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Ontario’s Krista McCarville hollers to her sweepers on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Krista McCarville feels her team is right where it deserves to be — atop the standings at the Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

The Ontario skip improved to 6-1 and took sole possession of first place after Draw 11 with a 9-3 victory over P.E.I.’s Kathy O’Rourke on Tuesday night.

O’Rourke sits in a second-place tie with Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones at 5-2.

“It feels good,” McCarville said. “It feels really good. We’ve been playing well and I think we deserve it.”

After Ontario jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three ends, P.E.I. got one back in the fourth, but O’Rourke’s rink would get no closer.

“I’m disappointed that the game wasn’t a better game,” said the P.E.I. skip. “Erin [Carmody] was struggling with draw weight and it’s hard out there when you can’t get the draws where you want them to be. She just didn’t have the feel tonight for it.”

O’Rourke credited McCarville with taking advantage of her chances and nullifying any of P.E.I.’s progress.

“They’re playing phenomenal,” O’Rourke said. “Any time we did have anything set up, [McCarville] either came through a hole or made a double.

“She played just like we knew she was going to play. We really had to place our rocks in exactly the right places or we were going to be in trouble with her.”

After a forgetful performance on Monday that saw it drop a pair of games, Canada picked up a pair of wins on Tuesday. To open the day, Jones defeated Alberta’s Valerie Sweeting 9-7 in the morning draw and proceeded to pick up a 10-7 victory over Kelly Scott of B.C.

“We played a little bit better,” Jones said. “We’re still not as good as we would like to be but I thought we had a good day today.

“It was a tough day for us. We played some good teams.”

‘We picked it up’

Eliminating mistakes is something Jones is hoping to improve on moving forward.

“We definitely played better today,” Jones said. “We picked it up and made some big shots, but missed a couple of shots that we’d like to have back. We’ve got to eliminate the steals and, I think if we do that, we have a good shot.”

Other evening draw action saw Quebec’s Eve Belisle defeat Sharon Cormier’s Northwest Territories/Yukon rink 6-5.

Meanwhile, Andrea Kelly’s New Brunswick foursome topped Amber Holland of Saskatchewan 8-7 after scoring once in the tenth end.

Saskatchewan opened the game by scoring three in the opening frame and held a 6-1 lead in the fifth end.

Finally, Nancy McConnery’s Nova Scotia rink picked up its first victory of the tournament, beating Shelley Nichols of Newfoundland and Labrador 7-6.

B.C., Quebec and Manitoba sit at 4-3 after Draw 11, followed by New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta, which all stand at 3-4.

Newfoundland and Northwest Territories/Yukon are 2-5, with Nova Scotia at 1-6.

The roster makeover for the Toronto Maple Leafs had an immediate impact on Tuesday evening.

Newcomers Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Fredrik Sjostrom and Dion Phaneuf each made a strong first impression in their debut performances for the Leafs, who managed to snap a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory against the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre.

With the addition of the three players, acquired in separate deals with the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, there certainly was a buzz in the building that hasn’t been felt for some time as another listless season has developed for the Leafs.

The crowd of 19,326 was appreciative that the Leafs’ league-worst penalty killing was better. They also liked the fact that Toronto didn’t blow a three-goal lead like it did last Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, and that Giguere immediately improved the NHL’s highest goals-against average (3.48) with his 30-save shutout.

Giguere became only the second Toronto goalie to record a shutout in his Leafs debut. The other was Ed Belfour, who beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0 on Oct. 10, 2002.

Giguere wasn’t overworked and that was a good thing because he is rusty. He’s a Stanley Cup-winning netminder that played more than 55 games for five straight seasons until last year, when Jonas Hiller shared the workload with him in Anaheim.

“Absolutely, the guys played well in front of me,” Giguere said. “They blocked a lot of shots [17]. All together it was a good start.”

The 32-year-old Giguere made only his 21st appearance this season. But if he can quickly find his form as he reunites with his mentor, Leafs goaltending coach Francois Allaire, all of a sudden the Leafs will have their best puck stopper since Belfour.

