Saturday, September 8, 2001
The Last Word
Offensive skill and international experience ultimately will decide who earns the final two spots on Team Canada's Olympic defence corps.
By AL STRACHAN -- Toronto Sun
CALGARY -- Veteran watchers of Team Canada know that over the years, team selectors repeatedly encountered the same dilemma.
The nation was rich in offence and produced the world's finest goaltenders.
But defence? That was a problem.
From one Team Canada to the next, whether it was the Canada Cup or the World Cup, players were pressed into action who, while high-level defencemen, were not the kind of guys you would think of as world class.
They were people like Randy Gregg, Normand Rochefort, Charlie Huddy, Lyle Odelein, Doug Crossman and a host of others.
While the selectors of Team Canada 2002 face several perplexing difficulties, finding talent is certainly not one of them.
This time, Team Canada should be strong from top to bottom. The offence is still there. The goalies are still being produced. Now, the biggest problem will be trying to decide which world-class defenceman doesn't make the team.
Rob Blake, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger have already been named.
Toss in Al MacInnis, who seems to be an automatic.
"I can't envision an Olympic team without Al MacInnis," said the team's executive director, Wayne Gretzky.
"This isn't a tryout camp but Al MacInnis looked great," said assistant executive director Kevin Lowe. "He seems to be getting better as he gets older."
Adam Foote didn't skate here because he is recuperating from shoulder surgery, but he too is all but assured of a position.
The plan is to name seven defencemen, so that means two more spots are available for Scott Stevens, Wade Redden, Ed Jovanovski, Eric Brewer, Eric Desjardins, Richard Matvichuk, Jay McKee, Derek Morris and Bryan McCabe (who would have been invited to this camp had he not been injured).
It seems fairly easy at first glance, but Brewer was nothing short of superb in this camp, drawing rave reviews from everyone who saw him.
The organizers can say all they want about there being no evaluation here. The fact remains that those who were impressive will be remembered and watched closely, and Brewer is definitely on that list.
Jovanovski fits the criteria that Gretzky has laid out for the team, and Lowe was full of praise for Stevens.
"A guy like Scott Stevens, he's so steady," Lowe said. "These guys don't change and he has played in all these tournaments."
Desjardins is so composed and defensively sound that he too will be hard to pass up.
So, which attributes will the selectors favour over others in making their decision?
In the long run, the edge will go to players who possess two qualities: Offensive ability and Olympic experience.
"All things being equal, I think you take experience," Lowe said. "Those guys who played in Nagano, we want as many of them as possible."
From Gretzky's point of view, they have to select guys who can jump into the play and make an impact.
"I've said right from the beginning that I've thought our strength is our team defensive play," he said. "What we need to capitalize on most of all from our defence is to get some offensive input from our defencemen.
"It becomes critical, especially with the Europeans playing such a trap game. You don't want to be playing three against four. We need a fourth guy to jump into the play at all times.
"We need a guy from the point who can make a play."
In fact, as far as Gretzky is concerned, the failing of the 1998 team was its inability to produce offence when it was needed most. That's a shortcoming which he intends to address -- and it has to come from everyone, not just the forwards.
"We need some offensive production from our defencemen," Gretzky said, "and I think that's going to be the key to the success of this team.
"We know -- and I hate to say this -- we know we're good defensively, and over the years we've not been as good defensively as teams like the Russians.
"Our team defence is not an issue. We need a team offence, and a big part of that is going to come out of the defencemen.
Team defence is not an issue? Times have changed.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
