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CALGARY –- Chicago defenceman Duncan Keith recalls making the drive from Penticton, B.C., to Kelowna for the Olympic orientation camp four years ago. He would make the Blackhawks later that fall, and has since blossomed into one of the NHL’s fine young blue-liners.
“I remember watching the Olympic orientation camp when I was in Kelowna, watching it with some of my buddies,” he said Monday. “I remember watching Marty St. Louis and how fast he was. I couldn’t believe it took him two seconds to get down the other end of the ice. It was a packed building there in Kelowna with a lot of people watching. I remember seeing Wayne Gretzky up in the stands.
“Just to be a part of that now and actually be one of the guys for me is a thrill. I want to keep it going.”
Ryan Smyth’s memories go back to being a stick boy at a Canada Cup training camp in Banff, Alta., where he grew up. Back then he was very nearly run over by Glenn Anderson’s car in the parking lot. Today he carries the nickname “Captain Canada” for having played in seven consecutive World Championships for Canada.
The spectrum is wide here, from kids like Keith who are trying not to be too wide-eyed, to veterans like Simon Gagne, Ryan Smyth and Scott Niedermayer, who are drinking in their last Olympic experience.
“I think in general the last couple of years I’ve been that way, just looking at things differently. Not sure how much longer it goes on,” said Niedermayer, who turns 36 next Monday. “When you’re in the middle of it, in your mid-20s and stuff, things look a little different than where I am now.
“Yeah, I’ll enjoy every second.”
You’ll recall that Niedermayer and Ed Jovanovski were both late scratches from the 2006 Olympic team because of injury. Jovo did not get the invite this time around, while Niedermayer has likely extended his playing career for the sole purpose of taking part in these Winter Olympics in his home province.
“Not a decision I want to have to hopefully make again,” he said of pulling out of Turin, where Canada bombed. “I managed to watch it, see some games. It’s a tough tournament and you felt for the guys over there because it happens real quick and next thing you know you’re in it, momentum’s built one way or another and you have to deal with it. I was cheering as hard as anyone for that bunch of guys over there.”
There are 10 NHL team captains at this camp. Eleven, if you count the recently stripped Patrick Marleau in San Jose. This list goes:
Niedermayer in Anaheim, Jarome Iginla in Calgary, Jonathan Toews in Chicago, Rick Nash in Columbus, Brenden Morrow in Dallas, Shane Doan in Phoenix, Philadelphia’s Mike Richards, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier, and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo
Francois Beauchemin, is a solid, rugged defenceman and a nice addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs blueline. But a Team Canada player?
“I didn’t expect the call at all but it was a good surprise,” he said. “Sometimes they call the same guys -— often the ones that participate in Team Canada at the World Cup or World Juniors and all that. Since I didn’t do any of this I didn’t really expect a call but was flattered for sure.”
He has never worn the red maple leaf? Anywhere?
“No,” he confirmed. “Never, ever been invited to any camp.”
Jason Spezza sounds like he has turned the page on Dany Heatley as an Ottawa Senator.
“I’ve known where Heater stood the whole way,” Spezza said of his friend and quasi-teammate. “All the guys on the (Senators) team know where he stands. Hopefully the team can accommodate him, and we can just move on come training camp.”
Spezza comes here as a late invite, filling the spot left open by Ryan Getzlaf’s inability to skate due to sports hernia surgery. He wasn’t happy when the list came out last winter and his name was an omission. Now he has the rare opportunity to prove to the coaching staff that they made a mistake.
“It was a bit of an eye opener. I didn’t see a real reason why I should be left off the list. But obviously I’ve got to change my game a little bit,” he said. “I think they want to see me be consistent, play a solid game, not be too high-risk. … But you’ve got to do what got you to where you are. Obviously offence is my strong suit, so I have to make sure I produce, but be as consistent as possible.”
Here are the lines Team Canada was using on Monday, from left wing to right:
Team White
Rick Nash-Sidney Crosby-Jarome Iginla
Brenden Morrow-Mike Richards-Dany Heatley
Simon Gagne-Jonathan Toews-Martin St. Louis
Andy McDonald-Jordan Staal-Shane Doan
Defensive pairings
Duncan Keith-Scott Niedermayer
Francois Beauchemin-Shea Weber
Jay Bouwmeester-Brent Burns
Mark Staal-Mike Green
Team Red
Eric Staal-Joe Thornton-Corey Perry
Milan Lucic-Vincent Lecavalier-Jeff Carter
Patrick Marleau-Jason Spezza-Dan Cleary
Ryan Smyth-Derek Roy-Patrick Sharp
Defensive pairings
Chris Pronger-Drew Doughty
Dan Hamhuis-Dan Boyle
Robyn Regehr-Brent Seabrook
Dion Phaneuf-Stephane Robidas
