The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

February 8, 2010

The Hockey News - Feb-08-10

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05279/9380894-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="343" height="184"></div><p><b>THE CANUCKS</b> have two NHL-ready prospects in Manitoba (AHL), but no room for them on the big squad.</p><p>Goalie Cory Schneider and winger Michael Grabner have both been up this season as injury replacements. Schneider, a third-year pro, is well aware his future is likely elsewhere with Roberto Luongo under contract for 12 more years.</p><p>Grabner, a quicksilver skater and finisher, had two goals and five points in nine NHL games before breaking his ankle during pre-game warm-ups on Nov. 1. If the Canucks find themselves in a scoring bind, Grabner is there.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN EVERY ISSUE

Vancouver

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03372/9380639-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="319" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>G</span>ONE ARE</b> the days when Boston had the likes of Tuukka Rask, David Krejci and Byron Bitz playing an hour south in Providence (AHL). But that&rsquo;s to be expected when a large group of prospects is assimilated into the NHL parent club over a short timespan.</p><p>However, the Bruins have seen enough from winger Brad Marchand and blueliner Adam McQuaid to think they&rsquo;ll also make it as full-time NHLers.</p><p>Marchand, 21, managed only one assist in 12 NHL games this year, but the B&rsquo;s love his speed and heart, and think he can be productive.</p><p>The 23-year-old McQuaid, a classic stay-at-homer, impressed the B&rsquo;s with some spirited, purposeful fights during a January call-up.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Boston

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04595/9378755-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="691" height="544"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANTON STASTNY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STASTNY: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03939/9378762-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="206" height="206"></div><p>Hi Adam,</p><p>Will we ever see NHL hockey back in Quebec City? I have heard there were some serious talks in Canada about it. Here in the Czech Republic, we all loved the Nordiques so much &ndash; and not only because of the Stastny Bros.</p><p><b><i>Vaclav Levicek, Prague, Czech Republic</i></b></p><p>Hi Vaclav,</p><p>Quebec&rsquo;s provincial government is very interested in bringing an NHL franchise back to Quebec City. But the reality of such a situation coming to pass is a few years off. At least.</p><p>Hey Adam,</p><p>With the suggestions of awarding three points for a regulation win or no points for a team that loses after regulation, I wonder what your thoughts are on my suggestion: not awarding any points to either team in a tie game. I know there is zero chance of abolishing the shootout in favor of tie games, but don&rsquo;t you think this would be a viable solution? No team would play for a tie if no points were awarded.</p><p><b><i>Derek Toni, Hamilton, Ont.</i></b></p><p>Derek,</p><p>You hit on the answer in your question: Your proposed solution won&rsquo;t work because the NHL is never going back to the days &ndash; at least, I pray &ndash; when ties were an acceptable result for fans paying high prices for tickets. No other sport embraces ties the way the NHL used to. And there&rsquo;s a good reason why they don&rsquo;t. Ties stink &ndash; and don&rsquo;t you ever forget it.</p><p><b>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05468/9378748-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="79" height="81"></div><p>Need more of your questions answered?</p><p>Read Proteau&rsquo;s <b>&lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo;</b> column every Friday at <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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ASK Adam

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN VOGL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04301/9380670-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="345" height="185"></div><p><b>TYLER ENNIS</b> is good at answering questions.</p><p>Can a 5-foot-9, 163-pounder excel in a sport that continues to grow? Yes, as evidenced by an AHL All-Star Game appearance by Ennis, who entered the break leading Portland with 41 points in 43 games.</p><p>Can his offensive, free-wheeling skills translate to the Sabres&rsquo; well-defined system? Yes, as evidenced by his first NHL goal in his only game with Buffalo. He has 13 goals in Portland, where&rsquo;s he learning to play center after a junior career spent on the wing.</p><p>Nathan Gerbe had a goal and two points in his two-game call-up, but was derailed by a groin strain. He needs to find the net more in Portland (eight goals in 30 games).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Buffalo

<div class="byline">PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT LABERGE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012114/9378520-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Defending the Kronor</b></p><p>Sweden left Turin in 2006 as Olympic champions, but repeating the feat in Vancouver will be a tough proposition.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

THE BIG PICTURE

<div class="byline">with Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012133/9378565-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="766" height="640"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>IT&rsquo;S THE RUSSIAN REVELATION</b> on which we&rsquo;re all waiting: Will the NHL opt out of the 2014 Games in Sochi?</p><p>There&rsquo;s speculation commissioner Gary Bettman dangled his &ldquo;we might just take our pucks and go home&rdquo; threat to gain extra leverage during the next round of NHL collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Or perhaps Bettman is talking straight from the heart; that he believes it&rsquo;s better for the business for which he&rsquo;s responsible to respectfully decline an invite to the other side of the globe.</p><p>If that transpires, most hockey fans will be disappointed. The Olympics are the grandest stage, one that generates unparalleled expectations and hype.</p><p>But it wouldn&rsquo;t be the end of the hockey world.</p><p>In fact, if things unfold as expected, we&rsquo;ll be treated to another best-on-best event in late summer or early autumn of 2011, when the World Cup of Hockey makes like the prodigal son and comes home. For those whose pulses don&rsquo;t quicken at the thought of the re-emergence of the World Cup, we get it. It&rsquo;s a terrific idea whose execution has sometimes been flat. But we believe, over time, it could be so much more. Here are some thoughts on how to make that happen:</p><p><b>Hold it every four years</b> Establish a recognizable brand on which fans can rely. Don&rsquo;t leave them guessing when or where the next one will be. Past World Cups and Canada Cups were staged sporadically, with three-, four-, five-, even eight-year gaps in between. They felt too much like one-offs.</p><p><b>But not always in Canada</b> As much as us maple tree-huggers love a winner, we&rsquo;ve nearly always had home-ice advantage, clouding the accomplishment. Perhaps the World Cup could alternate between North America and Europe every four years.</p><p><b>Manipulate the schedule</b> We&rsquo;re featuring Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in this issue&rsquo;s cover story, hoping they renew their rivalry. But under the Olympic format, there&rsquo;s no guarantees that will happen. In a World Cup, organizers could make it a sure thing.</p><p><b>Get a new trophy</b> If you haven&rsquo;t seen the one commissioned in 2004, Google it. We forgive Frank Gehry, but we won&rsquo;t forget.</p><p>If Vancouver 2010 is indeed our last glimpse at NHLers at the Games &ndash; if they go from players on the grandest stage to headliners on a center stage all their own &ndash; so be it. We say enjoy, move on and embrace a Plan B that has a world of potential.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031452/9378558-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="523" height="280"></div><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> FEBRUARY 22, 2010</p><p>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE: <b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></b> CONTACT US: <b><a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><h2><b>LISTEN UP!</b></h2><p><b>THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW</b></p><p><b>FRIDAYS 3-4 EST</b></p><p><b>XM 204</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021809/9378551-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="185" height="72"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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LET THE GAMES END?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03994/9378679-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="248" height="248"></div><p>Recently, <b>Patrice Cormier</b> of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies flagrantly elbowed Mikael Tam of the Quebec Ramparts during a Quebec League game.</p><p>Television networks noted the atrocious hit and speculated over the suspension to follow.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04613/9378672-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="369" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Meanwhile, Marc Crawford spent last year at the CBC while being alleged in court proceedings to have instigated the Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore incident; ESPN&rsquo;s Matthew Barnaby racked up more than 2,500 penalty minutes (and several suspensions) during his NHL career; Sportsnet&rsquo;s Nick Kypreos infamously ran goalie Grant Fuhr during the &rsquo;96 playoffs, severely injuring Fuhr&rsquo;s knee; and, Tie Domi, briefly of TSN, was Cormier to Scott Niedermayer&rsquo;s Tam during the 2001 playoffs.</p><p>Irony aside, the commentators will commentate. They will shout for serious punishment in order to send a message. The punishment will come. The message, undoubtedly, will not.</p><p>The truth is, commentators work up their outrage for the same reason they promote the hard-nosed hockey and punishing hits. Because we like it. By denouncing the extremes, it makes us feel like we didn&rsquo;t encourage it in the first place.</p><p>If you encourage (or demand) players to play on the edge, you must expect some to fall.</p><p><b>Tim Watson, Toronto</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021538/9378665-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="273" height="223"></div><h2><b>FREE SWAG!</b></h2><p>Each issue, we&rsquo;ll give a cool THN hat to the top letter.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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HARD REALITIES

