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04-24-2004, 05:57 PM
"We still have problems getting players and the Canadians don't and that is disappointing," says Pleau, whose real life job is general manager of the St. Louis Blues. "There is no pressure on them to play. They don't have to answer to the media and friends and family about not representing your country.
"Up in Canada, players like to go to the worlds. Americans don't."
The thing is the United States actually has something to play for in the Czech Republic. The 2004 world tournament serves as a qualifying event for the 2006 Olympics and the top eight finishers get automatic invites to the Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
The United States, the silver medalist at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, goes into the world tournament seeded seventh and while no one expects the Americans to fumble to ninth, no one thought they would lose 5-2 to Denmark at the 2003 worlds either.
"There is something to play for," says Pleau.
Story (http://nhl.com/onthefly/news/2004/04/211726.html)
"Up in Canada, players like to go to the worlds. Americans don't."
The thing is the United States actually has something to play for in the Czech Republic. The 2004 world tournament serves as a qualifying event for the 2006 Olympics and the top eight finishers get automatic invites to the Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
The United States, the silver medalist at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, goes into the world tournament seeded seventh and while no one expects the Americans to fumble to ninth, no one thought they would lose 5-2 to Denmark at the 2003 worlds either.
"There is something to play for," says Pleau.
Story (http://nhl.com/onthefly/news/2004/04/211726.html)