“I’m a little rusty,” said Giguere, who admitted he was nervous before the game and winded afterwards. “I won’t lie to you, my game needs some work. I’m looking forward to working hard and with Francois. Hopefully, it won’t take long, but I was pretty tired at the end of the game.”

Giguere was in position all game and got some help from the post when Devils centre Travis Zajac clanked a shot off the iron late in the second period. Leafs rookie Christian Hanson, who played centre, swept the loose puck out of harm’s way. It was the Leafs fourth shutout of the season and the 33rd of Giguere’s NHL career.

The 26-year-old Sjostrom, who chipped in an assist on his second shift, will no doubt help the Leafs hapless penalty killing. He was paired with linemate and fellow Swede Rickard Wallin as the lead forward duo on penalty kills. They got results as the Devils went 0-for-2 in man-advantage situations against Toronto.

“I’m surprised how comfortable I felt out there,” Sjostrom said. “Penalty killing is all about communication. Richard and I talked a lot before the game, and on the ice, and we were able to work hard and get the job done. It was exciting.”

Phaneuf a physical force

Phaneuf was a physical force in his first game with the Leafs. This was a welcome sight for Toronto coach Ron Wilson. He and general manager Brian Burke boasted in training camp that the Leafs would be much more difficult to play against this season. But that proved to be a bunch of baloney. Until Phaneuf arrived, anyway.

He rocked New Jersey forward Rob Niedermayer along the boards early in the game, then took a run at sniper Zach Parise a few shifts later in the New Jersey end. This prompted Devils defenceman Colin White to step in. He and Phaneuf tussled and the new Leafs blue-liner, who was paired with Francois Beauchemin, immediately won over his new teammates and fans with his ruggedness.

“He was sticking up for his teammate and that’s part of the game,” Phaneuf said of White. “I wasn’t going to say no.

“This was definitely a special game in my career — a big first game and the fans were good.”

Wilson was impressed with the upbeat leadership and energy Phaneuf brought to the Leafs dressing room.

“You could hear him from the coaches’ room, which is two hallways and three doors away,” Wilson said.

But before the Toronto supporters begin to plan the parade route, it should be pointed out that the Devils are a struggling team right now with out Patrik Elias. They have won only three of their past 10 games and backup goalie Yann Danis was in goal to give 37-year-old workhorse Martin Brodeur a rest.

The Leafs enjoyed a 1-0 lead after first period and improved that advantage by two more in the second period. Nikolai Kulemin popped in Sjostrom’s rebound for a 1-0 lead. Phil Kessel scored his third goal in the past two games and 18th of the season when he trailed on the play early in the second period.

Beauchemin blasted in his point shot on the power play with less than six minutes remaining in the second.

Jennifer Graves-Smith walked away from Halifax West High School on Tuesday afternoon. (Halifax Regional Police)Halifax police are asking for the public’s help finding an 18-year-old with autism who didn’t show up for her bus ride home from school Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer Graves-Smith was last seen leaving Halifax West High School at about 3:30 p.m. She is a special-needs student and was reported missing when she did not take her assigned bus home.

Staff Sgt. Darrell Gaudet of Halifax police said in a release that someone saw Graves-Smith walking on a wooded pathway toward Keshen Goodman Public Library on Lacewood Drive, and she has not been seen since.

She is described as white, about five feet eight inches tall and 130 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair. Graves-Smith was last seen wearing a blue Columbia Sportswear jacket and carrying a red and black backpack. She would likely have the hood on her jacket pulled over her head, police said.

“The thing with her is basically … if she is approached by people, a lot of times she will turn away,” said Gaudet. “That is a concern for us too as we’re out here looking for her.”

Police handed out flyers Tuesday with Graves-Smith’s picture in the Clayton Park and Bayers Lake communities. Halifax Regional Search and Rescue were also called to assist in the search because of the terrain.

Halifax Regional Search and Rescue members look for Jennifer Graves-Smith on Tuesday. (CBC)Many of the searchers were bundled with scarves and hats in an effort to keep out the freezing temperatures, which dipped to at least –20 C.

