 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
Persistence pays off Smyth looking good for first World Championships medalPosted: Wednesday May 07, 2003 8:18 PMTURKU, Finland (AP) -- After four previous world championship disappointments, Ryan Smyth is hoping No. 5 will finally be the one. A veteran of the Canadian national team, Smyth won gold at the World Junior Championships in 1995 and the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, but has been unable to attain the elusive senior World Championship title, or even a medal for that matter. But somehow, after five trans-Atlantic journeys, 40 World Championship games, four failures and endless effort, the Edmonton Oilers winger remains hopeful. "It's bound to happen if I return enough," Smyth joked. "As a hockey player, of course you dream of winning the Stanley Cup but as you get older you see there's more than just the Stanley Cup. "There are other medals to be won." Playing in his 40th World Championship game on Wednesday, Ryan tied Buffalo Sabres defenseman James Patrick for the most number of games for a Canadian player at the tournament. Patrick, 38, played on the national team for 20 years, his first time in 1983 and his last in 2002. Smyth also matched Phoenix Coyotes goalkeeper Sean Burke for the most appearances by a Canadian at the worlds. Smyth began his love affair with Canada's world championship team in 1999 in Lillehammer, Norway. The team finished fourth two years in a row, then placed fifth in 2001 in Germany and a disappointing sixth last year in Sweden. "I have passion for the game," said Smyth, who led the Oilers in scoring this season with 61 points in only 66 games, including 27 goals, the fifth time in his career he has scored 20 or more. "I have respect for Hockey Canada and they respect me. And it gives me respect to play. I'm always thrilled to be here. I love to play. It's a great honor to be recognized as a player. I try to play as proud as I can. "I'd love to be in the playoffs so I don't have to come here but hockey players should be playing at this time of year." Smyth, who has played his entire career with the Oilers, is a natural-born leader, and has been designated captain of the team for three straight years, starting in 2001 when he replaced Michael Peca, an NHL holdout at the time who suffered a cheekbone injury and had to go home after just three games. So far Smyth has scored two goals and had two assists in seven games, only two penalty minutes and the highest faceoff percentage on the team at 75. "He's a player that leads by example," said coach Andy Murray, who has guided Canada at three worlds, including the gold medal-winning team in 1997. "He's captain for the type of person he is. I've admired him a long time but this is the first time I've had the chance to coach him. "Everyone knows how he plays the game. He says something and people listen." His teammates agree. "He's so proactive for the team concept," said Edmonton Oilers teammate Eric Brewer, who on Wednesday scored Canada's winning goal 37 seconds into overtime to defeat Germany in the quarterfinals. "He's everything you want in a player. He's everything you want in a teammate." Canada's last title dates back six years ago the last time the worlds were staged in Finland. Four Canadians from that team have returned: Murray, New York Rangers' Anson Carter, Burke and Edmonton Oilers' Cory Cross. The team will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals while defending champions Slovakia takes on Sweden. |
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
