gb701 said:
He didn't "announce" anything - he answered what may have been the stupidest sports question of the year with what should have been a totally unnececessary answer.
The kid is doing great - but at 16 1/2 it is more than a bit of a stretch to put him as one of the top 4 centres playing hockey in the country. He wasn't even the best playing for Canada a month ago at the WJ - why didn't someone ask about their prospects of playing?
The hype machine strikes again.
I kind of assumed something like that. (thus the joke about room for Thornton et all at first line centre) Who asked Wayne and how did he word the question?
Of course no one could play on the World Cup team at 16. On a previous thread Van claimed Sid could not do it at 18. ( 2006 Olympics, I think we beat that one to death)
Here's a question for you (since you like the hype machine so much). Who's the best 16 year old of all time? No looking past their 17th birthday. Wayne wasn't on the radar screen at 16 1/2 though he landed like a bug hitting a windshield at the WJC a month before turning 17. Orr was well known to scouts at 15 and well Known to Bruins fans before turning 17 (they couldn't wait)
Heres my list
1. Bobby Orr
2. Wayne Gretzky
3. Mario Lemieux
4. Sid Crosby (still 6 months to go)
5. Mike Bossy
6. Guy Lafleur