If Cliff Fletcher is intent on developing a new, competitive culture within the Maple Leaf dressing room, he might start by getting Steve Yzerman and Ken Hitchcock on the phone.

Yzerman, Team Canada's GM for the upcoming world championships in Halifax and Quebec City, and Hitchcock, named head coach of the team yesterday, will be searching for willing and able bodies to defend the global title won last year in Moscow.

While the Leafs have missed the playoffs the last two years, the past two world tournaments haven't included a single Toronto player skating for Team Canada, and Fletcher would do well to try to get a few of his players in the mix this spring.

The tournament is a tough, demanding event, and because it's taking place on Canadian soil, will require the players to perform under more pressure than usual. Hockey Canada, meanwhile, has excelled at developing teams able to deliver in the crunch, something Leaf teams have failed to do for years.

"The expectation in Canada is always gold or bust," said Hitchcock yesterday. "We've all learned to live in that atmosphere, and the last 10 years, we've probably thrived in it."

Finally, Hitchcock is an experienced coach with a keen eye for defensive, hard-nosed hockey, and there are more than a few Leaf players who could learn a thing or two about that style.

Nine Leafs ' Matt Stajan, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe, Kyle Wellwood, Ian White, Boyd Devereaux, Dominic Moore, Mark Bell and Andrew Raycroft ' could be candidates. That said, none would be among Team Canada's top choices and only Stajan might be on management's radar.

Last year, however, the team was desperate enough that defenceman Cory Murphy, then playing professionally in Finland, and University of North Dakota forward Jonathan Toews ended up playing at the worlds. This year, Yzerman is expecting more NHLers to be available because the event is in North America and training camp in Quebec City doesn't begin until April 24.

Yzerman said he feels "loyal" to the players from last year's team and as of yesterday, 11 of those players were on teams already eliminated from the playoffs. Tampa Bay sniper Vinny Lecavalier is unlikely but still a possibility, according to Yzerman, and in theory Team Canada may have 22 rosters to choose from by the time camp opens.

"I think every player is somewhat obligated to play if they're available, but every situation is different," said Yzerman. "If a guy just isn't into it, it's best to go a different route."

Having Hitchcock behind the bench, a coach known as a demanding taskmaster unafraid to verbally challenge his players, could make some players think twice about signing up and exposing themselves to a higher level of public scrutiny. McCabe, for example, wilted amidst the heightened expectations of the 2006 Olympics and hasn't been the same player since.

Hitchcock said yesterday he's more attuned to the unique burden on players new to a championship team after seeing the Canadian Olympic team fail badly in 2006 following the capture of gold in Salt Lake City four years earlier.

"We didn't come clean enough about the awesome responsibility the new players felt in '06," said Hitchcock, an assistant under Pat Quinn in Turin. "They were trying to defend a medal they hadn't won. They felt that pressure."

No one's quite sure how this world tournament will play in the Great White North in the middle of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it will certainly be watched and it will be a hard test for Team Canada after winning three of the last five.

If a Leaf or two was asked to skate for Hitchcock, it could only enhance the future of the Toronto hockey club.

ADVERTISEMENT

Iconocast is about learning and teaching without borders; we offer eMarketing, Internet Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Online Branding, and eMarketing News Services.

Iconocast Home Page

Contact Iconocast

Iconocast Health Articles

© 2003-07. ICONOCAST is a trademark of iconocast.com.