company.
GROSSLY ABBREVIATED: Former Polish Davis Cupper and ranking Ontario senior tennis player Joe Osadca passed away in Toronto during the weekend. He was 64. A quiet-spoken individual, Joe had two loves in his life -- his family and tennis. Rest in peace, old friend ... I find it strange that none of the television networks hired Donald Jackson, the first Canadian man to win a singles figure skating world title. Jackson won it in Prague in 1962, along with the gold medal winning pair of Otto and Maria Jelinek, as well as silver medallist Wendy Griner of Toronto in the ladies' singles and bronze medallists Virginia Thompson and Bill McLachlan in the dance event. It was the best performance by Canadian skaters in global competition. Even the judges couldn't do anything about it.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