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06336/9378627-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="495" height="696"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MEDAL: COURTESY OF VANOC/COVAN)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Not everybody is out to get money; some just want a memento that will last</b></blockquote><h2><b>FOR LOVE, NOT MONEY</b></h2><p>My family recently drove nine hours to see our New Jersey Devils play the Minnesota Wild.</p><p>We have been fans for 19 years, since I was born, and it was a great moment for us to finally watch Martin Brodeur play.</p><p>The entire experience was absolutely fantastic. We were able to go down and watch the pre-game skate and get very close to everyone.</p><p>The one thing that made me very disappointed, though, is the players were not allowed to give autographs. At first we thought there had to be something we could do, but when talking to a team worker we learned the players&rsquo; agents prevent them from signing autographs because they can be sold for money.</p><p>Not everybody is out to get money; some people just want to have a memento that will last forever.</p><p><b>Stephanie Marks, Winnipeg</b></p><h2><b>ESPN NOT IDEAL</b></h2><p>Writer Adam Proteau suggested in the Jan. 11 edition of The Hockey News that the NHL should return its broadcasts to ESPN.</p><p>Maybe he has forgotten that when ESPN did the broadcasts, hockey was no better than a third-place venue to the NBA and college basketball, replaced by baseball in the spring.</p><p>At the most important time of the year, in the playoffs, the viewer was lucky to get three or four games a week.</p><p>We now have two Versus games a week along with games on the NHL Network to supplement local broadcasts.</p><p>More hockey is available to American fans than ever before, including two games every night on Versus during the playoffs until NBC takes over for the Stanley Cup final.</p><p>If other areas of the country have a difficult time in seeing hockey, they need to contact their cable companies. Going back to ESPN would be a huge mistake in my opinion.</p><p>We have channels right now where hockey is No. 1.</p><p><b>John Degler, Manheim, Pa.</b></p><h2><b>YOUNG STAR SHINES</b></h2><p>Kudos to the writers in Vancouver on Jan. 16 for selecting the Penguins&rsquo; 19-year-old goalie Alex Pechurski as the game&rsquo;s third star.</p><p>Sure, he only faced 13 shots in mop-up duty for a one-sided game, but giving him the honor was the icing on the cake for his first NHL game.</p><p>A clip showed he wasn&rsquo;t even sure what to do after he was announced; someone had to point him to the ice to skate in a circle.</p><p>With just six Western League games under his belt, no NHL pay because of his tryout contract, no grasp of the English language and thrown to the fire against the Sedins and company? Sounds like that No. 3 star was well deserved.</p><p><b>Donald Wallish, Northumberland, Pa.</b></p><h2><b>HAYDAR ON RADAR</b></h2><p>I recently read THN&rsquo;s great story about Darren Haydar being the American League&rsquo;s player of the decade in the Jan. 11 issue.</p><p>This is not the first time I&rsquo;ve read about a good player being stuck in the minors and it&rsquo;s really a shame.</p><p>If I were a GM, I would be looking closely at my scouting staff. I cannot understand why Haydar is still down in the AHL. Rookie of the year in 2003, MVP of the league with 122 points in 2007, 558 points in 523 games.</p><p>Atlanta tried him for 16 games and he averaged a point every two games and I would think he did that with little ice time and no power play time.</p><p>If he could score at close to that pace, he would be in the top 25 percent of most teams&rsquo; scoring.</p><p>Is he too small? Give me a break. Playing in the AHL is no walk in the park. There are players in the NHL who couldn&rsquo;t handle the rough play there.</p><p>Several NHL GMs should be giving their heads a shake.</p><p><b>Jim Gould, Keremeos, B.C.</b></p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0985/9378634-1-eng-US/f0006-092.jpg" title="f0006-09" width="157" height="158"></div><p>Who will win gold at the 2010 Olympics?</p><p><b>Canada 48%</b></p><p>Russia 21%</p><p>United States 18%</p><p>Sweden 7%</p><p>Finland 4%</p><p>Slovakia 2%</p><p>Czech Republic 1%</p><h2><b>SPIT IT OUT!</b></h2><p>GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST</p><p>SEND US AN E-MAIL</p><p><b><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>OR LOG ON</p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>SEND US SNAIL MAIL</p><p>Letters, The Hockey News</p><p>25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100</p><p>Toronto, ON., M2N 6S7, Canada</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07215/9378620-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="95" height="89"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>BONUS!</b></h2><p>All subscribers get exclusive access on <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to digital magazine archives!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Letters

