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2006
Turin Olympic Coverage |
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From
the author of Legends of Team Canada and creator of 1972 Summit Series.com |
Canada Hosts
Orientation Camp of Non-NHL Players Just In Case
Canadian Press
6/15/2005 4:29:30 PM
EDMONTON (CP) - Hockey Canada is covering its bases for next February's Turin Games by holding a four-day camp using pros based in Europe in case NHL players are not allowed to play in the Olympic tournament.
The camp, involving 31 players, began Wednesday at Rexall Place.
"Just because NHL players might not be able to play doesn't mean there isn't going to be an Olympics," said Edmonton native Hnat Domenichelli, a hopeful at forward who played seven seasons in NHL and spent last year in the Swiss League. "This is one opportunity that will probably never come around again."
The camp is to ensure Canada will be prepared for the Games if the NHL decided to skip on the Games, although the federation hopes to have the NHLers in Italy.
"We all hope that it happens," Edmonton Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe at Thursday's news conference.
Lowe agreed to return to Canada's Olympic program as assistant executive director in the event NHL players are allowed to play, and will serve as an advisor if European players are used at the Games.
"We can all keep our fingers crossed that the new CBA will include NHL players in Italy next February," Lowe said.
For Domenichelli, the evaluation camp is a no-lose situation. He may play for Canada, but if that doesn't work out he'll be that much sharper for the opening of camp in Europe on Aug. 1.
"I will be rusty, but it's not like being off for a year and a half," Domenichelli said prior to the first of six evaluation camp sessions Wednesday under national team head coach Marc Habscheid.
"We don't have control over which scenario is going to the Olympics," said Habscheid, who will be Team Canada's head coach if the team is comprised of non-NHLers and an assistant coach if the NHL players are used. "We are not taking anything for granted and not ruling anything out."
Habscheid said Canadian coaches scoured 76 players from 15 leagues in 13 countries to come up with the evaluation camp list.
"The Olympic games mean a lot to our country and the pride of our heritage," said Wayne Gretzky, who confirmed he will return as Canada's executive director if the NHL players are used for the tournament and will be an advisor if Canada goes without. "We feel very strongly we're going to be pro-active as a country."
More than a dozen of the Europe-based Canadians have NHL experience, including goalies Jimmy Waite and Steve Passmore, defenceman Andy Delmore, Jamie Heward, Shawn Heins and Pascal Trepanier; forwards Steve Kariya, Domenichelli, Glen Metropolit, Jeff Shantz, and Jeff Toms.
"You wants Canada's best. You want the big NHL guys there," said Metropolit, a Toronto forward who played in Finland last season. "But it's 17 days where the NHL has to shut down ... and when you think about the year they have missed, that's a long time."
Veteran NHL netminder Sean Burke, who is currently looking for work after playing for Phoenix and Philadelphia in 2004, will serve as the camp's goalie coach. Burke has played 17 seasons and was member of silver-medal winning Canadian Olympic team in 1992.
Notes: Habscheid's assistant coaches for the camp are Sean Simpson of Brampton, Ont., who coached in Switzerland last season; Bob Leslie, who coached in the German Elite League, and Serge Boisvert of Hockey Canada... Former NHLers Mike Maneluk and Stacy Roest are also in camp but both are nursing injuries... Alberta is the best represented province at the evaluation camp with nine players, followed by Quebec with eight and Ontario with seven.
