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2006 Turin Olympic Coverage
From the author of Legends of Team Canada and creator of 1972 Summit Series.com

TSN's Orientation Camp Notebook: Wednesday August 17, 2005 Canadian Press 8/17/2005 8:37:10 PM KELOWNA, B.C. (CP) - Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky said Wednesday he isn't sure at this point whether he should bring one extra forward or one extra defenceman to the Turin Olympics next February. Each country brings 23 players - which must include three goalies. ''Are we going to take 12 forwards and eight defencemen, or 13 forwards and seven defencemen?,'' Gretzky told reporters. ''We don't have the answer right now. We don't know that. We're a little concerned because we play six games in eight days. We do know that we lost two defencemen in Game 1 of the World Cup when we started with eight and all of a sudden we were down to six. ''We thought at that point in time maybe we should have taken nine defencemen. There's a lot of hockey to be played, somebody that can play forward and defence would be very versatile and maybe something that we have to consider because you never know with injuries on the blue-line.'' Canada had 13 forwards and seven defencemen in Salt Lake City in 2002. Perhaps Tampa defenceman Dan Boyle is just the kind of guy Gretzky was referring to, an offensive blue-liner who can skate like the wind and make the adjustment to forward if need be. SCRIMMAGE: Vincent Lecavalier scored twice as Team Red beat Team White 2-1 in a scrimmage game Wednesday. Dany Heatley replied for the red team before a soldout crowd of 4,000 at Prospera Place. Jose Theodore stoned Rick Nash in-alone with five seconds left to preserve the victory. There were few hits in the game although Robyn Regehr hammered Shane Doan into the boards at one point. BRODEUR ON AL-MO: Star goalie Martin Brodeur was thrilled to hear that free-agent winger Alexander Mogilny was back in New Jersey for a second tour of duty. ''I'm excited that Al-Mo and Vladdy Malakhov (signed earlier this month) are back - two guys that really helped us win the Stanley Cup in 2000, under Larry Robinson, who's back as our coach.,'' said Brodeur. ''Al-Mo's a great guy, he loves New York and always wanted to be there.'' Brodeur asked reporters how much Mogilny signed for and found it interesting when told it was a $7-million US, two-year deal. ''It's funny how it works, eh? Lou (Lamoriello) wouldn't give him that after we won the Stanley Cup (in 2000),'' laughed Brodeur. ''And now we have the new system and he gives him that.'' CAPTAIN CANADA: Ryan Smyth in a Team Canada jersey is hardly a new sight. The Edmonton Oilers winger is the all-time leader in games played by a Canadian at the world championships with 51, and he's represented Canada in 10 tournaments overall - including the World Cup of Hockey and 2002 Winter Games. So it's no surprise to hear that other players in the dressing room this week have been calling him Captain Canada. Winning gold in Salt Lake City was the best moment. ''I just remember being in the locker-room after we won the Olympic gold medal, it was just the hockey players and the trainers and the management - nobody else in the room,'' Smyth said. ''It was a great feeling, I remember thinking `we did it, we made history.' That was special. That moment really sticks out in my mind.'' BIG LINE: The forward line of Brad Richards, Todd Bertuzzi and Shane Doan turned some heads with some strong play during the scrimmage game Wednesday. As far as Richards is concerned, the competition is fierce to make this team and this week's camp is a chance to prove he belongs. ''It's definitely better to go out there and make some plays instead of swatting the puck like a fly swatter,'' said the pride of Murray Harbour, P.E.I. ''And I think we did that today. Doan's a real smart player and I didn't realize how smart Bert was with the puck. He's excellent.''

GO CANADA GO!

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