Despite Lemieux's advice, Crosby not on Team Canada

	By snubbing Sidney Crosby, Hockey Canada basically downgraded Mario Lemieux from icon to just another Canadian arguing about the Olympic team. Elsa/Getty Images

Mario Lemieux, thanks for your advice -- not that Hockey Canada listened.

Lemieux, who would have been the captain of the Canadian Olympic hockey team if he had not been affected by recent heart troubles, gave his imprimatur to 18-year-old phenom Sidney Crosby, his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate and house guest. While it was never quid pro quo, in stepping aside no one would have blamed Lemieux for assuming Crosby would be in Turin -- even if nothing more than as a member of the three-man taxi squad.

When Hockey Canada made its announcement at 5 p.m. Wednesday -- eight networks in two languages covered the event live, unlike the modest OLN show for the virtually invisible United States team -- Crosby was conspicuous by his absence. Two of the other fabulous young Canadian forwards ripping up the NHL -- Eric Staal, who should have been one of the principal 13 forwards, probably in place of Ryan Smyth, and Jason Spezza -- were on the taxi squad, nudging out hockey's next big deal. By snubbing Crosby in favor of Spezza, Hockey Canada basically downgraded Lemieux from icon to just another Canadian arguing about the makeup of the Olympic team, which rates with shoveling snow as the leading winter activity.

Assistant executive director Kevin Lowe, while relaying executive director Wayne Gretzky's comment that Crosby might be the captain of the team in 2010, said the decision essentially came down to relative physical maturity. Staal is three years older than Crosby; Spezza is four. Indeed their numbers during the first 30 games of the season have been superior to Crosby's, who was a member of the dominant Canadian world junior champions a year ago. But Crosby had one inherent advantage. He would have been equally comfortable on right wing as at center, the kind of versatility ideal in a 13th forward. If Gretzky truly envisions Crosby as captain material in the next Olympiad, the rookie should have been one of the two forwards going to the Olympics as an injury replacement.

Other than Crosby's absence and Marty Turco being part of the goaltending triumvirate instead of Curtis Joseph, there were no surprises. There were 10 players back from the 2002 Olympic gold medal team. There were 18 returnees from the impressive group that won the 2004 World Cup on the eve of the NHL lockout, including only one new forward. You might have heard of him -- Todd Bertuzzi, who criminally assaulted Steve Moore in a game in March 2004.

Gretzky made it clear since Canada's orientation camp that he wanted Bertuzzi, even though on a roster oozing with experienced international players, Bertuzzi had not represented Canada since the 2000 world championships. Like Gretzky's stubborn stand on Theo Fleury in 2002, Bertuzzi was a lock.

Fortunately for Hockey Canada, Bertuzzi ratcheted up his play in the past few weeks after a miserable start, making the decision far more defensible. Bertuzzi is unique among the Canadians, a classic power forward who is an absolute handful in front of the net. As Lowe said, "He has lifted his level of play the last few weeks to where he was in 2003-04, when he was one of the top three or four forwards, not just in Canada but in the world ... When he's on his game, he's one of the most difficult forwards to handle down low."

Of course, he also creates headaches with his propensity to take penalties, making him the high risk/high reward player on a team that is otherwise safer than a down quilt.

But there was subtext to the selection, a group hug that Team Canada executives clearly expect 30 million Canadians to join. Lowe said, "We're proud to have him. We're excited to have him. A big part of being Canadian is being able to forgive." Added Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson, "What Todd did was wrong, but we have to move on on that [subject]."

Canada will not look back, not to the Moore incident or even to Bertuzzi's skimpy international résumé. And by passing over Crosby, and ignoring Lemieux, it is not looking too far ahead, either.