Hockey

CTVOlympics.ca caught up with Pierre McGuire to find out what he's expecting from the upcoming Hockey Canada men's Olympic orientation camp in Calgary from August 24-27. 

What are the key things you will be watching for at camp?

1. The type of system Mike Babcock wants to put in place for this staff. That's a major reason why this camp takes place, so the players understand the mindset and the philosophy the coaching staff, because you don't have a lot of prep time going into the Olympics.

2. How the younger players respond to the pressure of being in a camp like this with more established players. I'll use Sidney Crosby as an example - he'll be a focal point player. How does he respond to the challenge? I think he'll do very well, but it will be so interesting to see him in that environment.

3. Who accepts the leadership mantle? Joe Sakic would have been a phenomenal captain and leader for Canada but obviously he has retired. Going into the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, even though Mario Lemieux was the captain, he was insulated by amazing players like Scott Niedermayer or Chris Pronger or Joe Sakic or Steve Yzerman as leaders. Who does the leadership mantle fall to now? Because you didn't have the same leadership in 2006 in Turin as you did in Salt Lake. Leadership will be critical to this team, because this Olympics is in Canada and everybody is expecting the best result. Leadership will be -- in terms of stabilizing guys and keeping their composure -- a huge factor.

What do you expect to see from the five goaltenders on the ice? Could having five guys out there be awkward?

The goaltending situation merits major watching. Obviously Brodeur and Luongo, everyone knows how great they are. Fleury had a phenomenal playoff. It will be interesting to see how the goaltending thing shakes out. I don't think having five guys on the ice at once will be an issue in a camp like this. It might only be an issue in the red and white game because you've just got two nets and one game. But otherwise this camp allows goalies to break in at a reasonable rate. None of these goalies are going to make the team or get cut based on this evaluation camp. But they will have a chance to establish a pecking order, which I think is critical going into the regular NHL season. I think the young goalies are great and will be fantastically competitive. Marc-André Fleury coming off a Stanley cup will be supremely confident. Cam Ward has been exceptional for Carolina and in the World Championships. And Steve Mason has delivered in an amazingly difficult situation at the World Juniors. And I'm not equating the World Juniors to the Olympics, but Mason stood and delivered in an amazing moment in overtime in a gold medal game - not a lot of goalies have done that, especially on foreign soil. And he had a phenomenal season in Columbus, so he's unflappable. I've seen him do some amazing things internationally. He's immune to pressure; it doesn't bother him at all.

What will be the biggest priorities of the coaching staff at this camp?

The No.1 achievement for the coaches will be to find some line combinations. They want to make the players understand what they want to do with the power-play, the penalty-kill, five-on-five, and fore-checking wise, because there is not a lot of prep time. They will indoctrinate these guys in their organizational philosophies pretty quick, so everyone is on the same page going into the Olympics, because you don't have a lot of trial balloons you can shoot up into the air in Vancouver. It becomes a difficult position, and it's a quick tournament with little prep time. So this is where aggressive coaching matters. The prep has to happen now.

Are there any players you expect to have a great camp?

Crosby is going to be one of those guys who has a tremendous camp, coming off the Stanley Cup. He'll have the chance to go there and illustrate to people that he should have been in Turin. For me, knowing him, he thrives in these type of situations, so he's one to watch. He has another level of respect from a lot of the established players, because he won a game 7 on the road in a difficult situation in the Stanley Cup final. He's carrying a lot more merit than he was before.

I think Dion Phaneuf is somebody who is coming off a mediocre season, and this camp is right in Calgary. He's familiar with a lot of these players. I think he's looking at this as a chance to show people he's a legit contender to be on this team.

Just how much does this camp matter in the grand scheme of assembling this roster later this winter?

Any time you get a chance to get on the ice in front of the decision makers, it's an opportunity to impress. I also think they are going to be gauging guys in terms of how they appreciate and respond to coaching. I don't think any camp is a distant memory in the long term of making a roster. It's really important when you're with the best of the best to try and establish yourself. I know Jarome Iginla is going to try to do that, and I know Scotty Niedermayer is going to try to do that. Those are players who are really important. They will try to set the tone, and that comes back to leadership.