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012360/9378717-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="562" height="629"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GLENCROSS: DALE MACMILLAN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>What was your &lsquo;welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>My first game. I got my first goal on my second shift. Either that or just being on the ice for pre-game warmup and looking around and you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Wow, this is pretty cool.&rsquo;</p><p><b>What was your last job before hockey?</b></p><p>Working at the livestock auction market, chasing cows. My dad runs an auction market.</p><p><b>Which current NHLer is a lock for the Hall of Fame?</b></p><p>I think Jarome Iginla. Iggy, Crosby, all of those guys. There are a lot of really talented players out now and it&rsquo;s too bad the Hall isn&rsquo;t big enough for all these guys coming up.</p><p><b>What city do you think should have an NHL team that doesn&rsquo;t?</b></p><p>I think we could use another Canadian city. You look around the league and all the support you get throughout Canada, it&rsquo;s a place where we could have another team.</p><p><b>Ideally, how many teams should be in the league?</b></p><p>I think it&rsquo;s pretty good right now. I don&rsquo;t know if we really need too many more teams. I&rsquo;m sure there could be more teams; there are a lot of good hockey players around who could probably play in the league and there&rsquo;s just not enough room for them, it&rsquo;s what happens.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021593/9378710-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="96" height="96"></div><p><b>Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for exclusive Q+A&rsquo;s in our &lsquo;Getting to Know&rsquo; feature</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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2 MINUTES IN THE BOX with CURTIS GLENCROSS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021433/9378800-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOE PAVELSKI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012112/9378807-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="119" height="119"></div><p><b>FOR THE SAN JOSE SHARKS,</b> the 2010 Vancouver Games are a best-on-best case scenario.</p><p>First of all, the competition takes place just a short flight north of California, rather than many time zones away in The Land of the Rising Sun or the country shaped like a boot.</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s the fact a bunch of guys who have yet to achieve everything they want in their NHL careers will get a chance to experience excellence in the world&rsquo;s best short hockey tournament. An Olympic victory would no doubt inform them on a few things regarding what it takes to conquer pro hockey&rsquo;s most drawn-out derby, the Stanley Cup playoffs.</p><p>San Jose GM Doug Wilson is quick to refer to other international exploits at the World Championship and world juniors as evidence that his Cup-less crew &ndash; you know the prominent names by now &ndash; has a winning pedigree. And as a defenseman who represented the victorious home side at the 1984 Canada Cup, Wilson knows how invigorating competing against the world&rsquo;s premier players can be for an elite performer.</p><p>&ldquo;As an athlete, you want to play a best-on-best,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;To be invited to play in that format adds, not just to your resume, but to your standing in the league and I think our guys are very excited about that and they should be.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Wilson&rsquo;s guys include the three men most associated with San Jose&rsquo;s past playoff disappointments: Canadian forwards Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, and Russian goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Also on the list is Canada&rsquo;s Dany Heatley, whose history of playing on talented Ottawa Senators teams that always came up short ensured he&rsquo;d have a lot to talk about with his new teammates in San Jose.</p><p>Those four names would be most validated by winning an all-world event, but don&rsquo;t forget about the likes of 25-year-old American center Joe Pavelski or late-blooming Swedish defender Douglas Murray, both of whom would take a giant leap forward in their development by winning it all in Vancouver. Rounding out the Sharks&rsquo; NHL-high eight Olympians are German goalie Thomas Greiss and Canadian blueliner Dan Boyle.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re around all the other teams&rsquo; high-end athletes, you see how they prepare, how intense they are,&rdquo; said San Jose coach Todd McLellan. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to play in some very tough, emotional games. I think that can help you down the stretch and I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s anything negative that can come out of it that way.&rdquo;</p><p>With the Games on the left coast in Vancouver, the only San Jose players traveling to different time zones during the break will be on vacation. That wasn&rsquo;t the case in 2006, when McLellan, then an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings, saw a number of key cogs from that Cup contender win the gold medal with Sweden in Italy, then stay an extra day in Europe to celebrate.</p><p>&ldquo;It was taxing on them,&rdquo; said McLellan, noting he and his staff have taken steps to limit duress on their Olympians before and after the event this year. &ldquo;Ultimately, could we pin our first round loss to Edmonton that year on that? Absolutely not. But it&rsquo;s always in the back of your mind and the difference this year is the players will obviously be in the Pacific time zone, which is a nice thing to have.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Wilson: &ldquo;Our guys are all in their prime. They&rsquo;re big, strong guys, they worked really hard to make their respective teams. I think they&rsquo;re looking forward to it.&rdquo;</p><p>San Jose&rsquo;s relationship with Team Canada will look extremely symbiotic should the host nation take gold. Canadian executives have made no secret of the fact they leaned toward players with an existing chemistry, which certainly speaks to the selection of Thornton and his frequent linemates Marleau and Heatley &ndash; not to mention Anaheim buddies Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, and the Chicago defense pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.</p><p>&ldquo;It certainly had a huge influence in our decision,&rdquo; said Johnny Misley, Hockey Canada&rsquo;s executive vice-president, hockey operations. &ldquo;When you look at international competition in this event, one advantage European teams have over North American teams is the familiarity the players have playing together.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012254/9378793-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="725" height="918"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PATRICK MARLEAU</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MARLEAU: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Canada never got on course the last time out in Turin and, even when it won gold at Salt Lake City in 2002, the team struggled early before finding its footing. Not that the team is excessively worried.</p><p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s been historic with us that we&rsquo;re slow starters and strong finishers,&rdquo; Misley said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SHARK SEASONING

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021711/9378838-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="915" height="1162"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PETER FORSBERG</b> <span class="photo-credit">(FORSBERG: ROBERT LABERGE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-259/9378845-1-eng-US/f0008-252.jpg" title="f0008-25" width="133" height="133"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>+ BACK FOR MORE</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;ll be great to see former NHL mega-stars Peter Forsberg and Jaromir Jagr back skating in North America.</p><h2><b>&minus; NO LATVIAN LOVE</b></h2><p>How is Sandis Ozolinsh, still a productive D-man in the KHL, not good enough for the Latvian squad?</p><h2><b>+ HOME GAME</b></h2><p>Having the Games in hockey-mad Canada creates a puck buzz that wouldn&rsquo;t exist on the same level in any other country.</p><h2><b>&minus; SMALL HOCKEY WORLD</b></h2><p>With Czechs regressing, Finns aging and Slovakia stalled, there&rsquo;s really only four teams with a legit crack at gold this time out.</p><h2><b>+ NEW LEAF &ndash; AND STARS</b></h2><p>Both Canada and the United States send young, exciting teams to Vancouver, marking a new era for both countries.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Plus/Minus

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031204/9378960-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="676" height="548"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CANADA: JEFF HAYNES/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-09173/9378953-1-eng-US/f0008-092.jpg" title="f0008-09" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>1. CANADA</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-10147/9378946-1-eng-US/f0008-102.jpg" title="f0008-10" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>2. RUSSIA</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-11132/9378939-1-eng-US/f0008-112.jpg" title="f0008-11" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>3. SWEDEN</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-12106/9378932-1-eng-US/f0008-122.jpg" title="f0008-12" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>4. USA</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1391/9378925-1-eng-US/f0008-132.jpg" title="f0008-13" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>5. FINLAND</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1468/9378918-1-eng-US/f0008-142.jpg" title="f0008-14" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>6. CZECH REP.</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1541/9378911-1-eng-US/f0008-152.jpg" title="f0008-15" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>7. SLOVAKIA</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1622/9378904-1-eng-US/f0008-162.jpg" title="f0008-16" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>8. SWITZERLAND</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1719/9378897-1-eng-US/f0008-172.jpg" title="f0008-17" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>9. GERMANY</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1817/9378890-1-eng-US/f0008-182.jpg" title="f0008-18" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>10. BELARUS</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1916/9378883-1-eng-US/f0008-192.jpg" title="f0008-19" width="116" height="82"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>11. NORWAY</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-2015/9378876-1-eng-US/f0008-202.jpg" title="f0008-20" width="116" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>12. LATVIA</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-03

