Saturday, December 10, 2005
Mario To Miss Olympics
Following Steve Yzerman's lead earlier this week, Mario Lemieux announced today that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for Team Canada's Olympic team.
Wayne Gretzky acknowledges this:
''I talked to (Wayne Gretzky) a couple days ago and I told him that I would pass on the Olympics,'' said Lemieux. ''With the way I have been playing so far and with the young guys we have coming up in Canada, I think the best thing to do is to go with the young guys, the young legs. With Spezza playing very well and Sid and Staal and all these guys, I think it's time for these guys to step up and they deserve to be on the team.''Talent has never been an issue for Team Canada's international teams - it has always been argued that Canada can send three teams and each one would win a medal - however, Yzerman's and Lemieux's withdrawals take away years of leadership and veteran experience from the team.
Wayne Gretzky acknowledges this:
''You don't replace Mario,'' Gretzky told TSN. ''I said in 2002 in Salt Lake and I said it at the World Cup, he takes so much pressure off the players in the locker room people don't realize unless you're one of the players. He is invaluable not only for what he did on the ice but off the ice.''As interesting as it is to see Team Canada undergo a bit of youth movement, it will also be interesting to see which players will step up and assume the leadership roles.
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