The players shuffled through the interview area one by one Thursday and it quickly became evident what kind of message Team Canada had been delivered on the eve of the IIHF World Hockey Championship.
"We've got to make sure that we're humble in our approach," said captain Shane Doan. Echoed sniper Rick Nash: "We're coming into this humble."
Ah, yes, the humble hosts. How typically Canadian.
The first world championship ever held in this country officially kicks off Friday and features an afternoon game between Canada and Slovenia at the Metro Centre (3:30 p.m. ET).
The Slovenian team features just one NHLer in Anze Kopitar and was beaten 8-0 the last time it played Canada in a world championship game. Still, Canadian coach Ken Hitchcock is making sure that everyone remains focused on the task at hand.
"The humble approach means don't just expect that you're going to have success because you're sitting at home," he said. "Don't rely on the people in the stands to motivate you. We've got to do it ourselves.
The Hockey News: Headlines: Canadian players happy that world hockey tournament is set to begin
Canadian players happy that world hockey tournament is set to begin 
