VANCOUVER — Veterans Kim St. Pierre and Charlene Labonte were considered the frontrunners for the top goaltending job on the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team, until a newcomer from Alberta barged in to make it a three-way race.
Edmonton’s Shannon Szabados had the best numbers of Canada’s three goaltenders during its 55-game pre-Olympic schedule of tournaments and exhibition games, and coach Melody Davidson says she now has three No. 1 goalies for the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
Davidson won’t say which will start the opening game Saturday against Slovakia, although all three may see action, at least in the preliminary round. It drives the goalies crazy not knowing, but even they won’t learn who the starter is until before the opening ceremonies on Friday night.
”I’m not so sure I like it that way either, but I’ve got three great goaltenders and I’m going to give them all opportunities here,” Davidson said Wednesday. ”It’s an Olympic Games.
”I want them to enjoy it too. If we wanted to take the easy way, we wouldn’t have brought three great goalies to camp.”
The 31-year-old St. Pierre was in goal when Canada beat the United States for gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Labonte, a 27-year-old from Fabreville, Que., got the start in the 2006 final Turin, Italy as Canada earned its second straight gold.
It was supposed to be a battle between those two for the honour of being the top goalie on home ice in Vancouver, but Szabados has given Davidson another option with her performance in pre-Olympic games, 30 of them against Alberta-based boys’ midget teams.
The 23-year-old played in 12 pre-Olympic games, posting a 10-1 record with a stellar 1.99 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. That included three wins over the Canada’s only real rival for global women’s hockey dominance, the U.S., including a 5-1 victory in the Four Nations Cup final in November.
St. Pierre, from Chateauguay, Que., had a 3.22 average and a .896 save percentage in 16 games. Labonte, out until late October with an ankle injury, had a 3.28 average and an .896 save percentage in 10 games.
”When I first started with the team, the only time we got together was for short tournaments and there wasn’t room to play three goalies, but this year, we played more than 50 games so I got a lot of ice time,” said Szabados, who got her first taste of national team action in 2006. ”I just tried to battle my way up and hopefully earn some ice time here in Vancouver.
”They’re such amazing goalies and they’ve been here so long that for me coming in, there’s not much pressure. And I had lots of chances to prove myself.”
Playing against all-male teams was not new to any of the three, but particularly Szabados, who plays on the men’s team at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. Before that, she played midget AAA and then junior A hockey, and was named top goaltender of the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders in 2007, when she had 31 wins, four shutouts and a 2.13 goals-against average.
She also once played half a game — sharing the net with current Montreal Canadien Carey Price — for Tri-City of the Western Hockey League
”It has definitely helped me become the goalie I am,” she said.
It will be her first Olympics, and she got there at the right time. Before 2009, the International Ice Hockey Federation allowed rosters of 20, including two goalies, for international events, but that has since been increased to 21, with three goaltenders. It opened an extra spot in net and Szabados jumped in with both skates.
”She’s a great young goaltender, just like Kim and Charlie were when they started,” said Davidson.
”She always rose to the challenge whether it was midget triple-A or junior. And she’s a nice mix with the other two. They’re very supportive of each other. I know it’s tough, but there’s respect between them.”
St. Pierre likes what she’s seen of Szabados as well.
”Charlie and I have been good friends for a long time, while Shannon is new to the program, but we all get along,” she said. ”She’s played men’s hockey for a while and she has a lot of confidence and she’s a great addition to the team.”
And now there are three in the same boat — wondering when and how much each will play.
On the men’s team, Martin Brodeur is expected to be No. 1 based on seniority, his long list of accomplishments and that he is still playing at his top level. St. Pierre doesn’t get that kind of consideration, but it’s nothing personal. It has always been that way on Davidson’s teams.
”I’ve been on the team for 10 years and it’s always been an issue,” St. Pierre said. ”Usually we find out the night before and I think that’s the way it’s going to be here.
”It’s not easy. In men’s hockey, we know who is going to be playing and who is one, two and three, but in women’s hockey, I guess it’s still something we work on. We all keep in mind we’re No. 1’s and prepare ourselves as best we can because who knows who will get the call?”
In the past, two goalies split the preliminary round games and their performance would determine who got the starts in the medal rounds. How it will work now with three goalies is anyone’s guess, and Davidson isn’t telling.
”I have the same questions you (reporters) have about who is playing and when,” added St. Pierre. ”But with experience, I’ve learned not to worry about it too much because then it becomes the only thing you think about.”
Davidson is well aware of the goaltenders’ wish to have lead time to get mentally ready to start, but who can argue with a formula that has produced Olympic gold twice?
”They wanted to know in August, but they know I’m not pulling any surprises on them,” the coach said. ”I just say ’enjoy it, don’t get caught up in it.’ And just because reporters are asking a lot of questions, nothing’s going to change in my processes.”
Szabados is excited just to be at the Games. A cheering section is coming in from Edmonton that includes her parents, grandparents, her brother and her fiancee, Alex Ritchie.
Szabados will also wear a sticker on the back of her mask for former junior teammate Matthew Cook, who is battling cancer. It has FLM, for fight like Matt, and his former number 23.
”It’s amazing here,” she said. ”It’s definitely something I’ll remember for a lifetime.”