WJC2012: Oleksiak downplays dual citizenship ahead of Canada-U.S. tilt

EDMONTON — When Jamie Oleksiak choose to try out for Team Canada instead of the U.S. in his final shot at the world junior hockey championship, it seemed like there would be a lot of emotion involved in having to play in a border battle.

That's the cliché — think of the media firestorm 15 years ago when Belleville, Ont.-born Brett Hull helped Team USA win the World Cup of Hockey. But talking to Oleksiak, the dual-citizen defenceman, one got that sense that relying on personal history for motivation could be a crutch. Or he just didn't want to talk about being cut from the American team last year.

"Every game we play there's emotion, so obviously there's so added emotion with it being the U.S.," the Dallas Stars first-round pick said. "It's a great rivalry, everyone will really be buzzing and going hard."

The hulking 6-foot-7, 244-pound Oleksiak was born and raised in Toronto, but his father is a native of Buffalo. He also played a year in the NCAA at Northeastern University before being drafted by Dallas and opting to spend his age-19 year with, of all things, a U.S.-based Ontario Hockey League team, the Saginaw Spirit. Oleksiak told Sportsnet earlier this year he uses his U.S. passport while playing the Saginaw Spirit. In the global village of 2011, perhaps a Canadian player carrying his U.S. passport isn't that odd.

"What it came down to me for finally, was what I thought was best for what reflected me as a player," the 19-year-old said after Canada's 10-2 cakewalk vs. Denmark. "I feel that I'm a Canadian. I was born in Canada and I was raised and still live there. To be here now is just a huge honour."

Coming into this season, the the U.S. boasting a veteran defence. Canada wound up turning over its entire back end from last year's squad after Erik Gudbranson made the NHL's Florida Panthers. The Great White North might have simply been more of a land of opportunity.

"I was fortunate enough I was given the opportunity and it's been a phenomenal ride," Oleksiak, who's been paired with Buffalo Sabres first-round pick Mark Pysyk during the tournament, said. "They've supported me the whole way, It will be a lot of fun [Saturday]."

Of course, given the relationship between the neighbouring nations, he's hardly the first dual citizen who had to choice between Eh? and the U.S. of A. Current Buffalo Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers played for Canada a few seasons ago even though he was raised in Houston, Texas, until age 12. Ontario-born Cam Fowler, who grew up in the midwest U.S. and has a Michigan-born mother, won a world junior gold medal with Team USA in 2010.

Oleksiak played with six current U.S. players in the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament,

The Hlinka is not a sanctioned IIHF tournament, so playing in it does not mean someone has sworn his allegiances. Hockey Canada emphasizes the August event since it can use all of its available talent. USA Hockey focuses more toward having its Ann Arbor, Mich.-based U18 team prepare for the official IIHF under-18 that's held in the spring. The members of that team don't play in the Hlinka.

Oleksiak has also attended Stars camps with Jack Campbell, the starting U.S. goaltender. Oleksiak wasn't about to put on his advance scout's hat, though.

"That's what we have the coaches for," he said.

That figures. When it's Canada-U.S., no one with roots on either side of the border wants to say too much.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (The Canadian Press).