Should Doubting Davidson Be Replaced by Mighty Quinn?

With Melody Davidson questioning her own leadership after Canada’s disheartening loss to the U.S. yesterday at the women’s world hockey championships, there will no doubt be much speculation that she’ll be replaced with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics looming.

TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Pat Quinn has been to the Olympics before.

How about Pat Quinn as a replacement?

Quinn’s got the experience of two Olympics under his belt, including a victory at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, and once again showed a steady hand on the tiller in guiding Canada to gold at the world junior championships on home ice in Ottawa.

Quinn has a huge appetite for the international game and has always been a big supporter of the women. He’s a favourite of the Hockey Canada brass for always eagerly answering the call. Plus he’s available.

Davidson may have sealed her own fate by openly questioning her ability to do the job after yesterday’s embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Americans at the world championships in Finland.

"Coaching is coaching and if you don't perform, you don't go on," Davidson told reporters in Finland. "If we're not going to perform in the final game, that's on my shoulders and we have to be able to perform. If we can't, maybe Hockey Canada has to look at a change. There's no excuses for that performance out there today."

Added team captain Hayley Wickenheiser: “We had too many passengers.”

 It certainly sounds like a team in need of a change.

But Hockey Canada boss Bob Nicholson tends to be a loyal guy and, despite four losses to the U.S. in their last six meetings, Canada was impressive in winning gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics under Davidson. Hockey Canada stuck by coach Daniele Sauvageau despite an 1-8 record heading into the 2002 Salt Lake Games and they pulled out a dramatic win for gold.

Meanwhile, the loss on the same day by Canada’s Kevin Martin to Scotland's David Murdoch in the men’s world curling championships in Moncton once again shows that these gold medals that we so often take for granted are anything but guaranteed for Vancouver next year. That's not a bad reminder to have.