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Burnside gives Timmy some lovin'



http://espn.go.com/nhl/notebook/_/page/burnside_powerplay100209/los-angeles-kings-run-west-east-woeful-bottom-half

5. Second chance at Olympics, Part II

The other addition to the U.S. squad is Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason, and there's more than a little symmetry with his addition. He came to Carolina in a much-heralded trade in September 2006 for another member of the U.S. Olympic team, defenseman Jack Johnson.

While Carolina GM Jim Rutherford came under some criticism for the deal (Johnson was the third overall pick in the 2005 draft), Gleason has become a key part of a Hurricanes franchise that reached last season's Eastern Conference finals. Playing mostly against other teams' top offensive units, Gleason has developed a reputation for solid play and a surprising amount of grit, something that made him attractive to Burke.

It's not much of a stretch, given his style of play, to imagine Gleason might even line up alongside Johnson, a more daring, offensive player, in Vancouver just to make the circle complete.

Although he was naturally disappointed not to be named to the team initially, Gleason's parents had no doubt how things would turn out. They bought tickets to the Olympics after Gleason was invited to the U.S. orientation camp and refused to return their tickets after he didn't make the initial roster. Gleason called his parents as soon as he found out he'd been added to the team.

"They were happier than heck," Gleason said. "They kind of thought it was going to happen."

Scott Burnside covers the NHL for ESPN.com.

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