Olympic Predictions

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012222/9378991-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Alexander Radulov will use the Games to measure himself against the world&rsquo;s best.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RADULOV: DIMA KOROTAYEV/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-2015/9378998-1-eng-US/f0010-202.jpg" title="f0010-20" width="133" height="133"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T&rsquo;S</b>&nbsp;<b>BEEN A LONG TIME</b> since Alexander Radulov dazzled a North American audience, but the one-time Nashville Predator and current star of Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Kontinental League will get a chance to do just that when he suits up for Russia at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.</p><p>The right winger, whose Salavat team led the KHL&rsquo;s Eastern Conference through late January, is having his best pro season to date, with a league-leading 53 points through 44 games to go along with a plus-34 rating (second only to teammate Patrick Thoresen). And according to his agent, fans will be surprised by the Radulov they see in Vancouver.</p><p>&ldquo;He has clearly become a better player in the past two years,&rdquo; said Jay Grossman.</p><p>While &lsquo;A-Rad&rsquo; isn&rsquo;t considered to be in the top tier of Russian forwards &ndash; a category reserved for the Ovechkins, Kovalchuks and Datsyuks &ndash; it&rsquo;s a distinction he is striving toward, especially since fellow 23-year-old Evgeni Malkin is already there.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re friends,&rdquo; Grossman said, &ldquo;but I think Alex has looked at (Malkin) as a guy for him to measure up to.&rdquo;</p><p>A good showing in Vancouver would help and there&rsquo;ll be no excuses for Radulov if he falters; comfort-wise, he&rsquo;ll be playing for his KHL coach in Slava Bykov and have Salavat teammates Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Zinovyev with him as well. The trio doesn&rsquo;t always play on a line together, but Grossman said Bykov has experimented with the combo in hopes of getting a jump-start on chemistry. It may also explain why some high-profile Russians, such as Alex Kovalev and Alexei Yashin, didn&rsquo;t make the cut with the coach.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a group concept,&rdquo; Grossman said, &ldquo;rather than an all-star team.&rdquo;</p><p>As for Radulov&rsquo;s playing future, neither Grossman nor the Predators wanted to comment publicly &ndash; the Preds did say there has been no dialogue with Radulov. But the youngster still follows Nashville, specifically its young core. He considers many of those players his friends and Grossman said he often asks about the progress of Predators such as blueliners Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.</p><p>Ironically, Radulov may get a chance to see his buddies up close and personal in the medal round, what with Weber suiting up for Canada and Suter for Team USA.</p><p>And while there are no friends when the puck drops, Grossman noted &ldquo;it will also be fun for him.&rdquo;</p><p>But for Radulov, it&rsquo;s all about keeping his name linked to on-ice issues right now. A great Games will go a long ways toward that.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-01

A-RAD AMPED FOR RETURN

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021617/9379043-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="950" height="902"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BILL McCREARY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MCCREARY: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Referees</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031029/9379036-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="584" height="881"></div><h2><b>Linesmen</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04715/9379029-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="504" height="877"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-02

