My boyfriend brought this story home to me this evening. We only have three more weeks in this damn province, then it's off to Canada for some human contact.

This is just another story of how out of touch with reality these people are.

CALGARY (CP) - Quebec hockey players are happy to play for Canada, says Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson.

Nicholson was reacting to a proposal by the Bloc Quebecois that Quebec have its own hockey team to play in international tournaments. "I've been very fortunate to be around players on under-18 teams, junior teams, men's teams, women's teams and under-22 teams," Nicholson said Thursday. "I can't speak for all players, but those who were named to those rosters, including those from Quebec, were proud to wear the Canadian jersey."

International Ice Hockey Federation rules allow for only one entry per country at world championships and Olympic Games, Nicholson added.

For Quebec to have its own entry, the IIHF said it would have to separate from Canada and form its own ice hockey federation.

While unveiling the Bloc's platform Wednesday, leader Gilles Duceppe noted that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete separately at soccer's World Cup even though they are all part of Great Britain.

The IIHF says Quebec would not be able to do something similar because it is currently part of Hockey Canada. The British home nations all had their own soccer associations in place before the international body FIFA was formed and have thus been allowed to remain separate entities.

"Team Quebec in international hockey (is) a long shot," IIHF spokesman Szymon Szemberg said in a release.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier of Ile-Bizard, Que., who won a World Cup playing for Canada and will likely play in the Olympic Games in February, says he'd want to play for Canada.

"Well, Canada is a country, so that's my answer," he told the Globe and Mail. "I'm part of Team Canada and Canada as a whole.

"I'm proud to be Canadian."

When told Thursday of Lecavalier's comments, Duceppe said the decision would lie with each player.

"It's their choice . . . at the Francophonie games, there's a Team Canada and a Team Quebec and people have a choice to run for either of the teams," he said. "We don't have any problem with that."

In Quebec, Duceppe fielded a series of questions on the subject. After a few minutes, he got irritated by the queries.

"There are a lot of more important issues frankly to be discussed during the (election) campaign than that," he said.

That didn't stop the prime minister from poking fun at the Bloc idea.

Paul Martin joked that the idea sounds as far-fetched as Duceppe's recent assertion that he would like to have an army and intelligence service in an independent Quebec.

"I suppose that goes with his army and his spies," Martin, in Montreal, said of the hockey idea.

"There are a lot of Quebec hockey players who play for Canada . . . on all the world teams, and they do very, very well. And I think they're pleased to play for Canada."

   

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier of Ile-Bizard, Que., who won a World Cup playing for Canada and will likely play in the Olympic Games in February, says he'd want to play for Canada.

"Well, Canada is a country, so that's my answer," he told the Globe and Mail. "I'm part of Team Canada and Canada as a whole.

"I'm proud to be Canadian."

   

   

There is already a thread on this :

http://www.canadaka.net/modules.php?nam ... ic&t=10056