“Basically this is out of her normal pattern. She does miss her bus the odd time, but she will return home a short time later. So this is out of her normal pattern,” said Gaudet.

Police do not believe the teen has been the victim of foul play.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Halifax Regional Police.

Tomas Plekanec scored the game-winner in the third and Jaroslav Halak made 44 saves as Montreal ended Vancouver’s seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night.

Sergei Kostitsyn and Maxim Lapierre scored in the first period for the Canadiens (26-25-6), who ended a three-game winless run.

Mikael Samuelsson and Ryan Kesler each scored a power-play goal for the Canucks (34-19-2).

Vancouver had scored only once on its previous 18 chances.

Halak stopped NHL scoring leader Henrik Sedin on two close-in chances in the opening minute, then did it again early in the second period as Sedin was held off the scoresheet for the second time in his last three games.

Roberto Luongo, playing his first game since he was yanked after the first period of a 5-3 comeback win in Toronto on Saturday, could not be blamed for the two goals he surrendered on nine shots in the opening period.

A turnover by the Canucks defence gave Kostitsyn room to slip around Kesler, move into the slot and score only his second goal of the season at 5:56. It was Montreal’s first even-strength goal in four games, ending a drought of 223 minutes 12 seconds.

Samuelsson’s point shot on a power play handcuffed Halak and dropped into the net to tie it at 8:24, but Lapierre was in front to bang in a pass across the crease at 18:04 for a rare goal from Montreal’s fourth line.

The Canadiens had the sellout crowd of 21,273 rocking with some long stretches of pressure in the Vancouver zone in the second frame, but couldn’t add to their lead, although Kostitsyn went around Brad Lukowich and had Luongo down in the final minute only to shoot over the net.

The teams were each short a man when Plekanec had two whacks at a puck in the crease before he flipped it over Luongo 9:14 into the third.

The gritty Kesler was in his usual spot in front of the crease to bat a puck out of the air that went off defenceman Roman Hamrlik’s body to close the gap to one goal with 5:50 left to play.

The Canucks beat Montreal 7-1 on Oct. 7 in Vancouver.

Toronto’s Chris Bosh drives between Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images)

Danny Granger scored 23 points and the Indiana Pacers snapped the Toronto Raptors’ five-game winning streak with a 130-115 victory on Tuesday night.

Troy Murphy had 20 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana, which ended a three-game skid. Roy Hibbert had 18 points and nine boards and Earl Watson added 15 points and a season-high 11 assists.

Lester Conner coached the Pacers in place of Jim O’Brien, who attended a family funeral.

Chris Bosh had 35 points and 15 rebounds, and Andrea Bargnani scored a career-high 34 points for the visiting Raptors.

It was a season scoring high for the Pacers, who had scored fewer than 100 points in six of their previous nine games.

Indiana made 33 of 35 free throws and shot 52 per cent from the field.

The roster makeover for the Toronto Maple Leafs had an immediate impact on Tuesday evening.

Newcomers Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Fredrik Sjostrom and Dion Phaneuf each made a strong first impression in their debut performances for the Leafs, who managed to snap a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory against the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre.

With the addition of the three players, acquired in separate deals with the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, there certainly was a buzz in the building that hasn’t been felt for some time as another listless season has developed for the Leafs.

The crowd of 19,326 was appreciative that the Leafs’ league-worst penalty killing was better. They also liked the fact that Toronto didn’t blow a three-goal lead like it did last Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, and that Giguere immediately improved the NHL’s highest goals-against average (3.48) with his 30-save shutout.

Giguere, still sporting his Ducks mask, wasn’t overworked and that was a good development because he will need time to shake off the rust. He’s a Stanley Cup-winning netminder that played more than 55 games for five straight seasons until last year when Jonas Hiller shared the workload with him in Anaheim.

This season, the 32-year-old Giguere only has made 20 appearances. But if he can quickly find his form under his former tutor Francois Allaire, all of a sudden the Leafs will have their best goaltender since the days of Ed Belfour — the only other to post a shutout in his Leafs debut eight years ago.

Giguere was in position all game and got some help from his goalpost when Devils centre Travis Zajac clanked a shot off the iron late in the second period. It was the Leafs fourth shutout of the season.