Olympic Officials

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012169/9379102-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>ITTSBURGH &ndash;</b>&nbsp;<i>Hockey is a team game and there&rsquo;s no &lsquo;I&rsquo; in team, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, we get all that. Of course it helps that we seem to get clobbered over the head with that concept every time someone in hockey has the audacity to step out of the confines and threatens to be an individual.</i></p><p><i>Yeah, we understand that Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will not be the only ones who decide which team wins the gold medal in Vancouver. In fact, depending upon how things unfold through the course of the tournament, the two of them might not ever be under the big top at the same time during the five ring circus.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012145/9379095-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="206" height="245"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEN CAMPBELL</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021610/9379088-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="2372" height="1786"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JUKKA RAUTIO/HHOF-IIHF IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>For my money, the greatest and most compelling hockey event ever was not the 1972 Summit Series, not even close. That distinction belongs to the 1987 Canada Cup, a three-game slugfest between Canada and the USSR in which Canada prevailed after three 6-5 games, two of which went into overtime, with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for Canada and Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov for the USSR taking the game to a level that had never before been seen.</p><p>Can we ever see that level of hockey again? The stage is set in Vancouver for a similar type of scenario, particularly if the NHL does decide to pull the plug on Olympic participation and this is indeed the enduring memory. A Russia-Canada gold medal game with Crosby and Ovechkin at their best going hammer-and-tong would be almost everyone&rsquo;s dream and while the hype would be just about impossible to match, it&rsquo;s difficult to believe that Crosby and Ovechkin would not deliver.</p><p>&ldquo;They never disappoint,&rdquo; said Penguins winger Bill Guerin, &ldquo;and I see no reason to think they would start there.&rdquo;</p><p>Going into Vancouver, both players are at the top of their games. On the heels of last year&rsquo;s brilliant playoff, Crosby has decided he wants to be a goal-scorer, ticking off probably the last remaining item on his hockey to-do list. Ovechkin is his consistent, brilliant and dynamic self, but what is interesting is that he has finally come to the realization that people are filling his shooting lanes and he&rsquo;s become much more discriminate with his shot selection. If you can believe it, Crosby had more goals than Ovechkin and Ovechkin had more assists than Crosby in late January.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s because we called each other in the summer,&rdquo; Ovechkin said. &ldquo;He asked me how to score more goals and I asked him how to get more assists.&rdquo;</p><p>But here&rsquo;s the cool angle about this whole thing. Ovechkin has been the supernova on an individual level, a guy who has had to write a lot more acceptance speeches at the NHL Awards. But you&rsquo;d have to think he&rsquo;s getting just a little tired of finishing second to Crosby when it really matters, starting with the gold medal game at the World Junior Championship in 2005 and most recently, Game 7 of the epic second round series between the Capitals and Penguins last spring.</p><p>&ldquo;Alex hates losing to anybody,&rdquo; said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. &ldquo;Those individual awards are great, but when you watched him win all those awards in Vegas last year, all he talked about was winning the other trophy.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year with eight or 10 games left I said to him, &lsquo;Listen, I want to play you a little bit more, see if you can&rsquo;t catch (Evgeni) Malkin (for the scoring title),&rsquo;&rdquo; Boudreau said. &ldquo;He said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t care about that. I care about one trophy.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>The best thing about the rivalry between Ovechkin and Crosby is that it continues to unfold, it doesn&rsquo;t have to be manufactured. And contrary to the way some people want to portray it, it doesn&rsquo;t have to be consumed by hate. Much has been made in the hockey world about how Crosby and Ovechkin don&rsquo;t have a lot of time for one another, but Ovechkin&rsquo;s hate-on for Crosby&rsquo;s teammate Malkin &ndash; until the two Russian stars made up a year ago &ndash; was much more real and intense than any hard feelings between Ovechkin and Crosby.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;To say we absolutely hate each other, I don&rsquo;t think so, but we&rsquo;re competitive guys and that&rsquo;s kind of the result&rsquo;</blockquote><p>Crosby said asking how he feels about Ovechkin is, &ldquo;like asking me if I&rsquo;m going to be best friends with five guys on the Flyers. That&rsquo;s probably not going to happen.</p><p>&ldquo;He and I aren&rsquo;t perimeter players. He plays a physical game and I play hard, too. To say we absolutely hate each other, I don&rsquo;t think so, but we&rsquo;re competitive guys and that&rsquo;s kind of the result of everything and how it&rsquo;s been built up.&rdquo;</p><p>Ovechkin doesn&rsquo;t hate Crosby either, and he would probably go as hard at Crosby as he would at Malkin or Eric Staal or Mike Richards.</p><p>&ldquo;I respect him as a person,&rdquo; Ovechkin said, &ldquo;but when I step on the ice, I respect only my teammates.&rdquo;</p><p>There was a time in NHL history when Maurice Richard had a deep, sincere and unabiding hatred for Ted Lindsay. The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins had such a good hate-on that Mike Milbury once went into the stands and started pummeling a Rangers fan with his shoe. The Battle of Alberta was so intense during the 1980s that Doug Risebrough once got hold of Marty McSorley&rsquo;s sweater after a fight and cut it up with his skate in the penalty box.</p><p>Things have changed drastically in the fraternity club of millionaires and players just can&rsquo;t seem to conjure up that kind of vitriol for one another. It&rsquo;s building with Crosby and Ovechkin, but it&rsquo;s based far more on their competitive spirits and mutual respect than it is on any ill feelings toward one another.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011897/9379081-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="1468" height="1401"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;You look at myself and Ovechkin and it&rsquo;s become a rivalry and it&rsquo;s partly because of the playoffs and partly because that&rsquo;s the way it&rsquo;s been built to be,&rdquo; Crosby said. &ldquo;When you look at Mario and Wayne, it was more about celebrating the fact that they were playing each other and it was about who was going to go after whom and who was going to beat the other guy. It was more like, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s see three and three tonight from these guys and let&rsquo;s see them put on a show.&rsquo; I think earlier in our careers that&rsquo;s the way it was with myself and Ovechkin, but I don&rsquo;t know if that&rsquo;s the way it is now.&rdquo;</p><p>Of course, neither Gretzky nor Lemieux was the kind of player Ovechkin and Crosby are. Things between them now tend more to focus away from the game, with Ovechkin being portrayed as a 24-hour Roberto Benigni at the Oscars, a high-octane rock star intent on squeezing every bit of excitement out of life. Crosby, on the other hand, is perceived as the humble, small-town Canadian boy who wants nothing more than to be out on the ice and has no time for the trappings that come with celebrity. But what is interesting to note is that while Crosby has become far more comfortable in the spotlight, Ovechkin is progressively being beaten down in that aspect of his life and isn&rsquo;t nearly as forthcoming and accommodating as he was when he was first breaking into the league.</p><p>On the ice, there has been a remarkable transformation as well and both young men are the better for it because it has made both of them more complete players and far more unpredictable.</p><p>To suggest Crosby was not an elite goal-scorer prior to this season would be pure idiocy. He&rsquo;s an elite player &ndash; one of the best in the world &ndash; and if he decided he wanted to be a top shutdown player he&rsquo;d be able to do that. It was only this season &ndash; after his brilliant scoring in the playoffs last spring &ndash; that he began to concentrate on making himself dangerous around the net. And other aspects of his game have followed, particularly on the defensive side. In his rookie season, Crosby won just 45.5 percent of his faceoffs, a figure that has risen to close to 60 percent this year.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011684/9379074-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1530" height="1134"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE SABAU/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy we put out in defensive situations to take a faceoff and to me that means there&rsquo;s more to his game than there was when he came into the league,&rdquo; said Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. &ldquo;He sat in on penalty-killing meetings for four years and didn&rsquo;t kill penalties for three, just because he wanted to get better and learn.&rdquo;</p><p>By the same token, those looking for Ovechkin to take low-percentage shots from anywhere on the ice might be surprised to discover that he has begun to place more faith in the people around him. That individual aspect of his game will never leave him &ndash; always remember the Phoenix goal &ndash; but Boudreau acknowledges that having more options will make Ovechkin a more dangerous player.</p><p>In a mid-January game against Detroit, Ovechkin failed to record a shot on net for the first time in almost three seasons, although he swore he got a shot in that wasn&rsquo;t counted.</p><p>&ldquo;It certainly has the potential to make him (more unpredictable),&rdquo; Boudreau said. &ldquo;But I think everybody still looks at him and they converge on him and try to take his shots away.&rdquo;</p><p>Well, not too many more sleeps now until the whole thing gets going in Vancouver. Whether Canada, Russia or another nation wins gold, it will be the Ovechkin-Crosby show and the great thing about it is if they do face off in Vancouver, it will be with something significant on the line because Canada and Russia don&rsquo;t meet in the preliminary round.</p><p>Imagine the possibilities. Appreciate the differences. Enjoy the spectacle. It may be a long time before we see two players this special on such a large stage who are so similar in their approach to the game. If Ovechkin scores a big goal, expect him to propel himself back-first into the glass. If Crosby scores, he&rsquo;ll grab his mouthguard and open his arms to include his teammates in the celebration.</p><p>&ldquo;Nobody&rsquo;s here to say one way is better than the other,&rdquo; Crosby said. &ldquo;If anything, I think it&rsquo;s good for people to see that. The only thing I can honestly say is that if people can take anything out of this, I hope they see it&rsquo;s the passion we have.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

2010 OLYMPICS

THE ULTIMATE FACEOFF in VANCOUVER

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04681/9379133-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg"></div><h2><b>Stanley Cup</b></h2><p>Shows the number of Cups the player has won and the year.</p><h2><b>Olympics</b></h2><p>Olympics involvement and the player&rsquo;s medal count.</p><h2><b>WJC</b></h2><p>World Junior Championship involvement and medal count.</p><h2><b>WC</b></h2><p>World Championship involvement and medal count.</p><h2><b>W. Cup/C. Cup</b></h2><p>World and Canada Cups the player has participated in.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-04

READING THE ROSTERS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021293/9379164-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="608" height="342"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY (EST times)</b></h2><h3><b>TUESDAY, FEB. 16</b></h3><p>GROUP A USA vs SUI 3 PM</p><p>GROUP A CAN vs NOR 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP B RUS vs LAT 12 AM</p><h3><b>WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17</b></h3><p>GROUP C FIN vs BLR 3 PM</p><p>GROUP C SWE vs GER 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP B CZE vs SVK 12 AM</p><h3><b>THURSDAY, FEB. 18</b></h3><p>GROUP A USA vs NOR 3 PM</p><p>GROUP A SUI vs CAN 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP B SVK vs RUS 12 AM</p><h3><b>FRIDAY, FEB. 19</b></h3><p>GROUP C BLR vs SWE 3 PM</p><p>GROUP B CZE vs LAT 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP C FIN vs GER 12 AM</p><h3><b>SATURDAY, FEB. 20</b></h3><p>GROUP A NOR vs SUI 3 PM</p><p>GROUP B LAT vs SVK 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP C GER vs BLR 12 AM</p><h3><b>SATURDAY, FEB. 21</b></h3><p>GROUP B RUS vs CZE 3 PM</p><p>GROUP A CAN vs USA 7:30PM</p><p>GROUP C SWE vs FIN 12 AM</p><h2><b>PLAYOFF</b></h2><h3><b>TUESDAY, FEB. 23</b></h3><p>QUALIFICATION 1 3 PM</p><p>QUALIFICATION 2 7:30PM</p><p>QUALIFICATION 3 10 PM</p><p>QUALIFICATION 4 12 AM</p><h3><b>WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24</b></h3><p>QUARTERFINAL 1 3 PM</p><p>QUARTERFINAL 2 7:30PM</p><p>QUARTERFINAL 3 10 PM</p><p>QUARTERFINAL 4 12 AM</p><h3><b>FRIDAY, FEB. 26</b></h3><p>SEMIFINAL 1 3 PM</p><p>SEMIFINAL 2 9:30PM</p><h3><b>SATURDAY, FEB. 27</b></h3><p>BRONZE MEDAL 10 PM</p><h3><b>SUNDAY, FEB. 28</b></h3><p>GOLD MEDAL 3:15PM<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-02

