Coach Jeremy Colliton speaks to Team Canada players during a practice at the National Indoor Stadium, in Beijing, on Feb. 6.DAVID W CERNY/Reuters
Eric Staal knows the overwhelming joy of winning Olympic gold.
He also understands the pain of failing to medal at the Games.
Then there are three Canadian teammates at the 2022 men’s hockey tournament that fall somewhere in between following a bronze four years ago.
“They’re itching,” said Staal, who topped the podium with Canada’s NHLers in 2010 after being on the 2006 taxi squad for the country’s quarter-final loss. “They’re itching for more. Bronze was special, but they want a gold medal.
“To add them to this group is phenomenal.”
The trio of centre Eric O’Dell, along with defencemen Maxim Noreau and Mat Robinson, were part of the team that finished third in Pyeongchang. Proud to bring home some hardware, but also bitterly disappointed by a poor start in a semi-final loss to Germany that cost them a shot at the ultimate prize.
“We all know we would like to have that one back,” Noreau said reflecting on a game that saw Canada trail 3-0 early in the second period. “It changed the course of the rest of the tournament.”
The Canadians would eventually get to within 4-3 in the third, but couldn’t find an equalizer.
To their credit, the players overcame that heartbreak and rebounded to win bronze with a 6-4 decision over the Czech Republic just 24 hours later.
Now they’re back four years later living another improbable Olympic story following the NHL’s decision to once again skip the Games – this time because of COVID-19.
“You can say in a way it’s a second dream come true that’s the best way I could describe it,” said Noreau, a 34-year-old from Montreal playing professionally in Switzerland. “First time was obviously really special.
“To be able to come back this year and share that with a new group is going to be pretty special.”
Canada opens its Group A schedule in 2022 against Germany, which has 10 returnees from four years ago, on Thursday at Wukesong Sports Centre. The pool also includes the United States and host China.
The message from the 2018 veterans is to roll with the punches in Beijing.
“Every game’s going to be tough, every team’s good, everyone has a chance to win,” said the 31-year-old O’Dell, an Ottawa native playing in the Russia-based KHL. “We can’t take our foot off the gas.”
That’s what happened early against Germany four years ago, and the Canadians paid a heavy price.
There was, of course, a silver lining.
“We were able to come back from a devastating loss,” said Calgary’s Robinson, another KHLer. “That’s something that we can pull on when we play certain teams or we get into like the medal rounds and into the playoffs where it’s one game. That’s it, that’s all it takes.
“We have to be focused and ready at all times. That experience there from that game is going to be big.”
Short tournaments can be unpredictable, but one played in a pandemic could have any number of curveballs. Canada has already dealt with a big one when head coach Claude Julien broke his ribs at the team’s training camp in Switzerland and was unable to travel.
“Guys could be out with COVID or injuries,” Noreau said. “We didn’t even really know until the last minute what the team was gonna be like.
“Being adaptable is gonna be huge for us.”
Canadian forward Daniel Winnik said the returnees have been peppered with questions, even though these Games will be entirely different because of the pandemic.
“They’ve been through it,” said the veteran of 11 NHL seasons now also playing for Switzerland. “It’s just like if you have a Stanley Cup winner on your team, and that’s what you’re aspiring to do.
“If you’ve got guys that have been through the process, it really helps.”
Selected first over all by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2021 NHL draft, blueliner Owen Power said he’s been soaking up as much information as possible.
“They just bring a lot of experience,” said the 20-year-old, who’s been skating with Robinson on the top defence pair. “They’ve been here and know what it’s like, so it’s on those guys to guide us through.”
Canadian head coach Jeremy Colliton, elevated to the top job when Julien went down, said Noreau, O’Dell and Robinson, along with Staal, who’s been named captain and owns a Stanley Cup ring, will be leaned on heavily.
“Just providing that urgency, understanding that there’s no time to just dip your toe in,” Colliton said. “We’ve got to be going.”
“Any team I’ve ever had success on has that balance, and some guys that have that experience in moments,” Staal added.
Noreau said the key for Canada will be to both manage and embrace the magnitude of sports’ biggest stage.
“We can’t be afraid to say we want the gold medal,” he said. “We’re not here to just say, ‘Hey, we want a medal.’ We want the gold medal. We wanted it last time. We didn’t get it.
“We’re not making promises, but it’s a privilege to have that pressure.”
Notes: Forward Daniel Carr and defenceman Brandon Gormley have finally arrived in Beijing after testing positive for COVID-19 before the camp in Switzerland. “We’re going to need everyone,” Colliton said. “Some hoops to jump through for them, but they’re here now.” Goaltender Matt Tomkins, who played half of Monday’s controlled scrimmage against the U.S., didn’t practice. Edward Pasquale and Devon Levi – the team’s other netminders – were both on the ice with their teammates.
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