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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Heatley-Sens feud won't affect his Olympic status
One of the silliest is the idea that Heatley's problems with the Senators might hurt his chances of making Canada's 2010 Olympic team.
Wherever Heatley lands, whatever issues he had with new coach Cory Clouston and the Senators organization, he is the same lock to be on Canada's Olympic roster that he was before demanding to be moved.
Heatley's track record with Team Canada is beyond reproach because natural goal scorers don't grow on Canadian maple trees.
Steve Yzerman, executive director of the Canadian men's hockey team for the Vancouver Olympics won't be bothered by an issue between a player and his current team.
What matters is performance on the ice. When it comes to Heatley, he has usually saved his best for the world stage.
When Heatley answered the call to play for Canada in Switzerland this year, it was the 10th time he represented Canada in major international competition.
In 2004 and 2008, Heatley was named world tournament MVP and best forward. That '08 event in Quebec City and Halifax was noteworthy for Heatley because he played on a dominant line with Ryan Getzlaf and Rick Nash, a line expected to be reprised in Vancouver. With 12 goals and eight assists in nine games, Heatley was a scoring machine.
At this year's tournament in Zurich and Bern, head coach Lindy Ruff said more than once he would look to the leadership of veterans such as Shane Doan and Heatley.
Everyone is looking for the fatal flaw in Ottawa, the insurmountable issue driving Heatley away.
What if it is something less black-and-white, but more of a grey area, a feeling by Heatley, misguided or not, that this was never going to be his town or his team?
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 18, 2009 C7
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