TORONTO — When Team Canada last lined up against the United States in a meaningful tournament matchup, Steven Stamkos didn’t watch.
It was Feb. 21, 2014 and the Canadian Olympic team was about to face off in a semifinal clash with the U.S. at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Canadians across the globe were tuned in knowing that a victory was the last step toward a shot at the second consecutive Olympic gold medal.
But of all the millions of Canadian eyes that were glued to their televisions, none of them belonged to Steven Stamkos.
Devastated that he had not been able to heal in time to come back from a broken leg for the tournament, Stamkos needed to clear his head. To maintain his sanity, he looked to reboot his emotions and try to wipe out the disappointment.
So, he escaped by jumping on a plane to the Cayman Islands.
“After I got the news I wasn’t able to go, I had so much mental and physical energy wiped from me, I needed some space,” Stamkos said Monday. “It was pretty gruelling what I was doing to try to get back to play in the Olympics. And to feel as if I was ready pretty much mentally and physically and then going to the doctor and not being able to, it was pretty crushing. I needed time and space away from everything, so I went on a little vacation.”
Canada defeated the U.S. 1-0. And Stamkos did catch their 3-0 victory in the gold-medal game against Sweden.
“I knew it’d be a great game,” he said. “I had a lot of friends on that team. It was special to watch as a fan, never mind a Canadian hockey player.
“I was definitely proud of those guys, (but) it was bittersweet, knowing what went on and how that would have been a special memory for me. But as a Canadian I was very proud as friends of all those guys.”
On Tuesday, Stamkos finally gets his chance to represent his country against the U.S. in a best-on-best tournament. And while the World Cup of Hockey might not be the Olympics, at least he is playing close to home, having grown up in suburban Markham.
“It’s been great experience to play in this tournament here and on the off-day go home to spend time with family and friends.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better situation and couldn’t have asked for a better start to the tournament.”
mzeisberger@postmedia.com