Bob Nicholson Quotations

We had 11 or 12 bids for this one. We're getting preliminary bids in now and we expect the same kind of numbers.

Wayne has dealt with the media before. I think he's made it very clear where he is in this situation. He has not been involved. So there's no reason for Wayne not to be here. If Wayne didn't come that's not right. We want Wayne Gretzky to be here.

Wayne Gretzky means a lot to hockey in Canada.

Last year's team was if not the best, right up there in the history of the tournament. This year, every player is going to have to bring to the rink their A games to be successful. Brent has that unique ability to make sure every player has their A game for every game.

We feel if we hold it in two venues, it's better for the player.

He's already missed two major events because of the suspension and now he's back. He's off suspension and now he is eligible.

Hockey Canada believes in a safe environment for all players and commends commissioner Dave Branch and the Ontario Hockey League for its stance on hazing this past week,

I think it's a non-issue. They will look at the list in the next few days and I don't expect anything coming back.

I sat in the last (IIHF) directors' meeting and the words I heard in the last directors' meeting were exactly what I wanted to hear. They were going to allow players to hit and they were going to call the hooking and the holding. Now the players are confused. We have to get this much more consistent, not for Team Canada, but for every player in this tournament.

Our whole process here right now is to make sure everything is OK with Wayne and with his mom and that's where our focus is. I've talked to all of our other management people and we'll just take it day by day here.

I still want to stay in the sport on the hockey side -- that's my passion and where my strengths lie.

I thought he was just Jim, just fine.

It is essential that we continue to educate administrators, coaches, parents, players, staff and volunteers on the negative effects of hazing.

We were 2-0 with the top team in both those tournaments, why would we change anything? We will reassess and re-evaluate. We know that when the Games are in Vancouver it's going to be huge and we want to make sure we have the right management team in place for those Games.

We have a good group with those five. We have to look at what our need will be. It's really what piece fits.

We've had discussions over the last couple of months. There hasn't been anything formal. I'm in an excellent situation and I love my job here. But if the right offer came along, I'd listen.

We need him here. He's the guy that's going to make sure that everything is in place.

We'll make that decision in the next 24 hours.

We'd like to keep everybody together and we're going to leave as planned.

We're trying to get an update on where everybody is at right now. Everybody was talking two or three weeks ago about the health of our team, but back then it didn't mean much because we had a lot of time. Now, if we lose a guy we're going to have to make a snap decision right away, and it's really going to mean some difficult decisions.

Brent Sutter hasn't lost a game since he joined the program and if I didn't offer him the job again next year I think people would question my intelligence. They might do that anyway, but I'd like to think that I'd get this one right.

No question we'd put him on the team. We're not counting on Sidney Crosby but Sidney Crosby will definitely wear a Canadian jersey in the future.

Any time Brent wants to be with us, the same as Wayne Gretzky, I want to put him in a position to lead Team Canada.

A lot of coaches could have won gold with that team last year, but not many could have won gold with this team this year.

This just wasn't our tournament. We had a number of players who played in the world championship and they had the legs. We just couldn't seem to get our legs going here.

They certainly are supporting (our position) and that is to have Wayne Gretzky at the Olympics.

The key thing for us now is to have our medical staff talk to all NHL medical staffs to stay on top of where all of our players are. We're going to have to do that from now to the start of our camp in Toronto (Feb. 13).

I'm not even looking to the Olympics right now. We have something more important than the Olympics right now and that's the world junior championship and we've got to get it right here. We're going into our biggest game (tomorrow against the U.S.) and into the medal round and it has to be better.

If Sidney Crosby is in the top 23 players he'll be on the team.

If players are going to play, they want to be on a winning team, and we've been doing that.

I know it's tough for him. I get the feeling, just from talking to him, that he wants to play, and I don't think he'd be calling us updating us on the situation as much as he is if he didn't want to play.

I had a great conversation with Wayne as I jumped on the plane to come to Turin and Wayne's excited. He's really excited about coming here to Turin and heading the men's team. Wayne should be here. He's been the leader of this team from day one.

He's such a good coach because he is very clear and direct to the players on what he wants. He really makes them accountable, but in his own way always shows a great deal of support.

He thinks he should be here and I certainly want him here. If Wayne didn't come, that's not right.

I am not looking to the Olympics right now. I have something much more important on Dec. 30 and that is the world junior championship. We have to get it right here.

The evaluation of who will play in Turin will really happen October through December,