VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The home dressing room at GM Place has received a makeover that Ty Pennington would be proud of, and it comes at a time when Team Canada might need a nice place to stay during the 2010 Olympics.

There are signs all over Vancouver that the Winter Olympics will be here in February, and there's nothing more important to the country and the city than the Men's Hockey gold medal.

"It just captures the entire country, it's all they'll talk about," said Stars captain Brenden Morrow. "And I'm sure it's going to be bigger than ever this time."

But while a trip to GM Place to play the Canucks on Sunday sparked some Olympic hype, the Stars players who might be participating in February say they have to keep it on the back burner.

"You think about it, but it's not something you really have control of," said defenseman Nicklas Grossman, who played in the 2009 World Championships for Sweden and could have a chance at making the Olympic roster.

"You think about doing well for your [NHL] team first, and then maybe for your country. I think if you play well for your team, then the rest will take care of itself."

But could that actually affect players in their performances in October, November and December? Countries will have their teams selected by Christmas, and they will use the first couple of the months of the season to make tough decisions.

"I do believe these Canadian swings can be important," said Stars coach Marc Crawford, who coached Team Canada in 1998. "I know the year I coached there were a couple of great Canadian swings in the choosing period, and I do think that made a difference [in selecting certain players]. Hockey Canada is based in Calgary, it's got a Western flavor and the games will be right here, so it's definitely something people will be watching as we get geared up."

Morrow said that while he's not thinking about the Olympics while he's playing a game, it does enter his mind at other times.

"I'd be lying if I said I don't think about it, but you don't go out and try to do things just to impress them," Morrow said. "But it would be a dream come true to play here. I played World Juniors in Winnipeg, and that was incredible. To be able to play for Canada and wear those colors is incredible anytime, but to play for Canada in Canada, it's amazing. You just can't explain how the arena feels."

Of course, a gold medal means about the same in any language.

"It's the biggest thing in Sweden," Grossman said. "They don't understand the importance of the Stanley Cup so much, but they do understand the World Championships and the Olympics. It's one thing for your [league] team to win. But for the country to win in an international competition, that is a very big deal."