Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Lowe, Gretz stress not to hide injuries for Olys
By TERRY JONES -- Edmonton Sun
At ease, Wade Redden. Stand down, Derek Morris. False alarm everybody.
Eric Brewer's shoulder is not separated no matter what it said on the Sportsnet telecast.
It's sprained. He's day-to-day. It looks like he's going to be OK. Until further notice, he's still headed to the Olympics.
When Brewer came off the glass in the corner of the rink to the right of Tommy Salo in San Jose Monday night he swears he didn't even think about the Olympics.
And neither did Olympic assistant GM Kevin Lowe.
"I was thinking more about the Oilers, I have to confess,'' said Lowe.
"Fortunately, I had an opportunity to talk to Kenny right away,'' he said of his brother the trainer. "He told me it wasn't serious. Still, I was waiting for the phone to ring from ( Wayne) Gretzky.''
Brewer said he obviously wasn't thinking what a lot of other people were thinking when he went to the bench holding his shoulder.
"I knew right away that something was wrong. All I was thinking was that I had better get off the ice as soon as possible before they go down the ice and score.
"As for the Olympics, I've been trying to keep that out of everything. Right now everything is all about the Oilers. We have to win more games.''
SUCH A HUGE THING
And that, he says, is not hard.
"The Olympic thing still hasn't set in with me. It's such a huge thing. It's still a bit overwhelming to me. There's more for us to worry about here.''
Lowe says if it turns out Brewer is less than 100 per cent when it comes time to go to the Olympics, then he'd expect him to step aside for somebody who is 100 per cent.
Lowe, Gretzky and the Team Canada Olympic brain trust had a conference call yesterday and the one message Gretzky wants delivered is that everyone on the team be 100 per cent or move over and let a healthier player take your place.
"If a guy pulls a groin, we need to know that.
'`If anybody is less than 100 per cent and doesn't bring it to our attention they're going to be hurting this team.
"Ultimately, it's the player's decision. But in these remaining days before the Olympics, we need good communication and an open line to the trainers and players.
GET MESSAGE OUT
"I'd like to get that message out to the players,'' said Lowe.
"One hundred per cent healthy. That's what it is going to take.
"This isn't the playoffs. You play hurt in the playoffs. You don't have options. But this isn't the playoffs. And we have options.
'`Our options are so good that if you are less than 100 per cent, our options are probably going to be better than you're going to be.''
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
