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Canada's Lemieux injured, may not make game tonight
By Tim Buckley and Jody Genessy
Deseret News Olympic specialists
WEST VALLEY CITY — A day after disappointing its country, Canada's men's hockey team received disheartening news. Captain Mario Lemieux is hurt, his status for tonight's final-round 2002 Olympic game most uncertain.
Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky first said Lemieux would "probably not" play against Germany, then said there's a "50-50" chance. Gretzky added he would advise Lemieux against playing so he's ready for Monday's game vs. the Czech Republic, which beat Canada in a 1998 semifinal en route to Nagano gold.
Later, though, Canada coach Pat Quinn said the call is all Lemieux's: "He said he planned to play . . . but . . . you also want to use caution."
The Canadians were not specific about the injury. Gretzky said it was not Lemieux's recently surgically repaired hip, but Quinn said it was "the hip and the groin — the problem he has been experiencing for awhile now."
Lemieux was not made available Saturday at the E Center, where Canada's players returned following a practice in which Lemieux did take part. There, those who did meet with reporters spoke of regrouping from Friday's 5-2 loss to Sweden.
"You've got to start somewhere," Eric Lindros said. "We thought we'd start a little better than we did."
Sweden outscored Canada 4-0 in the second period, prompting newspaper headlines of "Oh, no, Canada" and "Woe Canada" in hockey-mad Canada.
"Take nothing away from the Swedes. They deserved to beat us, but we didn't give them an honest game," Gretzky said, adding, "We know it's a devastating loss to our country. . . . That was a stinker of a game, and we deserve all the abuse we've taken."
Canada's saving grace: It still can win gold, as medal-round games count only toward seeding for Wednesday's quarterfinals.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE: Raimo Helminen is called "papa" by Finnish hockey teammates. Perhaps grandpapa is more appropriate. He is, after all, playing in his record sixth Olympic Games. Now almost 38 years old, his first Olympics were in 1984 at Sarajevo.
"That's incredible," Finnish star Teemu Selanne said. "You have to give so much respect for that kind of guy."
Helminen has won Olympic silver (1988) and two bronzes ('98 and '94). Favorite memory? "The last two Olympics have really been nice because everyone (in the NHL) has played," he said. "But the three we have medals in are my favorite."
Russia's Igor Larionov, 41, is the oldest Olympic hockey player. So maybe Helminen has a seventh go-around in store. Said Selanne: "I don't think he is even thinking about retiring yet."
CROWD PLEASER: The unofficial "U-S-A" chant tally by the mostly one-sided E Center crowd during Friday night's U.S.-Finland game was 15, though screaming fans managed to do it in unison only a few times.
The patriotic chant was first heard, of course, during Team USA's 1980 "Miracle on Ice" victory and has since become a staple cheer for Americans. Asked if that crowd compared to Lake Placid's, U.S. coach Herb Brooks said "I was so nervous (in 1980), I didn't even hear the crowd."
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com, jody@desnews.com
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February 17, 2002
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