Non NHL Training Camp
Roster (From Hockey Canada.ca)
| Goaltenders/Gardiens
de but |
| Labbe, Jean-Francois |
L/G |
510/179 |
167/80 |
06/15/72 |
Sherbrooke, PQ |
Augsburger (DEL) |
| Passmore, Steve |
L/G |
59/175 |
175/83 |
01/29/73 |
Grand Forks, BC |
Mannheim (GER) |
| Waite, Jimmy |
L/G |
61/185 |
180/84 |
04/15/69 |
Sherbrooke, PQ |
Ingolstadt (DEL) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Defence/Dιfense |
| Astley, Mark |
R/D |
61/186 |
190/87 |
03/30/69 |
Calgary, AB |
SC Langnau (SUI) |
| Bannister, Drew |
R/D |
62/188 |
200/91 |
04/09/74 |
Belleville, ON |
Nurnberg (GER) |
| Boileau, Patrice |
R/D |
60/185 |
200/91 |
02/22/75 |
Montreal, PQ |
Lausanne (SUI) |
| Bouchard, Francois |
L/G |
60/186 |
190/87 |
08/03/73 |
Brossard, PQ |
Frankfurt (DEL) |
| Delmore, Andy |
R/D |
60/186 |
190/87 |
12/20/76 |
Windsor, ON |
Mannheim (DEL) |
| Dupont, Micki |
R/D |
510/178 |
176/80 |
04/15/80 |
Calgary, AB |
Berlin (DEL) |
| Heins, Shawn |
L/G |
63/191 |
215/98 |
12/24/73 |
Eganville, ON |
Berlin (DEL) |
| Heward, Jamie |
R/D |
62/188 |
198/90 |
03/30/71 |
Regina, SK |
SC Langnau (SUI) |
| Pollock, Jame |
R/D |
61/185 |
190/86 |
06/16/79 |
Victoria, BC |
Kloten (SUI) |
| Trepanier, Pasca |
R/D |
510/180 |
205/93 |
09/04/73 |
Gaspe, PQ |
Nurnberg (DEL) |
| Forwards/Avants |
| Alston, Jan |
R/D |
511/180 |
185/85 |
04/14/69 |
Granby, PQ |
Zurich (SUI) |
| Banham, Frank |
R/D |
60/185 |
187/86 |
04/14/75 |
Calahoo, AB |
SaiPa (FIN) |
| Davidson, Matt |
R/D |
62/18 |
198/90 |
08/09/77 |
Flin Flon, MB |
Dusseldorf (DEL) |
| Domenichelli, Hnat |
L/G |
511/180 |
179/81 |
02/16/76 |
Edmonton, AB |
Ambri-Piotta (SUI) |
| Herperger, Chris |
L/G |
60/186 |
205/94 |
02/24/74 |
Esterhazy, SK |
Krefeld (DEL) |
| Kariya, Steve |
L/G |
510/178 |
175/83 |
12/22/77 |
North Vancouver, BC |
Ilves Tampere (FIN) |
| McTavish, Dale |
L/G |
61/186 |
200/91 |
02/28/72 |
Eganville, ON |
Rapperswil (SUI) |
| Metropolit, Glen |
R/D |
60/183 |
185/85 |
06/25/74 |
Toronto, ON |
Jokerit (FIN) |
| Pittis, Domenic |
L/G |
511/181 |
180/84 |
10/01/74 |
Calgary, AB |
Kloten (SUI) |
| Sarault, Yves |
L/G |
61/186 |
190/87 |
12/23/72 |
Valleyfield, PQ |
Bern (SUI) |
| Shantz, Jeff |
R/D |
511/181 |
200/91 |
10/10/73 |
Duchess, AB |
SC Langnau (SUI) |
| Tapper, Brad |
R/D |
60/186 |
175/83 |
04/28/78 |
Scarborough, ON |
Nurnberg (DEL) |
| Toms, Jeff |
L/G |
65/195 |
209/96 |
06/04/74 |
Swift Current, SK |
Ambri-Piotta (SUI) |
| Reid, Brandon |
R/D |
510/178 |
185/85 |
03/09/81 |
Kirkland, PQ |
Hamburg (DEL) |
| Trudel, Jean-Guy |
L/G |
60/186 |
200/91 |
10/18/75 |
Sudbury, ON |
Ambri-Piotta (SUI) |
| The
following players will attend, but are injured and will not
participate / Les joueurs suivants seront sur place mais ne pourront
participer ΰ cause de blessures : |
| Green, Mike |
R/D |
511/181 |
190/87 |
10/20/79 |
Calgary, AB |
Nurnberg (GER) |
| Roest, Stacey |
R/D |
510/178 |
190/87 |
03/15/74 |
Lethbridge, AB |
Rapperswil (SUI) |
| Maneluk, Mike |
R/D |
60/183 |
190/87 |
10/01/73 |
Winnipeg, MB |
Lugano (SUI) |
|
GO CANADA
GO!
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