Follow the leaders
If Toews can park his ego for a medal, so can these guys
GANGNEUNG — Jonathan Toews and the rest of the best in the NHL may not be here in South Korea, but the Chicago Blackhawks captain has a vested interest in the Olympic men’s hockey tournament just the same.
Toews made that clear this week when he helped fire up the 25 members of the 2018 Canadian squad, imploring them with what it will take to bring home a third consecutive gold medal.
With the help of Canadian defenceman Chay Genoway, a fellow Manitoba native and pal from their days as teammates at the University of North Dakota, Toews was recruited to address the team via conference call.
“His message was pretty simple,” Canada’s general manager Sean Burke said on Saturday. “He was trying to get across that when they won in 2014, it really was a team effort. It’s really just buying into the fact that if you’re going to win, everybody’s got to do their part. When you hear it from Jonathan Toews, you hear it from a guy who is a top player on his own team. And then they join the Olympic team and they kill penalties or they block shots and do what it takes. It hits home.”
Burke and coach Willie Desjardins used the Toews commentary as an opportunity to emphasize an important point in such a short tournament. The buy-in has to be complete and the willingness to accept roles players are unaccustomed to back home needs to be embraced.
The GM pointed to the example of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand, who entered the 2014 Games in Sochi with the most powerplay goals in the NHL.
During the Olympics, however, coach Mike Babcock didn’t offer Marchand one second of power-play time.
“We are lucky as Canadians because we’ve seen our teams do that,” Burke said.
“We (as coaches and general managers) can say it, but when you see Brad Marchand or any of our superstar players take on a different role because they know that’s going to help the team be successful, that’s the best teaching you can do.
“The examples are what convince people and the groundwork has been laid many, many ties. When you see Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky or any of our superstar players have led by example, then that’s easy. There’s no reason why the rest of us can’t do it and that really helps.”
Even players who have competed in multiple Stanley Cup finals will tell you that the thrill and the challenge of playing in a gold medal games at the Olympics is a stage with it’s own enormity. That’s why the session with Toews won over an attentive audience of teammates still getting to know each other.
“We haven’t been through this, none of it,” Canadian forward Derek Roy said prior to his team’s practice. “Just to get a player’s perspective on what’s going to happen, what’s going to go on, what the emotions are going to be like, how’s the travel … it was just nice, especially from (Toews). He’s such a great leader and he’s won some Cups and gold medals … what better way to get motivated than hearing words from a player like that.”
Of course recognition of what’s at stake could have the opposite effect on some players. They are all attuned to the fact the superstar quotient doesn’t exist but fans at home have similar expectations as the past two teams which Toews, Crosby and others guided on a golden journey.
“There is a balance between realizing how big this moment is and trying to put it to the back of your mind so you can go out there and do a job to the best of your ability,” Canadian captain Chris
Kelly said. “You are learning through your entire life how to handle different situations and you think this is the biggest stage you can imagine and then there is another one then another one.
“I don’t think there is a bigger one than this, but I could be wrong.”
Burke is pleased that as Thursday’s opener against Switzerland draws nearer, more and more NHLers are expressing their interest. Not all were involved to the extent Toews was, but many are reaching out to offer support.
“The one thing I’ve been real impressed with is the NHLers, now that it’s getting closer, how supportive they are and how excited they are to watch this,” Burke said.
“And I think that is great for our guys. They know they’re not over here on an island and there are a lot of great hockey people back home cheering these guys on. We’re not just here to enjoy the experience. We are here to win.”