STATE OF PLAY
Canadian men determined to not just play in the Olympics, but to make their country proud in the process, writes Rob Longley
To a man, they have a story and in most cases, a damn good one.
The25playersattemptingtodrive Canada to a third straight Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey didn’t come from parts unknown, though it almost feels that way.
But if you are looking for one player who captures the spirit and the opportunity that awaits, get to know the hockey life of Chris Lee.
If his name doesn’t sound familiar, it shouldn’t. A journeyman minor pro for more than a decade, Lee moved to Europe in 2010 at age 30.
Since then, he has earned both a living and a reputation as a hardworking pro.
Now, thanks in part to the stubbornness and stupidity of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and his hard-line owners, 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 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 Bridgeport and WilkesBarre/Scranton in the AHL to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, Lee saw the NHL move further and further 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 Russia’s KHL, making a living playing the game he loves, even if the great Canadian dream of being an NHLer has been abandoned.
Just getting named to the Canadian team was an emotional ordeal for the defenceman.
“We’re here to leave everything out on the ice and play with our hearts,” Lee said. “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 down the bench, the stories all have their own texture, their own element of emotion.
There is Cody Goloubef, another member of coach Willie Desjardins’ unheralded blue-line. A secondround pick of the Blue Jackets in 2008, Goloubef scratched out 129 NHL starts over six seasons in Columbus and one in Colorado. With no teams biting, he signed an AHL contract with the Stockton Heat.
“It’s a place I don’t think any of us thought 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 is Mason Raymond, a far more familiar face to hockey fans. Over parts of 10 NHL seasons, Raymond played for five teams, recording 115 goals and 136 assists.
But the 32-year-old Cochrane, Alta., native ran out of opportunities in the NHL and this season 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,” Raymond said.
“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 warm-ups 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.”
It’s a place I don’t think any of us thought we’d ever be and now that we’re here, we’re here to leave our mark.