[Devils-list] Some advice for Gretzky

[John Lopez]

Some advice for Gretzky

By TIM WHARNSBY
>From Friday's Globe and Mail


Toronto - The speculation has followed Wayne Gretzky like a loyal dog.

For months, hockey fans have wondered about the identities of the first
eight players Gretzky will pick for the 2002 Canadian Olympic team. The
announcement is to be made Friday at 11 a.m. (ET) at Gretzky's Toronto
restaurant.

My first eight players would be Mario Lemieux, Paul Kariya, Joe Sakic, Owen
Nolan, Steve Yzerman, Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Rob Blake.

Three National Hockey League executives, who want to be anonymous, were
asked to pick their eight and they proved everyone does have an opinion as
they came up with three different views.

Executive No. 1 chose Lemieux, Sakic, Kariya, Yzerman, Niedermayer, Pronger,
Al MacInnis and Adam Foote.

Executive No. 2 picked Lemieux, Pronger, Sakic, Kariya, Yzerman, Blake,
MacInnis and Theoren Fleury.

Executive No. 3 picked Lemieux, Kariya, Sakic, MacInnis, Niedermayer,
Pronger, Blake and Jason Arnott.

The consensus is that Lemieux, Sakic, Kariya, Pronger and Niedermayer should
be among the eight.

"I like Adam Foote over Rob Blake," Executive No. 1 said. "Let's face it,
both will be on the team when the rest of the roster is filled out. Foote is
a great competitor.

"When you are selecting a team like this you are looking for balanced
players who can anchor different situations. Adam is one of those premier
understated players in our league. Every winning team has a player like
Adam."

Executive No. 2 made a surprise selection by placing Fleury on his team. The
New York Rangers sparkplug left his team last month to enter a substance
abuse rehabilitation centre.

"He still is a good player," No. 2 said. "But there are a lot of difficult
choices. Look at the defence. I would like to make Scott Stevens a choice,
but I would take Niedermayer over Stevens. Canada is strongest on defence."

Our third panel member was different with his selection of New Jersey
Devils' power forward Arnott.

"I think he is a real stud up the middle," No. 3 said. "He is very strong
down low, offensively and defensively. He is a tremendous faceoff man and
playing in the New Jersey system he is very responsible defensively."

If not Friday, Arnott will likely be added to the Canadian team in December,
when Gretzky and his staff will fill the remaining spots from a 40-player
short list.

Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Olympic defending
gold medalist Czech Republic have to announce between eight and 12 players
before Sunday so the Salt Lake Olympic committee and the International Ice
Hockey Federation can begin marketing the tournament with the selected
players.

The Swedes announced 10 players on Wednesday and the Russians picked eight
players Thursday: Pavel Bure, Alexei Yashin, Alexei Kovalev, Darius
Kasparaitis, Dmitry Yushkevich, Sergei Gonchar, Oleg Tverdovsky and Nikolai
Khabibulin. Goaltender Khabibulin was chosen despite having not played an
NHL game in almost two seasons.

Forward Sergei Fedorov and defenceman Sergei Zubov also were asked, but
declined to commit.

Finland will announce its selections Friday, while the United States is
scheduled to unveil 11 players during ABC's weekly NHL broadcast Saturday.
The Czechs will make their announcement on Sunday.