Team Canada Reports

CALGARY — Roberto Luongo received a movie-star welcome Monday upon touching down at the Calgary International Airport.
“Roberto, Roberto” a gaggle of predominantly female fans shrieked in a bid to get an autograph from the captain and starting goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks.
Not 10 steps away, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury — a Stanley Cup champion, no less — shook his head in amazement at the reaction to his seatmate on an Air Canada flight from Montreal.
“He’s big,” Fleury said with a grin. “I’m just a low-key guy. I’ll sneak through.”
Fleury, Luongo and Martin Brodeur — three of Canada’s top goaltending prospects for the 2010 men’s Olympic hockey team — arrived on the same flight for the start of the orientation camp.
Players began arriving earlier in the weekend, with more than 30 of them arriving on Monday morning and into the afternoon.
They didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment, however, as the puck was slated to drop for the first practice at 6 p.m. MT at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
Cam Ward, of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Steve Mason, of the Columbus Blue Jackets, are also in the running for one of three goaltending spots for the Canadian team.
“I think it becomes a great problem for Canada to have so much depth in the goalie department,” Brodeur said. “I think it’s going to be a tough competition when it comes down to it.
“We have a lot of young goalies out here. I’ve been here a while with the experience.”
As a kid, Fleury pretended to be a little Martin Brodeur patrolling the rinks during shinny matches on the neighbourhood rink.
Now he’s battling Brodeur for a job with Team Canada.
“I liked him,” he said. “Even though he wasn’t playing for Montreal, I still looked up to him a lot.”
Media pundits figure Brodeur and Luongo are locks for the team. But Ward, for one, refuses to buy into any pre-camp predictions.
“I wouldn’t want to come to a Team Canada camp trying out for the third spot,” Ward said. “I’m coming in here with the hope to play.
“I’m certainly humbled that I’ve got the opportunity to come and be a part of these great players. It’s exciting. I’m ready for it.”
So is Steve Mason, the dark horse of the group at the tender age of 21.
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself,” Mason said. “I’ve got nothing to lose. I don’t know if anybody is counting on me making it. That’s my goal, and I think I can.”
Calgary Herald