Wickenheiser ready to ‘play with the pain’
Team captain looks to contribute despite back injury
OTTAWA — This may hurt a bit, but it’s time to play.
Captain Hayley Wickenheiser was back on the ice with the Canadian women’s hockey team for practice Sunday and is expected to be in the lineup when the defending world champions face Russia in a Monday night semifinal at Scotiabank Place. “I’ll just have to play with the pain that I have,” the 34-year-old forward said, after skating for the first time since the second period of Tuesday’s tournament opener against the United States. “I can’t really do any more damage to it, so it’s as good as it’s going to be.”
“It” referred to Wickenheiser’s back. She said the severe discomfort might have been related a recent knee injury and wearing a brace to protect that joint, or she might have twisted awkwardly, or maybe neither.
“It’s always tough to be out of the lineup, but the girls are doing a great job. They’re rolling along, so I’m just going to go in and wherever I fit in is wherever I fit in,” Wickenheiser said. “I feel like I can go full tilt. It’s up to the coach. …”
It does seem likely that head coach Dan Church and his assistants will find a role for the national team’s alltime leader in goals, assists, points, penalty minutes and games played even if the Canadians have little to complain about after winning all three preliminary-round games (one in overtime) by a combined score of 24-2.
Church said it was “good to see Hayley back on the ice, and Hayley is happy to be back on the ice,” but the final determination on how she would be utilized will await an assessment on how she feels after practising.
Wickenheiser’s absence for two games created more playing time for 22-year-old forward Bailey Bram, who scored her first senior international goal in Friday’s 8-0 victory against Finland.
Bram admitted to be being a bit more confident on a personal level, but stuck to the party line and maintained her team would not take its semifinal opponent for granted even though Canada is 12-0 all-time against Russia in women’s hockey, with a 112-8 advantage in goals scored.
Last year at Burlington, Vt., Canada defeated Russia 14-1.
“It’s a new goaltender, it’s a new year,” Bram said.
That new goaltender is actually former goaltender Nadezhda Alexandrova, 27, who rejoined Russia’s roster after a four-year absence. She’s leading netminders with just one goal allowed in nearly 150 minutes and a save percentage of .976.
“It’s kind of a success for us (to be in the semifinals) because the last time we were in the best-four round was three years ago,” Alexandrova said, after watching from the bench area during Russia’s optional practice. “We are honoured to pay for the medals in the world championship and we are ready for that.”
Alexandrova is among the players who rejoined the Russian women’s hockey program in the leadup to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Wickenheiser said the program also benefited from the confidence of having former NHLer Alexei Yashin added as general manager in December.
“In Russia, in a lot of cases, women they think should not be playing hockey,” Wickenheiser said.
“So, for a guy like that to step up and say, ‘Hey, I believe in this team and this program,’ I think that says a lot for those women and gives them a lot to go on.”