SOCHI, Russia - The Sochi Games were a long time coming for Martin St. Louis. But there was a golden end to his bumpy Olympic journey.
Twice ignored by Team Canada selectors, including his own Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman, St. Louis finally got his chance when Lighting teammate Steve Stamkos was unable to return from a broken leg.
When the 38-year-old forward finally got to the Games, he had to endure more disappointment. He was scratched from one contest and often saw limited action when he did get to dress.
Only defencemen P.K. Subban and Dan Hamhuis and No. 3 goalie Mike Smith played less than St Louis' 35 minutes 22 seconds.
'This past month and a half, two months there's been lots of ups and downs,' said St. Louis. 'But I got an opportunity here, and I made the best of it.
'There was tough times through this tournament in terms of obviously not playing and stuff. But you understand the situation you might be in coming in, so I tried to have fun. Practice days I tried to be sharp. When you get the call and the tap on the back to go on the ice, you be ready. Every shift you're trying to earn another one.
'I got the tap on the back today in the first period, I tried to make my first shift a good one. I stepped on the ice and Johnny Toews scored. I had nothing to do with it but it was just crazy that I was in the (celebration) pile.'
Yzerman said he was happy for St. Louis and pointed to Babcock's decision to put St. Louis, Matt Duchene and Rick Nash together as a key point in the 3-0 win over Sweden in the Olympic final Sunday.
'The first eight or 10 minutes of the game we didn't have our legs, we didn't have much going. We looked a little bit nervous,' said Yzerman. 'He put that line out and from the first shift they generated opportunities, they created some energy and some buzz, so I really think that switch, putting Marty in there, gave us a boost and really kind of changed the course of the game in the first period.
'So I'm very happy for Marty. He's been through a lot. He's won a Stanley Cup now, he's won an Olympic gold medal and he came through in a difficult circumstance.'
St. Louis said he did not worry about his ice time at the tournament.
'I was expecting the worst and hoping for the best,' he said. 'It's not about me getting ice time today, it's about the team winning a gold medal. If I can help along the way, it makes it a little more special, I guess. But I'm happy when I got out there I made the best of it.'
He said his gold medal belongs to many people.
'I'm the one winning the gold medal today, but it's everyone who believed in me, my family, my friends, the coaches who helped me,' he said in French. 'I'm proud to have this around my neck, but it's not only a victory for me, it's for everyone that helped me.'
St. Louis also said he had talked to Yzerman about his bumpy road to the games.
'We had a conversation, that's between me and Steve. He had a tough job to do, and we're competitors. I'm glad that it turned out the way it did.'
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With files from Stephen Whyno
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