Posted by Jim Neveau, Blackhawks Correspondent
WOODRIDGE, IL- As the time draws near for the USA Hockey Olympic Orientation Camp to commence, there are ever-evolving stories that are taking up headlines and stirring controversy.
The most notable story, of course, has been the arrest of Chicago Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane on suspicion of felony robbery of a cab driver in Buffalo, NY. Kane has yet to make a public statement on the matter, and there is some speculation as to whether he will address the issue when camp opens on Monday.
Currently, the case is being viewed by a grand jury, who is considering whether to formally charge Kane formally with the two felonies and one misdemeanor that he was charged with last week. According to the cab driver’s attorney, speaking on ESPN AM 1000 in Chicago Wednesday, he believes that the case will likely be decided before any trial, with the crimes being knocked down to misdemeanors and a plea bargain being reached.
With all of this happening, the big question now is whether or not this will impact Kane’s status as a member of the Olympic team. He is likely going to be relied upon to be one of the team’s top scorers (Zach Parise will likely share the brunt of this expectation as well), but with his arrest, there is speculation over whether the team is willing to allow him to participate.
Paul Stastny, 2010 Olympic Hopeful
The sticking point in that situation is the US Olympian Code of Conduct, which contains a promise that Olympians have to agree to. One passage that is being frequently quoted is “(I) will not engage in any conduct that is criminal under any laws applicable to me.” While the code of conduct does not specifically mention banishment from the team as a punishment, it is a potential road block to his inclusion on the team.
Kane will be issuing a statement regarding his legal situation on Monday, according to Dave Fischer, head of media relations for USA Hockey.
In addition, questions about the make-up of the team are being bandied about as well. With only a handful of players in camp who are over 30 years of age, the team clearly is moving in a more youth-oriented direction. Former Olympians like Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk, and Bill Guerin were not invited to the camp, even though GM Brian Burke did say that players not invited to camp are still eligible for the final roster.
According to Burke, he talked to the players mentioned about their non-inclusion on the invitee list for the camp, and they all understood and were okay with the decision.
Leaving out older players gives more opportunity to younger players who have international experience, like Kane, Stastny, and Dustin Brown.
Other Olympic Bits:
-St. Louis D Erik Johnson will be cleared to play at the camp next week after sitting out the 2008-09 season with a knee injury.
-Jason Spezza, who was left off the original camp invitee list for the Canadian Olympic team, has now been invited to participate in the camp, replacing Anaheim C Ryan Getzlaf. Their camp will be held from August 24th-27th in Calgary.
-The issue of insurance coverage at the Olympic camps seems to be dying down. Russia is having an optional on-ice element at their camp, which isn’t concerning to the NHLPA. Also, All 8 of Germany’s NHL player invitees declined to participate in on-ice drills, and the US and Canadian camps will not feature any contact drills.
Author’s Note:
I’m still looking for question submissions from readers to take with me to the US Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge next Monday through Wednesday. If you have a question that you would like me to address to a certain player or coach, let me know via commenting on this piece or emailing me at jamesneveau@hotmail.com.
I Hope you enjoyed this post. As always, leaving a comment below is both appreciated and encouraged. Thanks!
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