Sjostrom, a 26-year-old Swede who chipped in an assist on his second shift, will no doubt help the Leafs’ hapless penalty killing. He was paired with linemate Rickard Wallin as the lead forward duo on penalty kills and they got results. The Devils went 0-for-2 in man-advantage situations.

Phaneuf a physical force

Phaneuf was a physical force in his first Leafs appearance. This was a welcome sight for Toronto coach Ron Wilson. He and general manager Brian Burke boasted all summer and in training camp that the Leafs would be much more difficult to play against this season. That proved to be a bunch of baloney, at least until Phaneuf’s arrival Monday night.

He rocked New Jersey forward Rob Niedermayer along the boards early in the game then took a run at sniper Zach Parise a few shifts later in the New Jersey end. That prompted Devils defenceman Colin White to step in. He and Phaneuf tussled and the new Leafs blue liner, who was paired with Francois Beauchemin, immediately won over his new teammates and fans with his ruggedness.

But before the Toronto supporters begin to plan the parade route, it should be pointed out that the Devils are a struggling team right now. They have won only three of their past 10 games and backup goalie Yann Danis was in goal to give 37-year-old workhorse Martin Brodeur a rest.

The Leafs enjoyed a 1-0 lead after first period and improved that advantage by two in the second. Toronto’s Nikolai Kulemin popped in Sjostrom’s rebound for a 1-0 lead. Phil Kessel scored his 18th of the season and third in his past two games when he trailed on the play early in the second period. Beauchemin blasted in his point shot on the power play with less than six minutes remaining in the second period.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday proposed a swap of Iranians in U.S. prisons for three American hikers being held in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad said in an interview with state TV that negotiations were taking place about exchanging the hikers for several Iranians jailed for years in the United States.

“We are hopeful that all prisoners will be released,” he said.

These file photos released by freethehikers.org show, from left, Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd. The three were arrested in Iran last July. (freethehikers.org/Associated Press)

Ahmadinejad did not mention specifics but in December, Iran released a list of 11 Iranians it says are being held in the U.S. — including a nuclear scientist who disappeared in Saudi Arabia and a former Defence Ministry official who vanished in Turkey. The list also includes an Iranian arrested in Canada on charges of trying to obtain nuclear technology.

“I had said I would help in releasing them, but the attitude of some U.S. officials damages the job,” Ahmadinejad said. “There are a large number of Iranians in prison in the U.S. They have abducted some of our citizens in other countries.”

Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were hiking in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region in July when they accidentally crossed the border into Iran, their families have said.

Samantha Topping, a New York City-based spokeswoman for the three families, said they had no comment on Ahmadinejad’s remarks.

The White House, through a spokesman, called the reports “fragmentary.”

“If President Ahmadinejad’s comments suggest that they are prepared to resolve these cases, we would welcome that step,” National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said.

“But we have not entered into any discussion with Iran about an exchange. As we have indicated publicly, if Iran has questions about its citizens in U.S. custody, we are prepared to answer them.”

Iran’s foreign minister said in late December that the three would be tried in court, but he did not say when a trial would begin or what the three would be charged with other than to say they had “suspicious aims.” Earlier, the country’s chief prosecutor said they were accused of spying.

Their families have said that’s ludicrous and last month hired an Iranian attorney to press the case.

Ahmadinejad said there were “indications they knew they were crossing into Iran.”

The last time anyone sympathetic saw the three was at the end of October, when Swiss diplomats were granted a short visit. The U.S. has no diplomatic relationship with Iran and is represented in such matters by the Swiss. At the time, the diplomats said the three were in good health.

When the list of 11 Iranians came out, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said it appeared the Iranian government was trying to suggest some kind of equivalence between the hikers and Iranians that had left Iran.

“There really is no equivalence at all,” he said at the time.

Three of the Iranians on the list have been convicted or charged in public court proceedings in the United States. The circumstances surrounding some of the others are more mysterious.

Ali Reza Asgari, a retired general in the elite Revolutionary Guard and a former deputy defence minister, disappeared while on a private trip to Turkey in December 2006.

Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist, went missing while on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia in June. Iran’s foreign minister has accused the U.S. of helping to kidnap him and has asked for his return.

The list also includes three Iranians who Tehran claims were abducted in Europe and sent to the U.S.: merchant Mohsen Afrasiabi, who it says disappeared in Germany, as well as electrical engineering student Majid Kakavand and a former ambassador to Jordan, Nasrollah Tajik, who it says vanished in France.

One of the Iranians, Mahmoud Yadegari, was arrested in April in Canada after a joint investigation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and charged with trying to send nuclear technology to his native Iran.

Authorities allege Yadegari tried to procure and export pressure transducers, which can be used in the production of enriched uranium but also have many legitimate commercial uses.

The plane dove into a house, killing all 49 people aboard and one man in the home in Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009. (Associated Press)

Pilot error was the probable cause of an airline crash into a house near Buffalo, N.Y., last year, but the accident’s root problems extend far beyond a single event, a federal safety panel said Tuesday.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, said the accident casts doubt on whether or not regional airlines are held to the same level of safety as are major airlines, and she promised the board will pursue the issue.

She also criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for taking too long to address safety problems raised by the crash, saying the same issues have turned up before.

“Today is Groundhog Day, and I feel like we are in that movie,” Hersman said, referring to the 1993 Bill Murray movie about a Pittsburgh weatherman who repeatedly lives through the same day.

“We have made recommendations time after time after time. They haven’t been heeded by the FAA.”

The FAA said in a statement that it has driven significant improvements in pilot professionalism, training and background checks in the past year. The agency said it will soon propose new rules to prevent pilot fatigue, further improve training and increase the qualifications required to be an airline pilot.

The three-member board agreed unanimously that an “inappropriate response” by the captain of Continental Connection Flight 3407 to a key piece of safety equipment caused the crash. The board also said an incorrect airspeed entered into the plane’s computers by the flight’s first officer and the air carrier’s inadequate procedures and training for entering airspeeds for freezing weather were contributing factors.

The board discussed issuing more than 20 safety recommendations as a result of the accident.

Hersman praised FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt for initiating regulation changes in response to the crash on Feb. 12, 2009, when the plane dove into a house, killing all 49 people aboard and one man in the house. But Hersman said Babbitt has been unable so far to push reforms “across the finish line” and that congressional action may be needed.

Flight 3407, operated for Continental Airlines by Colgan Air Inc., was approaching Buffalo-Niagara International Airport when the twin-engine Bombardier turboprop experienced an aerodynamic stall and went into a dive. The board said Capt. Marvin Renslow should have been able to recover from the stall but that he did the opposite of what he should have done.

In the final seconds

In the final seconds of the flight, two pieces of safety equipment activated — a stick shaker to alert the crew their plane was nearing a stall and a stick pusher that points a plane’s nose down so it can recover speed, investigators said. The correct response to both situations would have been to push forward on the control column to increase speed, they said.

But Renslow pulled back on the stick shaker, investigators said. When the plane stalled and the pusher activated, Renslow again pulled back three times.

“It wasn’t a split-second thing,” NTSB safety investigator Roger Cox said. “I think there was time to evaluate the situation and initiate a recovery, but I can’t give you a number of seconds.”

Seventy-five per cent of pilots who had experienced the stick-pusher activation in training also responded by pulling back instead of pushing forward, even though they knew ahead of time to expect a stall, investigators said.

The first officer, Rebecca Shaw, 24, should have stepped in to push the plane’s nose down herself when Renslow, 47, responded improperly, but she may not have because she was a relatively inexperienced pilot, investigators said.

Shaw commuted across the country overnight to Newark, N.J., to make Flight 3407. It’s not clear how much sleep either pilot received the night before the flight, but investigators said both pilots likely were suffering from fatigue.

Hersman wanted to list fatigue as a contributing factor to the crash. The board’s other two members declined, saying it couldn’t conclusively be determined if fatigue had impaired the pilots’ performance.

