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OTTAWA — Hall of Fame goalie-turned-politician Ken Dryden is defending parliamentary colleagues who want to question hockey officials about Shane Doan's selection as captain of Team Canada.
Members of Parliament have found themselves in need of Dryden's defence. Open-line sports talk shows and email forums have been inundated with fan outrage after federal politicians summoned Hockey Canada officials before a committee to explain Doan's role at the current world championships.
Doan was named captain of Team Canada at the world hockey championships in Moscow in spite of a two-year-old controversy involving a French-Canadian referee.
That prompted opposition politicians — all of whom are anxious to win votes in the Quebec battleground where the next election could be won or lost — to raise the issue during the daily Commons question period.
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Dryden stressed that politicians have no right to pick Team Canada's captain.
But the legendary Montreal Canadiens netminder and former Liberal cabinet minister defended his colleagues for having opinions and questions. He pointed out that Hockey Canada receives over $1 million in federal funding and is accountable to Parliament.
"As MPs or as citizens we all have rights to express our opinion on this," Dryden said.
"The parliamentary committee has a right to hear Hockey Canada talk about this, as one of its funders.
"Do we pretend to have a right to choose the captain of Team Canada? That's up to Hockey Canada. That's their responsibility."
Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson, chairman Rene Marcil, and senior director Brad Pascall will appear Thursday before the House of Commons' Official Languages Committee.
They were not forced to testify — but could have faced a subpoena had they rejected an initial request from the committee.
Members of all political parties have asked to hear why the Phoenix Coyote was named captain despite his alleged slur against a French-Canadian linesman during a 2005 game.
Doan denied the incident and the NHL cleared him. The linesman involved in the incident still insists there was a slur.
Members of the Conservative government — which is counting on winning more votes in Quebec to win a majority — agreed with the opposition that Hockey Canada should be asked to tell their side of the story and voted with the opposition to schedule a hearing.
Sport Canada was also summoned, and has also agreed to attend. The agency receives $150 million in federal funding and is responsible for Hockey Canada.
When asked why the Conservative government agreed to ask for testimony from hockey officials, a cabinet minister said it's a question of respect.
"If we hadn't done it — how would we look as francophones," said Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn.
"There are two nations in this country — and we need to respect both. . . We can't just close our eyes and play deaf. Anglophones and francophones both deserve respect in this country."
Dryden did not criticize Doan's selection.
He added that he'd wanted to avoid commenting on the controversy out of hope that it would simply go away — but decided to say something when it erupted in Wednesday's headlines.
He said a key question is whether Doan ever even uttered the slur being attributed to him.
"You don't know and I don't know," Dryden said.
