Ryan Kesler Is Back From Camp and Likes USA's Chances

The USA Olympic orientation camp made for some strange bedfellows. Vancouver forward Ryan Kesler found himself rooming with T.J. Oshie of the Blues, who'd sent some cheap shots Kesler's way in the past, according to Kesler.

"I wasn't a fan," Kesler told FanHouse by phone this week. "And Paul Stastny once got me with a stick on a faceoff and chipped a couple of my teeth. But we sat down and talked and they're good guys. Stastny apologized for high-sticking me in the face."

Could it be that some of the other USA hopefuls felt equally ambivalent about Kesler going into the camp?

"A couple," Kesler said with a laugh. "About 90 percent."

The camp, held near Chicago, concluded this week and Kesler came away particularly impressed with Boston goalie Tim Thomas. He hadn't seen much of Thomas before, and, Kesler said, Thomas stopped every one of his shots during practice.

Kesler, a Michigan native, is pretty much a lock for Team USA, whose general manager, Brian Burke, drafted Kesler for the Canucks in 2003. Burke's comments about Kesler all week were glowing, and Kesler was a Selke finalist, so it's kind of a no-brainer.

That's a good thing, because Kesler, who turns 25 at the end of this month, will be an interesting storyline come the Olympics. He plays for the Winter Olympics host city during the NHL season and he said it's extra special to have a chance to play in Vancouver as an Olympian - but for the duration of the the international competition, he'll be wearing the wrong uniform as far as most Canucks fans are concerned. The reaction could be decidedly mixed, especially after Kesler recently told Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, "I guarantee that we'll beat the Canadians."

Kesler didn't backpedal from that statement when he spoke to FanHouse, but he did temper it somewhat. He has to play north of the border, after all.

"Canada has a lot of pressure on them," he said. "They're a good team but we're going to have to get past them to win. You can't win unless you beat them. So I'm not backing off what I said - but I can't say too much bulletin board stuff."

Except, perhaps, when it comes to his own teammate, the Canucks' star goaltender, Roberto Luongo, who along with Martin Brodeur, will be one of Team Canada's netminders.

Reflecting on the possibility of facing Luongo in February, Kesler said, "It definitely would be strange. He's a great goaltender, the best in the league.

"But obviously, shooting against him every day, you tend to learn his weaknesses. So it might be a little payback for all those years he's stopped me in practice."

Luongo is a reason the Canucks are viewed as potential contenders every year, as is Kesler, who was named the team's MVP last season, and the Sedin twins, who were inked to fresh contracts at the start of July. Mikael Samuelsson was added as a free agent, but Mats Sundin, who fit in well with the club last season after his lengthy career in Toronto, remains a free agent.

Numerous reports in the past day or two have indicated not only that Sundin wants to return to the NHL but also that Vancouver is the best bet to sign the 38-year-old center. Kesler had no particular insight into that, he said, but he's all in favor.

"If that happens, it would be great," Kesler said. "Sundin definitely helped me become a more complete player, that would bring things full circle. He's great on the ice and he's one of the better guys I've played with off the ice, a leader in the room."

No matter what, Kesler feels good about the Canucks. He stopped short of making any guarantees there, but, he said, "I believe in this group. I think every year is the year, but I like what our GM (Mike Gillis) is doing, and we have some young guys looking to step up. It's a good mixture."