THE RUNDOWN

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011795/9379251-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021356/9379244-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="281" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03982/9379237-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="306" height="220"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>ormer Team Canada coach Marc Crawford has been through the Olympic wringer once before (at the 1998 Nagano Games, in which Canada finished a disastrous fourth) and if he knows one thing &ndash; other than the backlash he&rsquo;ll forever deal with for not putting Wayne Gretzky into a shootout &ndash; it is this:</p><p>&ldquo;The experiences we had as a team in &rsquo;98 made Hockey Canada stronger at the next Olympics,&rdquo; said Crawford, the NHL bench boss of the Dallas Stars. &ldquo;There were a lot of lessons for everybody in the organization. And when you saw how (Canada) did in the next Olympics (winning a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Games), you know we learned our lesson pretty well.&rdquo;</p><p>Should history repeat itself, Canadians may have much to cheer for in Vancouver. Because the last time Team Canada played at the Olympics, the results were not ideal.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> At the 2006 Turin Games, the Canadian squad forgot how to score goals &ndash; in particular, during their 2-0 loss to Russia in the quarterfinal &ndash; and finished the tournament in seventh place.</p><p>Canada will definitely need to be better in that regard, especially on the power play. In Turin, the team was able to score on only 13 percent of its man advantages; should that happen in front of the home crowd, the same sorry results will ensue.</p><p>Most of all, executive director Steve Yzerman and the rest of Team Canada pray the roster gels in a way it clearly didn&rsquo;t four years ago.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04663/9379230-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="1077" height="1284"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>San Jose&rsquo;s Joe Thornton must produce on the big stage for Canada.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(THORNTON: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> Only a gold medal victory will satisfy Yzerman and the rest of the country, so Team Canada will need virtually everything to go right this time around.</p><p>Management believes it has addressed the team-gelling aspect by including players from the same NHL squads &ndash; most notably, San Jose&rsquo;s top line of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau.</p><p>That philosophy also enters into play on the defensive end, where Chicago&rsquo;s top defense tandem of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will be able to capitalize on their familiarity with each other over the brief course of the tournament.</p><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> One of the more interesting subplots of Canada&rsquo;s Olympic dream will be which goaltender coach Mike Babcock taps as the starter.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011604/9379223-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="637" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARTIN BRODEUR</b> <span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Whether the nod goes to New Jersey Devils superstar Martin Brodeur or Vancouver cornerstone Roberto Luongo, it is safe to assume that the first time Canada allows a soft goal &ndash; or worse, the first time it loses even a round-robin game &ndash; there will be numerous calls for Babcock to make a change between the pipes.</p><p>Babcock&rsquo;s success in walking that coaching tightrope will be key in defining Canada&rsquo;s medal hopes.</p><p><b>TEAM TURNOVER</b> Alternate captain Sidney Crosby is the most high-profile first-time Olympian playing for Canada, but he isn&rsquo;t the only one.</p><p>In fact, only eight members of Canada&rsquo;s 23-man roster for Vancouver &ndash; captain Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Thornton, Heatley, Brodeur and Luongo &ndash; have previous Olympic experience.</p><p><b>POSITIONAL TWISTER</b> Yzerman said in early January that the versatility of his forward corps will give Babcock many on-ice options.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a good amount of flexibility up front,&rdquo; said Yzerman of a forward unit that includes seven natural centers.</p><p>&ldquo;It will be up to the coaching staff in terms of how we use our players, but when we were putting the team together, it made sense for us to include guys who were comfortable playing in a variety of roles as well as some different positions than what they&rsquo;re used to in the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy, but we believe they&rsquo;re going to be up for the challenge.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021208/9379216-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="1484" height="2098"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05455/9379209-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="184" height="122"></div><p>Tues. Feb. 16 @7:30pm EST vs. Norway</p><p><i>Norway&rsquo;s first Games since &rsquo;94</i></p><p>Thurs. Feb. 18 @7:30pm EST vs. Switz.</p><p><i>Swiss upset Canada 2-0 in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Sun. Feb. 21 @7:30pm EST vs. USA</p><p><i>First meeting since &rsquo;02 gold medal final</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-06357/9379202-1-eng-US/f0018-062.jpg" title="f0018-06" width="421" height="162"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-07289/9379195-1-eng-US/f0018-072.jpg" title="f0018-07" width="545" height="776"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SCOTT NIEDERMAYER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NIEDERMAYER: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>CAPTAINS CANADA!</b></h2><p><b>Number of Canadian Olympians who are captains of their NHL team</b></p><p>9<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

