National Post

GETTING TO KNOW CANADA’S B TEAM

They are in South Korea as replacemen­ts for better-known NHLers, but they have their own stories that are worth telling WE’RE SO PROUD TO BE HERE AND EXCITED TO REPRESENT OUR COUNTRY.

- Rob Longley

GA NGN EU NG • To a man, they have a story and in most cases, a damn good one.

The 25 players who will attempt to drive Canada to a third consecutiv­e Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey didn’t exactly come from parts unknown, though it almost feels that way.

But if you are looking for one player among the group that captures the spirit and the opportunit­y that awaits over t he next couple of weeks, allow yourself to get to know the hockey life of Chris Lee.

If his name doesn’t sound f amiliar, it shouldn’ t . A journeyman minor pro for more than a decade, Lee decided to move to Europe in 2010 at age 30. Since then the travelogue has included remote hockey stops while allowing him to earn both a living and a reputation as a hard-working pro.

And now, thanks in part to the stubbornne­ss and stupidity of NHL commission­er Gary Bettman and his hardline owners, Chris Lee is a Canadian Olympian.

“It’s still something once the opening ceremonies happen and we play some games it’s going to sink in a little bit more,” the 37- year- old Lee said on Friday following the team’s first practice with all 25 players in uniform. “It’s tough to grasp. It’s tough for me to realize that I deserve to be here.

“The more experience we have here the longer we’re here the more it’s going to sink in and the more we’re going to feel a part of something really, really special.”

A native of the Ontario cottage country town of Mactier, Lee’s hockey road map is out of this world. Or all over it, anyway.

From Bridgepor t and Wilkes Barre/ Scranton in the AHL to the Florida Everblades of the EHL, Lee saw the NHL move farther and farther from his grasp before migrating to Europe where he started in Germany and Sweden.

For the past seven years he’s toiled for Metallurg Magnitogor­sk of the KHL, making a living playing the game he loves, even if the great Canadian dream of advancing to the best league in the world has been abandoned.

Just getting named to the Canadian team was an emotional ordeal for the 37-year-old defenceman and his family who he FaceTimed back home to break the news of his selection.

“We’re here to leave everything out on the ice and play with our hearts,” Lee said of the band of brothers that will wear the red and white. “We know we’re going to be a hard-working team. Something they’re trying to instil in us is to try and play Canadian hockey. That’s hard work, that’s passion, leaving everything out on the ice. We can bring that for sure.”

Look left and right down the men’s bench and the stories all have their own texture, their own element of emotion.

There is Cody Goloubef, like Lee another member of coach Willie Desjardins unheralded blueline. A secondroun­d pick of the Blue Jackets in 2008, Goloubef managed to scratch out 129 NHL starts over six seasons in Columbus and one more in Colorado. With no big teams biting, he signed an AHL contract with the Stockton Heat prior to this season.

“It’s a place I don’t think any of us t hought we’d ever be and now that we’re here, we’re here to leave our mark,” said Goloubef. “We’re going to enjoy the experience and opportunit­y.”

Next up we’ll reacquaint you with Mason Raymond, a far more familiar face to regular hockey fans. Over parts of 19 NHL seasons, Raymond played for five NHL teams scoring 115 goals and 136 assists.

But the 32- year- old Cochrane, Alberta native ran out of opportunit­ies in the young man’s league the NHL has become and this year has played for Bern in the Swiss League where he has 17 goals and 17 assists in 34 games. His speed and scoring touch will be valuable commoditie­s here.

“We’re coming from the Swiss league, the Swedish league, North America, KHL — we’re coming from all over the world to get together for this,” the speedy Raymond said after the team’s workout at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. “We all know the best players in the world aren’ t here due to some rules, but we’re so proud to be here and excited to represent our country and enjoy the opportunit­y we’ve been given.”

It will be tough to top the thrill that awaits Lee, however. During all those minor league seasons he never played in a single NHL game, though he dressed for one. Getting called up by the Penguins, he skated in warmups before being scratched.

The big dream died not long after, making this gift from the hockey gods that much more meaningful.

“It already is a highlight of my life,” Lee sad. “And it’s just going to get better going forward once the games start.”

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