Thursday, February 7, 2002
Healthy Lindros back to work
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Ottawa Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- The good news for Canada came out of New York yesterday: The Big E is back.
Eric Lindros, sidelined with a knee injury, returned to the Rangers' lineup last night against Detroit, which means the centre should be fine once Team Canada opens its Olympic tournament on Feb. 15 against Sweden.
Another Team Canada member, centre Steve Yzerman of the Red Wings, remains sidelined because of arthroscopic knee surgery, but is expected to be back for Saturday's game against Ottawa or possibly Monday versus Montreal.
There has been talk San Jose winger Owen Nolan may be forced out of the Games with a sore back. Two MRIs haven't revealed any problems, but he recently missed three games.
If someone can't play because of injury, GM Wayne Gretzky is prepared to add Joe Thornton. But no one, such as Theoren Fleury, will be asked to give up their spot to make room for the Boston Bruin centre.
"I know that not quite everybody is playing yet, but I think if the tournament started today we'd have everybody,'' said Canadian associate coach Ken Hitchcock. '`We believe that everybody is going to be fine."
BELFOUR OKAY WITH ROLE: Dallas' Ed Belfour told reporters he'll take his spot as Team Canada's No. 3 goaltender. While he'd like the opportunity to play, he was gracious when Gretzky told him he'll have to watch from the stands. "I'm proud to be on the team," said Belfour. "You have to do what's best for the team and you never know what's going to happen when you're there." Sources say the decision was made by coach Pat Quinn and Gretzky when they met at the NHL all-star festivities last weekend in Los Angeles. They listened to input from the staff, but Quinn felt more comfortable going with Curtis Joseph of the Maple Leafs and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur. "There's a lot about Ed Belfour that people don't know,'' Hitchcock said. '`They haven't seen that side of him. He expressed to me in a meeting that he was just proud to be going there."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
