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18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008 World juniors not the only thing on Tavares' mind OHL superstar also dealing with ongoing trade rumours By Shawn Cayley METROLAND MEDIA GROUP John Tavares is ready for another shot at winning gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. But unlike last year, when he started out as the 13th forward with little pressure on his shoulders, the 18year-old Oakville native will likely be counted on right from the get-go as potentially one of four returning players from the team that won gold in the Czech Republic last season. Tavares headlined the list of invitees to the evaluation camp, which was announced by Hockey Canada on Wednesday in Ottawa, where the camp will open next week. With the tournament being hosted in the nation's capital, the Oshawa Generals captain knows the expectations of the entire team to perform, and specifically of him to be a catalyst of the offence, will be heightened. "I think it's part of the game," Tavares said of the pressure. "It's especially what I am counted on for. I am expected to do those kind of things. Scoring goals and producing offence is something that I am good at and supposed to do every single night. I also feel the pressure as well to make sure I am playing well in my own zone and not letting my teammates down in other areas of the game." While his play, and that of Team Canada, will be of ADRIEN VECZAN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER the utmost importance once the tournament gets underway Dec. 26, Tavares will continue to deal with CENTRE OF ATTENTION: Oakville native John Tavares (left), pictured in recent OHL action against the St. Michael's Majors, is the off-ice distractions, namely the trade rumours that expected to once again suit up for Canada at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships. The 18-year-old, who helped Canada to gold recently crept up again and have dogged him since the at last year's tournament, is also dealing with rumours that he will be traded by the Oshawa Generals in the near future. end of last season. However, if he needs a little advice in how to deal with the uncertainty, a phone call to fellow Oakville product Steve Mason might help. Legein rediscovers passion for hockey By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF For most Canadians, sitting in front of the TV, watching hockey and dreaming of some day being one of those players is a far-away fantasy that seems almost unreachable. Stefan Legein was one of the few who actually got close to the dream becoming a reality. That's why when the second-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets announced in August that he was retiring at the age of 19, it drew national headlines. Now, after a few months away from the game, he has rediscovered his desire to take the final steps toward making that dream a reality. And, like many kids across the country, the desire to play in the NHL happened as he watched the game on TV. "I kind of wish I hadn't taken the time off but it was what helped me get the passion back," Legein said yesterday (Friday). Legein's comeback began quietly more than a month ago when he mentally and needed to regroup. If I started skating with the Jr. B St. wasn't ready to do this, I didn't want Catharines Falcons. Legein then to waste anybody's time, especially the informed Columbus GM Scott kind of player that I am. I can't go out Howson in late November that he there and not give it everything I wanted to play again. Howson told have." The Columbus Dispatch Legein said his parthat Legein will be wel- "I just wasn't ready ents were very supportcomed back by the team. mentally and needed ive in helping him work There was a lot of to regroup. I can't go through the pros and speculation that Legein out there and not cons of a return. He was burned out after a give it everything I hoped to begin working long season that included have." out with an OHL team, the Canada/Russia Super Stefan Legein but league rules have Series in the summer, prevented that so far. In the OHL season, the World Junior the meantime, he'll continue to skate tournament -- where he helped with the Falcons, who he said have Canada win gold -- rehab on a shoul- been extremely helpful in his comeder injury suffered in the tournament back. and then playoffs in both the OHL and He'll work his way back into game AHL. The speedy winger, who built a shape and join a Columbus affiliate in reputation on outhustling his oppo- the new year. nents, said he simply wasn't ready to "Every day, I'm just concentrating play when training camp rolled on getting faster, stronger. I want to around. get back to where I was as a prospect," "It was a lot of hockey, but I can't he said. "I knew it would be tough, blame it on that. A lot of guys played but now I know there's nothing else a lot," he said. "I just wasn't ready I'd rather be doing." Mason dealt with similar distractions Mason, now with the Columbus Blue Jackets, ended up starring in goal and leading Canada to gold last year, all while dealing with the impending OHL trade that saw him head from the London Knights to the rival Kitchener Rangers. Those talks took a toll on the goalie, said Tavares. "I know it was a lot on Steve (Mason) last year, and even though he came through (for us), it was a lot on him with getting traded from London to Kitchener," Tavares said. With all the talk surrounding his own future now, Tavares maintains it hasn't been much of a distraction due to support of his Generals teammates, and other members of the organization. "I think my teammates, the coaching staff and everybody here have made it that much easier. They just let me be myself and let me be a kid. It's like it really hasn't been a factor for us," he said. And he insists that the chatter won't be a factor should he earn a spot and another shot at gold with the junior team over the holidays. "When I go there (to the evaluation camp), my focus is to make the team and if I can achieve that, to represent my country," Tavares said. "I (can't) worry about what everyone else is talking about." The OHL trade deadline is Friday Jan. 9 at noon.