LEARNING A BIG LESSON

<div class="byline">BY RYAN DIXON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-2013/9379338-1-eng-US/f0020-202.jpg" title="f0020-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011549/9379331-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021122/9379324-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p>The Russians will rumble into Vancouver as the IIHF&rsquo;s No. 1-ranked team and, essentially, co-favorites with the Canadians.</p><p>Nine players on the roster were on both Russian teams that won back-to-back World Championship titles over Canada, the first coming in Quebec City in 2008 &ndash; which dispels any notion this group will be intimidated trying to win gold on syrup-soaked soil.</p><p>In addition, the face of this squad &ndash; Alex Ovechkin &ndash; is the sort of ultra-competitive athlete who would relish the chance of landing a triumphant blow in his top rival&rsquo;s backyard.</p><p>Russian entries are always rife with talent, but this team is particularly dangle-drenched, led by a set of sublime game-breakers in Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Radulov and Alexander Semin, all of whom are between 23 and 31 years of age.</p><p>Russia&rsquo;s 23-man roster is comprised of nine players from the KHL and 14 NHLers.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> The Russians blanked Canada 2-0 in a 2006 quarterfinal matchup, then hit the wall, failing to score a single goal in their final two games, a 4-0 semifinal loss to Finland and a 3-0 setback in the bronze showdown against the Czech Republic. That left the team with a disappointing fourth-place showing. The Russians haven&rsquo;t won gold since 1992, when they took top spot under the title of the Unified Team in the aftermath of the Soviet Union&rsquo;s collapse.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> This is an offense-driven team, so another late-tournament dry spell simply isn&rsquo;t an option. It also doesn&rsquo;t seem like a legitimate worry, given the weapons that coach Vyacheslav Bykov has at his disposal.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03807/9379317-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="1074" height="1335"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Ilya Kovalchuk is a key contributor to Russia&rsquo;s scary-good attack.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KOVALCHUK + MALKIN: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>If Bykov decides to split up Ovechkin and Kovalchuk, Russia will basically have a guy capable of a goal-scoring swoop at any moment on the ice for two-thirds of every game. If they play together, there might be an exodus of opposing defensemen headed to therapy.</p><p>The Russian plan is clearly to gun its way to gold and there&rsquo;s a chance this lineup could be simply too overwhelming to stop.</p><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> The Russians have a pair of great puck-moving defensemen in Sergei Gonchar and Andrei Markov. Both men run a power play with extreme precision and each is an effective defender based more on body position than body-banging. However, aside from those two, the blueline corps isn&rsquo;t exactly the domain of excellence; at least, relative to the skill at forward.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011257/9379310-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="665" height="504"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EVGENI MALKIN</b></figcaption></div><p>Most of the physical play will be left to Anton Volchenkov, who&rsquo;ll be counted on to slam opposing attackers and thwart chances with his trademark shot-blocking.</p><p><b>WE&rsquo;RE STILL HERE</b> The high-end attack is supplemented by a couple cagey vets in Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov, both of whom are playing in the KHL this year. By NHL standards, these two might seem like something that would wash up on the Vancouver shore, but both are capable of impactful play over a two-week stretch and tend to elevate their game when afforded the comfort of playing with countrymen.</p><p><b>MASK APPEAL</b> When opponents&rsquo; chances do inevitably arise, odds are it will be up to goalie Evgeni Nabokov to stop them. Like everybody associated with the San Jose Sharks over the past decade, Nabokov isn&rsquo;t known as an all-world performer when the chips are down. Still, he&rsquo;s consistently been one of the best stoppers in the NHL over a long stretch and has the chops to lead a team to victory in a short tournament.</p><p>If he falters, maybe the Big Red Machine decides green is the way to go and turns to 21-year-old Semyon Varlamov, who stepped in and did an admirable job for the Washington Capitals in the NHL playoffs last spring.</p><p>Neither goaltending nor defense is anything that resembles an albatross, but you get the sense if Russia falls short it will because the back end broke down.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02820/9379303-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="1484" height="2098"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04556/9379296-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Tues. Feb 16 @12am EST vs. Latvia</p><p><i>Russia trounced Latvia 9-2 in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Thurs. Feb 18 @12am EST vs. Slovakia</p><p><i>Slovakia won lone matchup 5-3 in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Sun. Feb 21 @3pm EST vs. Czech Rep.</p><p><i>Teams have split four games since &rsquo;98</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05346/9379289-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="421" height="162"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06283/9379282-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="574" height="771"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALEXANDER RADULOV</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RADULOV: MIKE HEWITT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>KOMING TO KANADA!</b></h2><p><b>Number of Russian Olympians who play in the KHL this season</b></p><p>9<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-20

ON THE OFFENSIVE

<div class="byline">BY JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-2045/9379425-1-eng-US/f0024-202.jpg" title="f0024-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011386/9379418-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02999/9379411-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he world&rsquo;s No. 3-ranked team and defending Olympic champions enter the Vancouver Games with surprisingly little pressure on their shoulder pads, at least according to them.</p><p> &ldquo;Having the Olympics played in Canada, there&rsquo;s going to be a lotof pressure on the Canadian team,&rdquo; said Nicklas Lidstrom, Sweden&rsquo;s 39-year-old captain.</p><p>Led by Lidstrom &ndash; one of the greatest European players in history &ndash; and a core of young-ish superstars (Henrik Zetterberg, the Sedins, Nicklas Backstrom, Henrik Lundqvist) as well as a vanguard of seasoned veterans (Daniel Alfredsson, Peter Forsberg, Mattias Ohlund), Sweden is a threat to repeat if all goes according plan.</p><p>That plan involves ushering in a new era of Swedish hockey, one led by the likes of Zetterberg.</p><p>&ldquo;Hank is going to be one of our leaders on the team,&rdquo; Lidstrom said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been improving every year, now he&rsquo;s one of the top players in the league, so he&rsquo;s going to be a guy we&rsquo;re counting on.&rdquo;</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> Sweden won gold. Plain and simple. Alfredsson and the since-retired Mats Sundin led the team offensively with a combined eight goals and 18 points in eight games; Lidstrom was sublime with stalwart defensive play and two goals and six points of his own; and, Lundqvist went 5-1-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.</p><p>But it wasn&rsquo;t all easy; the opening results were up and down.</p><p>Drubbings of Kazakhstan and Latvia aside, a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the U.S. was all the Swedes could muster before the medal round. Sweden was shut out 5-0 by Russia and 3-0 by Slovakia.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03710/9379404-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="1075" height="1281"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Sweden will lean hard on Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LUNDQVIST: ELSA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Swedes drew the surprising Swiss (second in Group A) in the quarterfinal. A 6-2 victory propelled them on to face the Czech Republic, which Sweden bested 7-3, before felling Finland 3-2 in the final on Lidstrom&rsquo;s game-winner midway through the third period.</p><p>But it truly was a team effort, as only Lidstrom was named a tournament all-star and Forsberg, Zetterberg and P-J Axelsson all scored six points as well to provide secondary scoring.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> If the Swedes are to defend their title, Lundqvist will have to be the best goaltender in the tournament. His backups, Jonas Gustavsson and Stefan Liv, are really just along for the ride and will be lucky to see any game action.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011234/9379397-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="635" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HENRIK SEDIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Also, the Sedins must step up and prove themselves elite big-game performers. And in the Olympics, every game is a big game.</p><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> First of all, Lundqvist could get hurt. That would virtually crush the Swedes&rsquo; chances of finishing among the top four, let alone defending the gold.</p><p>But with Sundin retired, Forsberg&rsquo;s health always a question and a veteran core that&rsquo;s pretty long in the tooth, Sweden&rsquo;s young stars must perform well for the team to have a chance.</p><p>And in a group with goaltender-heavy and always feisty Finland, the in-your-face physical Germans and old nemesis Belarus, any misstep could cost Sweden the top spot and land them a tough quarterfinal opponent.</p><p><b>FORSBERG FACTOR</b> Just how good is Forsberg these days? &lsquo;Foppa&rsquo; was cruising along averaging a 1.5 points-per-Swedish-Elite-League-game, but what does that mean about his ability in a best-on-best format? If Forsberg is a force, Sweden&rsquo;s chances at gold greatly improve.</p><p><b>BLUELINE BY COMMITTEE</b> Seven of Sweden&rsquo;s eight defenseman play in the NHL, but outside of Lidstrom, it&rsquo;s a nondescript group. As a whole, they&rsquo;ll be in tough defending against the world&rsquo;s best.</p><p><b>LAST HURRAHS</b> Lidstrom, Forsberg, Alfredsson, Ohlund, Tomas Holmstrom, Magnus Johansson and Fredrik Modin are all at their final Games. They&rsquo;ll be motivated to perform and will provide leadership, but it&rsquo;s the kids&rsquo; show now.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02873/9379390-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="1484" height="2098"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04514/9379383-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Wed. Feb. 17 @7:30pm EST vs. Ger.</p><p><i>Swedes trounced Germany 7-1 in &rsquo;02</i></p><p>Fri. Feb. 19 @3pm EST vs. Belarus</p><p><i>Chance to avenge &rsquo;02 quarterfinal upset</i></p><p>Sun. Feb. 21 @12am EST vs. Finland</p><p><i>Rematch of the &rsquo;06 gold medal final</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05374/9379376-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="421" height="161"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06305/9379369-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="851" height="762"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NICKLAS LIDSTROM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LIDSTROM: BRIAN BAHR/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>LUCKY NUMBER?</b></h2><p><b>Nicklas Lidstrom is one of 13 returnees from Sweden&rsquo;s 2006 gold medal team</b></p><p>13<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-20

