Canada's Big Line features Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau
OTTAWA (CP) - Scott Hannan was in an unenviable position.
There was big Joe Thornton barrelling down on a 2-on-1 drill Saturday with power forward Dany Heatley at his side, Hannan alone to defend the star-studded duo.
So the San Jose Sharks blue-liner did what he could, wrapping his arms around Thornton and hanging on while the puck bounced away.
If there's a forward line that might strike the fear of God in the opposition during the Aug. 30-Sept. 14 World Cup of Hockey, it's definitely Thornton centring Heatley and Patrick Marleau, a combination of size and skill that a coach could only dream of having at his disposal in the NHL.
"Heater and Patty are both big players, and it's always fun playing with the bigger guys," Thornton said Saturday after practice. "I've seen Dany carry guys on his back. So it's going to be fun watching these two linemates of mine carry the puck and carry the play."
At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Marleau is usually the big man on his line in San Jose. But next to the 6-3, 215-pound Heatley and the 6-4, 225-pound Thornton, Marleau has to look up to his new linemates.
"I was thinking just that the other day in practice, they're both a little bit taller than me, that's for sure," Marleau, 24, said after Canada wrapped up its second practice of training camp at the University of Ottawa hockey rink.
"To get a chance to play with them is just amazing," Marleau added. "We're feeling each other out right now, trying to get some chemistry going."
Because only 10 of 23 players are back from the 2002 Olympic champions, Team Canada head coach Pat Quinn has had to come up with some new combinations at forward but that's not to say Thornton, Marleau and Heatley have no prior history.
Marleau is the common link, having played alongside Thornton at the 2001 world hockey championship in Hannover, Germany, and at Heatley's side when Canada captured gold at the 2003 world championship in Helsinki.
And in both cases, Marleau, a natural centre, shifted to wing, just as he is right now.
"I've played wing in the past before, so it's not a big deal," shrugged Marleau, a native of Aneroid, Sask.
Quinn liked what he saw from the line after two days.
"They can call skate and they have all great size," said the Toronto Maple Leafs coach. "We think they can be a strong offensive zone line."
In other words, Quinn hopes the line will wear down the opposition defence and cycle the puck in the offensive zone, leading to scoring chances.
"We're all big and we can all skate," Heatley said. "We all like to play the body and be tough and strong down low."
All three forwards missed out on Salt Lake City, Marleau having not yet broken through as a star centre, Heatley just a rookie in Atlanta, while Thornton, well, that's another story.
The first overall pick by Boston in 1997 was deeply disappointed he wasn't picked to play in the Olympics, a situation that was exacerbated by the knowledge that he was the guy executive director Wayne Gretzky would have called if there had been an injury leading up to the February 2002 Games. But in the end not a single forward begged off, leaving Thornton at home and stewing.
Asked about it Saturday, the savvy Thornton stayed away from revisiting old wounds.
"Canada won the gold and that was a good thing. That's all I really remember," he said with a smirk.
This time around, the 25-year-old native of St. Thomas, Ont., was no-brainer when the team was announced May 15. And so was Heatley.
The 23-year-old Calgary native delivered a dominating and memorable performance in leading Canada to IIHF world championship gold this spring in Prague, his overtime goal in the quarter-finals against Finland the stuff of legends.
His play in Prague -he was named tournament MVP -answered any lingering doubts that he was back in full form after missing most of last season recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in the much-documented car crash last fall that claimed the life of friend and teammate Dan Snyder. Heatley heads to court in Atlanta two days after the World Cup tournament ends, facing charges of vehicular homicide.
But for now the focus is on hockey, and Heatley is flying in camp after two days, looking very much at ease on the big line with Thornton and Marleau.
"It's been a blast the last two days," Heatley said of playing with his new linemates.
The only thing the line doesn't have yet is a nickname.
"That's up to you guys, isn't it?," smiled Heatley.
PIERRE LEBRUN; © The Canadian Press, 2004