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Jackets notebook: Umberger's Olympic dreams not dead yet
Sunday, January 3, 2010 3:27 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
R.J. Umberger could be the first person to purchase vacation insurance with the hope of using it. The Blue Jackets forward plans to be "someplace warm" on vacation during the last two weeks of February while the 2010 Olympics are going on in Vancouver. Umberger, from Pittsburgh, did not make the provisional Team USA roster. But a call from Team USA assistant general manager Paul Holmgren on Thursday was not all bad news. Umberger learned that he was on a short list of players who could get a call if injuries crop up during the next six weeks. "Obviously, I'm disappointed not to make it straight out," Umberger said. "It's been a dream since I was a little kid. But a lot can still happen in the month-and-a-half of hockey before the break. So I'll keep going out there with that in mind." It's believed that between four and six U.S. players got similar calls. "I'll probably still plan to do something else," Umberger said. "I mean, if I don't go (to the Olympics), I don't want to be stuck here in the cold. But it would be great to get that call." For Umberger, being on the short list means his status has improved in the eyes of Team USA officials since the start of the NHL season. Many were surprised, including Umberger, that he wasn't among the 19 forwards invited last summer to Team USA's orientation camp, despite scoring a career-high 26 goals in the 2008-09 season. Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who serves as general manager of Team USA, has bristled at suggestions that a personal grudge against Umberger was a factor in the decision. When Burke was with the Vancouver Canucks, he took Umberger out of Ohio State in the first round of the 2001 draft, had a stormy contract negotiation and never signed him. Umberger's rights were later traded to Philadelphia. Umberger said he'll root passionately for the United States, whether he plays or not. "I've played for the USA growing up whenever I had the opportunity," Umberger said. "I'm an American, to the core." Come along, DadSeveral Blue Jackets players will bring their fathers on a trip to Philadelphia and Boston this month. The dads will fly on the team plane, stay in the team hotel and attend both games. "It will be nice for the people who helped get us here to see what it's like," defenseman Kris Russell said. Several NHL teams have made such a trip an annual event, but this will be a first for the Blue Jackets. Captain Rick Nash approached general manager Scott Howson with the idea last summer. Story toolsToday’s Top Stories |
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