Gretzky Solves Canada’s National Debt

As executive director of Canada’s Olympic hockey team, Wayne Gretzky got all of the headaches and little of the glory.

In a country full of hockey experts, Gretzky made himself a magnet for criticism when he accepted the job 15 months ago. No matter whom he and his staff picked for the 23-man roster or how they justified their selections, they had to return from the Salt Lake City Winter Games with Canada’s first men’s hockey gold medal since 1952 or they would be considered abject failures.

All the good things he had done for his homeland’s hockey reputation, such as winning four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and combining with Mario Lemieux to win the 1987 Canada Cup tournament, would have been forgotten if this team didn’t redeem Canada’s hockey honor at the Olympics.

“Nobody came to this tournament with the amount of pressure Team Canada came in with,” veteran Canadian defenseman Al Mac-

Innis said. “Everybody should give themselves a pat on the back.”

The players got those pats Sunday--as well as shiny gold medals--after they pulled away from the U.S. in the third period to record a 5-2 victory in the Olympic hockey final.

Coaches and team executives, however, don’t get medals. Gretzky had to content himself with a friend’s gift of a black leather jacket embroidered with patches for each of Canada’s Olympic triumphs and a maple leaf-shaped patch on the left side with the words “Canada 2002 Gold Medal Champions.”

The best reward for Gretzky, though, was the chance to breathe without being second-guessed. He will no longer have to listen to Canadian radio talk shows dissect his decision to leave young Boston Bruin forward Joe Thornton off the team, to leave penalty-prone Theo Fleury on the team and to refuse to promise goaltender Patrick Roy the starting job.

Roy declined a roster spot, leaving Martin Brodeur, Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour to share the goaltending duties. Fleury played well in the tournament, and Brodeur was a key factor in Canada’s victory Sunday.

“I’m very proud and happy for Theo Fleury,” Gretzky said. “So much attention was given to [his selection]. He did exactly what we picked him for. He was grinding it out every shift. Martin Brodeur, at 3-2 he made an incredible save on Brett Hull.”

After years of being disparaged for being the de facto general manager of the Kings and having too much influence in personnel decisions, Gretzky proved he knows something about judging talent. But he was simply too worn out to take any satisfaction from that Sunday.

“It’s been a stressful time, a stressful two weeks,” said Gretzky, who retired in 1999 and is the managing partner and part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. “The work our staff has put in the whole time has been incredible.

“In Canada, when you pick 23 guys, it’s very difficult. Should Joe Thornton be on the team? Absolutely. We’re the only country that critiques our team this way. But that also shows our depth. These guys have done something nobody has ever done: they’re the first professional Canadian team to win gold. I told them they should be proud.”

They, in turn, were proud of him.

“I certainly felt sorry for Wayne Gretzky, all the abuse he was taking,” center Joe Nieuwendyk said. “We’re standing at the end. I think that’s the most important thing.

“And he can smile. He did a tremendous job. Just to have his presence around the dressing room and be a part to this and be one of the guys was an inspiration for all of us.”

Gretzky did more during the hockey tournament than merely show up. He acknowledged Sunday the tirade he unleashed last Monday against the “American propaganda” and rumors of dissension between Canadian players and Coach Pat Quinn was intended to create an us-against-them sentiment that would strengthen the Canadian players’ bond.

“I just felt our team had been taking so much criticism, and that took some of the heat off those guys,” he said. “I didn’t sleep for five days.”

He can sleep now--at least until the NHL season resumes Tuesday--knowing the team he helped assemble acquitted itself splendidly in a splendid game.

“I’m real happy for Canada and very proud of our players and coaches,” he said. “They deserve all the credit. I think the game itself was a great game for the NHL to have in North America, to be seen by so many people and give our game exposure.

“Both teams worked hard. My feeling right now is pretty much incredible. As a team we came a long way.”

So has he. But winning the Olympics, he said, can’t be compared to his Stanley Cup exploits.

“It’s a different feeling,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve done it on this side, but the same emotion as far as winning goes. It’s very emotional and I’m very happy for the players. They earned it.”

Canadian fans felt they earned the right to celebrate. They spontaneously began singing “O Canada,” the country’s national anthem, and waved flags in a red-and-white frenzy.

“It’s like anything else, you get bragging rights for a while,” Gretzky said.

“This is something our country, we desperately needed to win this tournament.”