Hockey

Already there are questions. More than eight months remain before Canada goes for gold in men's Olympic hockey, the selection process is still in its preliminary stages and yesterday, when 46 invitations were issued to August's Olympic orientation camp in Calgary, questions nevertheless abounded.

Why was Marc Savard, the NHL's ninth-leading scorer and the top Canadian-born player on the Eastern Conference's regular-season champion Boston Bruins, overlooked?

How about Jason Spezza, a taxi-squad member in 2006, whose best days were still considered ahead of him back then? Or Brad Richards, MVP of the 2004 Stanley Cup final and a versatile forward, capable of playing centre, the wing and the point on the power play?

The answer, from executive director Steve Yzerman, was that he couldn't pick everyone and that Canada's depth, particularly at centre, meant that some players with healthy NHL pedigrees couldn't even crack the preliminary list.

In all, Yzerman invited five goaltenders, 16 defencemen and 25 forwards to attend camp, a number that will be neatly divided into two 23-man rosters for four days of practice that will culminate with a red-white exhibition game. It is a who's who of Canada's hockey glitterati, with a few long shots - Milan Lucic, Daniel Cleary, Andy McDonald and Derek Roy - thrown in just to keep it interesting.

Both Yzerman and coach Mike Babcock stressed that simply selecting a team on the basis of scoring points would be counterproductive and that they wanted a competitive mix of highly skilled players who can adapt to the pressure and changing circumstances of a single-elimination format.

They stressed that successful candidates must be willing to play well at both ends of the ice and that when the final roster decisions are made, priority will be given to players who can play the game relatively error-free.

"Hockey sense is important; skating ability is important - plus competitiveness, versatility and guys that are responsible players," said Yzerman, rhyming off his list of qualities he wanted to see on his team.

Among the players chosen were two intriguing candidates who spent most of last season on the injured list - Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow and Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic. Sakic's presence on the team does not necessarily mean he is coming back to play next season, according to Yzerman, who said he spoke to the veteran centre to let him know about his inclusion on the orientation-camp roster.

Sakic, a pivotal force on the 2002 Olympic championship team, would be a candidate for the captaincy if he plays next season, along with Jarome Iginla, Sidney Crosby and Scott Niedermayer.

According to Yzerman, "I didn't ask him [Sakic] what his plans were. I understand the process he's going through because I went through it myself recently. I told him, whenever he came to his decision, that's fine with me, and not to feel any pressure."

As for Morrow, who is coming off major knee surgery and otherwise probably would have been a lock for a spot based on his performance in the 2008 playoffs, Yzerman suggested that much would depend upon his play in the first two months of the NHL season, to see how quickly he can regain his top form.

Eric Staal and his younger brothers Jordan, a member of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, and Marc, a defenceman on the New York Rangers, were all invited to camp.

Including the ultracompetitive Lucic, Savard's teammate in Boston, on the roster created something of a surprise and a stir, but, as Yzerman suggested, there was a reason for it that went beyond his obvious penchant for playing an aggressive game.

"I'm not bringing someone in to go out and beat up the other team," Yzerman explained. "That's not the way you're going to be effective in the tournament. But big, strong fast players give you an advantage. He has the potential to really add a dimension to our team that can be beneficial."

Yzerman understands that Canada's depth can be both a blessing and a curse. It creates high-level expectations. If every country could enter its second team in the Olympics, the Canadians would be the overwhelming favourites.

As it is, they can choose from Generation Next (Jonathan Toews, Mike Green, Drew Doughty), all knocking on the door. There are players approaching their prime years, who broke out this past season (Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Shea Weber). There are players in the heart of their careers, with just the right amount of experience and ability (Iginla, Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash.) And there are players in the latter stages who still have something to contribute (Niedermayer, Martin St. Louis, Shane Doan).

With so much talent at his disposal, there are no wrong choices for Yzerman and Co., just a lot of right ones that they need to sift through. And the best news of all? No salary cap to limit his options.