Heebie-jeebie hockey
Gretz: Team to play it cool
By TERRY JONES -- Edmonton Sun
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Mario Lemieux enjoys a lighter moment during Team Canada's practice yesterday at the Air Canada Centre. Lemieux and Co. face Team Slovakia tonight at the ACC. (Toronto Sun/Craig Robertson) |
TORONTO -- In Salt Lake City, Wayne Gretzky took to the press conference podium before the same game to take the heat and focus off a Team Canada which looked to be coming apart at the seams, with a nation back home rattled beyond belief.
Canada, after losing the opener to Sweden, had just come off the ice after a 2-2 tie with the Czechs.
Gretzky stepped out of his personality and ranted and raved about officiating and everything else he could come up with.
It worked. Canada went on to win the first Olympic gold in 50 years.
Yesterday Gretzky did the same, in totally opposite circumstances, to take the heebie-jeebies out of tonight's quarter-final elimination game against Slovakia.
"We understand the situation we're in," he soothed.
"We have enough experience with Marty, Joe and Mario," he said of veterans Brodeur, Sakic and Lemieux.
BEEN THERE BEFORE
"They've been in this situation before. They know that in this game anything is possible, a bad penalty, a flukey goal ...
"I think we have enough experience. Our young guys are enthused. We've respected all the teams we're playing against. I think this team is ready to go.
"From Day 1 the attitude of these players has been absolutely incredible. The intensity level has been very high every single day. It's really an encouraging group to be around.
"Our leadership involves quality people on and off the ice. I'm very proud."
Gretzky has seen some scenarios.
In his first Canada Cup, in 1981, Team Canada roared through the regular round and reached the final with a 5-0-1 record only to suffer a shocking 8-1 loss to the Soviet Union in the final.
In 1987 it was a best-of-three format in the final and Canada lost the first 6-5 to the Soviets before bouncing back with two 6-5 wins, the deciding game giving the world the never-to-be-forgotten winning goal with Gretzky passing to Lemieux to decide it.
In the first World Cup of Hockey, it worked the other way around, with Canada winning the first game in overtime against the U.S.and losing the next two.
But the one he pointed to this day was the Nagano Olympics, using the same elimination format being used here this year. Canada lost the semifinal in a shootout - one in which he wasn't afforded the opportunity to take a shot - to the Czech Republic.
You'd think maybe the 8-1 loss to the Soviets in his first Canada Cup or the upset by the Americans in the first World Cup would be what he might point to this day. But, no, he said it's Nagano.
"The greatest surprise was Nagano. We were tremendous favourites going into the Czech game.
"I remember thinking as a player that this is going to be impossible for this team to lose. That team was tremendous. Before we knew it we'd lost and it was over and done."
Gretzky was given the job as executive director, along with assistant Kevin Lowe, for the Salt Lake Olympic project, and brought everybody back, from Pat Quinn and the same assistants right through to the support staff of Barrie Stafford, Ken Lowe and Stew Poirier from the Oilers' organization, to this World Cup to play it again, Gretz.
"In Salt Lake City the biggest difference was that the team was isolated and it was a 10-day event," said Gretzky.
"We were the first Canadian pro team in an Olympic village," he said contrasting the environment to one not unlike a Stanley Cup playoff run minus the travel and with the games much more spaced as is the case here this year.
"In Salt Lake it was bang, bang, before you knew it, it was over and done.
SIMILAR PRESSURE
"The pressure was pretty similar. The hockey was similar. It was tremendous hockey."
He says when you get to a game like tonight's against the nothing-to-lose Slovaks, it's all about being a Canadian hockey player.
"Our guys are groomed from a young age that each and every game you play for Canada is a big game," he said.
Gretzky says he's having a blast with this bunch.
"I love working with Team Canada," he remarked.
"At this point in time, I'm loving it. There's great people to work with. The players are great. Ever since I joined Team Canada in '77, I wouldn't trade it for anything," he said of his World Junior days from way back when.
Follow the Salt Lake City gold with another one here and Gretzky's going to have the gig for a long, long time.
Yesterday, he did what he could do toward that end to settle his team down before the most scary game of any tournament - the game in which Belerus beat Sweden at the Olympics and winless Germany almost upset unbeaten Finland in this World Cup.
Quite clearly, he gets the gig.
