World Cup: Lemieux outshines Canada's all-stars
Monday, August 30, 2004 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The NHL's reigning MVP and scoring champion will play for Canada in the World Cup tournament.
So will the Vezina Trophy winner and the guy who earned the Norris Trophy.
The playoff MVP is on the team, too, along with the Selke Trophy recipient.
Most rosters for the World Cup, which begins with a game between the Czech Republic and Finland in Helsinki today, are generously sprinkled with stars. Not Canada's. Its lineup is an absolute galaxy.
Martin St. Louis is there. So are Martin Brodeur and Scott Niedermayer. Same with Brad Richards and Kris Draper. Those guys combined to claim many of the NHL's most treasured hardware for the 2003-04 season.
They figure to be in uniform when Canada opens the tournament against the United States at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Montreal. Joe Sakic, Jarome Iginla, Dany Heatley and Vincent Lecavalier, among others, should be there, too.
But for all the breathtaking talent on Canada's depth chart, all the brilliant individuals, only one holds an undisputed spot among the premier players in hockey history. Only one ranks among the career leaders in virtually every offensive category of consequence. Only one is in the Hall of Fame.
Only one Mario Lemieux.
He is Canada's captain, and unquestioned leader. Lemieux wasn't always universally loved in Canada -- his rivalry with Wayne Gretzky contributed mightily to that -- but he has become a cultural icon in a country where hockey is an integral part of the social tapestry.
And his mere presence draws out the little boy lurking in some of the world's finest players. Guys such as St. Louis and Richards, Stanley Cup champions who were his linemates when Canada opened training camp.
"It's awesome," St. Louis said. "For me, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. Never once did I think I'd play on the same team, let alone on the same line."
Lemieux took St. Louis and Richards golfing, just to affirm his place as a linemate, not a legend. Indeed, much as he has done with the Penguins since coming out of retirement in 2000, Lemieux has made a concerted effort to establish himself as simply another member of his club.
"He doesn't feel above everybody else," Canada winger Ryan Smyth said. "Even though he is."
And while Lemieux's leadership and intangibles are obvious assets -- "He deflects a lot of pressure off these guys," said Gretzky, executive director of Team Canada -- Canada is counting on other contributions from him.
"I expect him to score," Canada coach Pat Quinn said. "He's the kind of guy who will score big points for us. He'll put in some strong minutes. ... Guys with his skill will eventually make big plays for us."
This tournament might well be Lemieux's final international competition and is his first since helping to lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2002 Olympics. Despite a hip problem that impeded him in Salt Lake City, Lemieux's performance there provided a template Quinn plans to follow during the World Cup.
"We are still going to approach this as a high-tempo thing," he said. "I don't want him out there hanging around. He's going to be playing for us like he did in the Olympics. He was the leader that allowed us to get our tempo up, because he was willing to sacrifice his ice time in the sense of cutting his time down so he could play at a higher tempo. He's going to play that same way again."
Lemieux's Olympic statistics -- two goals and four assists in five games -- were fairly modest by his standards and a by-product of the hip trouble that required surgery shortly after the Games. He enters this World Cup two years older, but healthy, well-conditioned and highly motivated.
"I'm sure Mario is going to expect big things from himself," Draper said. "Come tournament time, you just expect that Mario's going to be Mario."
Which is to say, a force like few others. And one of the primary reasons Canada is a heavy favorite to win the World Cup.
(Dave Molinari can be reached at 412-263-1144.)
No comments:
Post a Comment