Born Canadian
Just 20, Bouwmeester will be wearing his country's sweater for the 40th time
By TERRY JONES -- Edmonton Sun
TORONTO -- Jay Bouwmeester was born to wear this uniform. If he didn't know it before, he has to know it now.
He's about to wear it again because he wore it before.
Over his NHL career he may wear several, but right now the freeze frame you get is a large lad wearing white and red and playing for Canada.
It's hard to believe, considering he's only 20 years old, but tomorrow night will be his 40th game involving six teams wearing the sweater for Canada and that doesn't count any pre-tournament games.
Bouwmeester will wear it again, getting into the line-up in place of injured Wade Redden, when Canada plays Russia.
"I'm looking forward to it," said the six-foot-four Edmonton product.
"It's a great opportunity."
That said, he's 20 years old and doesn't seem like he's in any way overwhelmed with the idea of playing a couple of World Cup of Hockey games, maybe more.
This kid was three when Mario Lemieux played in his first Canada Cup. He was born the year Wayne Gretzky played in his second.
SHORT LIST
It's an awfully short list of players who have played for this team in Canada Cups or the first World Cup at his age.
Gretzky, who was one, promised he'd make playing internationally for Canada a reward program of its own when he took over this team as executive director. Gretzky has lived up to his word and Bouwmeester is as good an example as there is on this team, which includes eight players who won gold for Canada in Prague.
Dial back to the world championships and the day before the tournament when coach Mike Babcock decided to put Bouwmeester with Scott Niedermayer.
"What an opportunity this is for Bouwmeester," Babcock said that day. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Jay."
Now it's the World Cup of Hockey and chances are he'll be paired with him again.
A lot of NHL defencemen who didn't answer Canada's call to play at the world championships are going to be second-guessing themselves watching him tomorrow night.
"I think there are a few of us who are here because we've played for Team Canada at the world championships," said Ryan Smyth.
Talent will always be trump, but if you've been there for Canada before you're not going to be out of mind even if you're out of sight.
When Chris Pronger and Rob Blake went under the knife, Scott Hannan and Bouwmeester got the call from Gretzky to join the team. They had press box written all over them. But with injuries to Ed Jovanovski and now Redden, they're fully accredited starting players.
Unlike Jovanovski, who blew a knee against the USA, Redden is out probably for a pair of games with a shoulder injury. The Lloydminster product could be available for the semifinal next week.
"It gives a guy like Jay Bouwmeester a chance to play," said Gretzky.
"We have total confidence in him. He won two gold medals for Canada at the world championships and we're very confident in him going in."
Maybe they're just being brave about what's happening with Canada's black and blue blue-line but coach Pat Quinn was putting a brave face on going with the 20-year-old from the Florida Panthers.
"He's young and he's had experience. At the world championships you saw a kid grow up and use a really good skill level. He has tremendous skills," said coach Pat Quinn.
"We feel he can do the job for us."
FULL OF ANTICIPATION
The son of former University of Alberta Golden Bear Dan Bouwmeester is full of anticipation as he prepares to play a Canada-Russia game.
It may not be 1972, or even 1987, but how many players have played in a Canada-Russia game in a Canada Cup or World Cup of Hockey?
Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers has the record for most games wearing the uniform at the world championships, at 51. Add the Olympics, a World Junior and two games at the World Cup of Hockey and he's up to 66.
Bouwmeester has no Olympics and this will be his first World Cup of Hockey appearance, but he played 21 games for Canada as one of only six players to have worn the sweater at three World Juniors, being the youngest ever to put it on when he was 16 years three months old at Sweden in 2000.
He played another 18 games in the uniform, winning the two gold medals in the last two world championships including being named top defenceman and first team all-star of the event two years ago in Finland.
Bouwmeester is certainly cool, calm and collected about it.
"So far things have gone well," he said of the experience playing with the team in the pre-tournament games and at practice.
If they continue to go well, you can only imagine what he might do wearing this uniform in the future.
