Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to stand today to acknowledge the tremendous accomplishment of a great group of Canadian athletes.
The entire country watched yesterday as the members of our men's ice hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal since Oslo in 1952. The team, as all proud Canadians know, includes Ed Belfour, Martin Brodeur, Curtis Joseph, Rob Blake, Eric Brewer, Adam Foote, Ed Jovanovski, Al MacInnis, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Theoren Fleury, Simon Gagné, Jarome Iginla, Paul Kariya, Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, Joe Nieuwendyk, Owen Nolan, Mike Peca, Joe Sakic, Brendan Shanahan, Ryan Smyth and Steve Yzerman
This group of talented and dedicated athletes won the gold medal under immense international and domestic pressure. Together with their head coach Pat Quinn, all their assistants and the Great One, Wayne Gretzy, they made us all proud. Their win capped an incredible Olympics for all Canadian athletes.
I say way to go Canada. Vive le Canada.