By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer
Published December 4, 2005
FAMILY FEUD: There's a movement in Quebec that is pushing for the province to have its own hockey team in international tournaments, meaning players such as Vinny Lecavalier , Marty St. Louis and Mario Lemieux would play for Team Quebec instead of Team Canada.
Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe , who is heading the movement to drive the Liberal party out of Quebec, said last week, "I would like to see the same rules as those applying to Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland. They have their own players in the soccer World Cup or the rugby World Cup. If it's possible in Great Britain, it could be possible in Canada."
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin , head of the Liberal party, responded by saying, "You know, it is amazing. Do you hear Mr. Duceppe talking about the environment? Not really. Do you hear him talking about better health care? Not really. What he is talking about is ... having a hockey team."
Lecavalier, by the way, had the politically correct answer when asked what country he wanted to play for.
"Well, Canada is a country, so that's my answer," he said. "I'm part of Team Canada and Canada as a whole. I'm proud to be Canadian."
SHUT YOUR YAP: The war of words continues between Nashville's Darcy Hordichuk and the Kings' Sean Avery . The two scrapped a couple of weeks ago and after the game, Avery, the league's No.1 agitator, said Hordichuk was the worst player in the NHL.
"It's pretty bad when guys on his own team were telling me that I ought to kick his butt," Hordichuk told the Tennessean . "Guys on his own team don't even like him.
"I just think people get tired of his act."
About Avery calling Hordichuk the worst player in the league?
"The way he chirps about my game, you'd think he was about to break all of Wayne Gretzky 's records," Hordichuk said.
"But I guess that's how some people get their attention."
TASTES LIKE ... : Edmonton's Steve Staios played 27 minutes of a game in Calgary last week after throwing up all afternoon and during the first intermission because of something he ate during the pregame meal.
"What was it?" Staios told the Edmonton Journal .
"I don't know, but it tasted like salmon on the way up."