Shaw erred at the beginning of the flight by programming an ordinary airspeed into the plane’s computer, rather than the higher airspeed needed for freezing weather, investigators said. The plane didn’t accumulate enough ice on the wings to stall, but the mix-up on speeds caused the stick shaker to warn of a stall even though one wasn’t actually imminent.

Renslow’s pull-back response, however, created a stall, the board said.

Both pilots violated rules against non-essential conversation during flight below 10,000 feet, which likely distracted them at a key moment, the board said.

Colgan’s pilot training program was also criticized for not giving Renslow remedial attention despite his failures on several tests of piloting skill and for not emphasizing procedures for recovering from a full stall, including how to respond to the stick pusher.

Colgan said in a statement that the pilots were properly trained in how to recover from a stall.

“We have taken a number of important and specific steps to further enhance all of our training and hiring programs,” the statement said.

P.E.I. skip Kathy O’Rourke shares the lead with Ontario, each 5-1 before Draw 11 Tuesday night. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Ontario’s Krista McCarville moved to 5-1 with an 8-5 victory over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Shelley Nichols as the Tournament of Hearts continued Tuesday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

The win puts the Ontario rink in a first-place tie with P.E.I.’s Kathy O’Rourke.

The two leaders were to face each other in Draw 11 later Tuesday night at the Essar Centre.

Also in the afternoon draw, Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones beat B.C.’s Kelly Scott 10-7.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland defeated Quebec’s Eve Belisle 8-6 as Manitoba’s Jill Thurston beat Alberta’s Valerie Sweeting 7-4.

In Draw 9 action earlier in the day, New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly scored two in the 10th end to beat Northwest Territories/Yukon’s Sharon Cormier 9-7.

P.E.I. defeated Nova Scotia’s Nancy McConnery 7-4.

Also in the morning draw, B.C. beat Manitoba 7-5 and Canada beat Alberta 9-7.

Toronto’s Mike Komisarek, left, might be shut down for the year, which would force him to give up his spot on the U.S. Olympic team. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Komisarek is facing the possibility of having his season come to a premature end, with his immediate future hinging on another meeting with medical personnel Wednesday.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed upper-body injury, which has been widely reported as a shoulder problem. His spot on the U.S. Olympic team is also hanging in the balance.

“I’ve tried not to think too much about it,” Komisarek said Tuesday. “If you dwell too much on something like that, you sort of lose track of the focus and what you need to be doing. I’ve been working hard with the strength coach and been talking with the doctors a lot, doing exactly what I need to do to get back.”

He acknowledged the possibility of having to end his season.

“I think there’s a possibility that’s definitely there,” he said. “If there wasn’t, I’d definitely be back. But it’s definitely a possibility.”

Komisarek said he resumed skating within a week of the injury. He took part in the team’s morning skate Tuesday, but has not been cleared for physical contact.

“Our first priority with Mike is, ‘what are we doing to get him back to play for the Leafs?’” said Toronto head coach Ron Wilson, who is also the U.S. Olympic coach. “The Olympics is secondary.”

Komisarek has four assists through 34 games with the Leafs. He is a minus-9 with 40 penalty minutes.

“I have one more test tomorrow,” Komisarek said. “I’ll be sure to be well-rested and have a cup of coffee before, ready to go. I want to do as well as I can. I’m looking forward to not only coming to help this team, but with the Olympics, you definitely need four or five games to get in there and feel comfortable and confident.”

He said a decision on the Olympics would be made over the next couple of days.

“As a young player, you dream about winning the Stanley Cup, and you dream about winning a gold medal representing your country,” he said. “Being a proud American hockey player, we all witnessed and watched … the Miracle on Ice. And this, being the 30-year anniversary, you want to be a part of that.”

But, repeating what he has often said since Jan. 2, his primary responsibility is with the Leafs. Komisarek signed with the team as a free agent last summer, and is set to earn $4.6-million US over each of the next four seasons.

“My long-term health is more important to this team than having me, for selfish reasons, play in the Olympics, as much as I want to,” he said. “We have great doctors here. We have great staff that have been helping me get through this. And I just want to get in there. I don’t know what to say.”