REPEAT WARNING

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-2049/9379512-1-eng-US/f0026-202.jpg" title="f0026-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011400/9379505-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021010/9379498-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>little more than a year ago, Americans collectively put their faith in the notion that experience is overrated when they backed a dynamic but relatively young and politically green Barack Obama in their presidential race.</p><p>The stakes aren&rsquo;t nearly as high, but they&rsquo;ll be asked to do exactly the same thing when they throw their support behind their hockey team in Vancouver. The American team will have just three players with previous Olympic experience in Brian Rafalski, Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner. Only Rafalski and Drury were on the roster when the Americans captured silver in Salt Lake City and Langenbrunner was a member of the squad that took home the gold medal in the trashing-the-room-in-the-athletes&rsquo;-village event in Nagano in 1998 (although he had nothing to do with the debacle).</p><p>But the team will be fast, hungry and talented and capable of upsetting the best-laid plans by Canada, Sweden and Russia.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> Not much good. The Americans won just one game in the tournament and that was against Kazakhstan. Combined with a tie against Latvia and losses to Slovakia and Russia, they were relegated to fourth in their pool and had to face the first-place team on the other side, losing to Finland in the quarter-final to finish eighth.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> This team has to get off to a good start and get on a roll to bolster its confidence. Goalie Ryan Miller has to be as good as he has been the first half of the NHL season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03799/9379491-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="987" height="1174"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Zach Parise will lead the U.S. offense and also brings shootout acumen.</b></figcaption></div><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b>&nbsp;The young players get a serious case of stage fright or the refs interpret their youthful exuberance as untamed aggression and the kids do a conga line to the penalty box.</p><p><b>YOUNG AMERICANS</b>&nbsp;The average age on the U.S. roster is just 26.6 years old. Patrick Kane, who turned 21 in November, is the youngest player. Backup goalie Tim Thomas is the oldest at 35.</p><p><b>RYANS&rsquo; HOPES</b> The Americans will undoubtedly lead the tournament in Ryans with defenseman Suter, forwards Malone, Kesler, Callahan and Bobby, plus goaltender Miller.</p><p><b>FINDING THE NET</b> The Americans don&rsquo;t have a single forward who has ever scored a goal in the Olympics. Drury has just three assists in 12 Olympic games and Langenbrunner has no points in three contests. D-man Rafalski has one goal and five points in 11 games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011314/9379484-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="661" height="541"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RYAN MILLER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRISTOF KOEPSEL/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>FRIENDS OF STANLEY</b> There are a total of seven Stanley Cup rings on the American roster, with Rafalski&rsquo;s three leading the way. Langenbrunner has two, while Drury and Brooks Orpik have one each.</p><p><b>SNIPERS READY</b> Bear in mind Olympic shootouts feature five shooters and our picks for the top five on the U.S. are Zach Parise (20-for-43 in his NHL career), Joe Pavelski (16-for-31), Kane (13-for-27), Langenbrunner (12-for-27) and Phil Kessel (11-for-28). Only four players in history have more shootout goals than Parise and only four have a better scoring percentage than Pavelski&rsquo;s 51.6 among players with 30 or more attempts.</p><p><b>STOPPERS, TOO</b> Only Martin Brodeur (34) and Henrik Lundqvist (29) have more career shootout victories than Miller&rsquo;s 27. And Thomas (.769) has the best career save percentage among goalies who have faced 100 or more shootout shots.</p><p><b>WORLDLY ROSTER</b> There is blood on the American roster that definitely runs through Canada. Parise&rsquo;s father J-P played for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union and Paul Stastny&rsquo;s father Peter represented Czechoslovakia, Canada and Slovakia in international play. Paul, a dual U.S.-Canadian who was born in Quebec, could have competed internationally for Slovakia or Canada, but committed to the U.S. when he played in the 2007 World Championship. Finally, Ryan Malone&rsquo;s father Greg was born in Canada, but never suited up for international play.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02924/9379477-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="1484" height="2098"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04599/9379470-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Tues. Feb. 16 @3pm EST vs. Switz.</p><p><i>Switzerland finished 6th in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Thurs. Feb. 18 @3pm EST vs. Norway</p><p><i>Norway&rsquo;s best-ever finish is 8th in &rsquo;72</i></p><p>Sun. Feb. 21 @7:30pm EST vs. Canada</p><p><i>First chance to avenge &rsquo;02 final loss</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05458/9379463-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="409" height="162"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06382/9379456-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="552" height="764"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PATRICK KANE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PARISE + KANE: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>YOUNG BLOOD</b></h2><p><b>Average age of Team USA, the youngest squad in the Olympics</b></p><p>26.6<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-20

YOUTH OVER EXPERIENCE

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-2049/9379599-1-eng-US/f0028-202.jpg" title="f0028-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011378/9379592-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02975/9379585-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>t was always going to be a mountainous task for Finland to match or better its 2006 silver medal performance, but mid-season injuries to two of the Nordic nation&rsquo;s top veterans will make that challenge at the 2010 Olympics nearly impossible.</p><p>Team captain Saku Koivu sprained his knee in mid-January while playing for the Anaheim Ducks, but was expected to be back on the ice for Finland in Vancouver. Meanwhile, fellow Duck Teemu Selanne was hit in the face with a puck one game before Koivu went down; the Olympics&rsquo; leading active scorer was dealt a broken jaw and given a month-long recuperation period, which jeopardized his participation in the Games.</p><p>The plucky Finns could contend for a medal despite the absence of one of the two stars, but with both out of the mix, they would need a miracle &ndash; or a miracle-type effort from one of their goalies &ndash; to make it to the podium.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> Team Finland exceeded most expectations at the 2006 Games, finishing first in their round-robin group &ndash; ahead of Canada and the Czech Republic &ndash; and beating the Americans and Russians in the medal round before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to their arch-rivals from Sweden in the gold medal game.</p><p>Selanne and Koivu led the way on offense &ndash; the duo finished 1-2 among all tournament scorers &ndash; and the Finns had five of the top 10 Olympic point-getters in Turin.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03733/9379578-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="996" height="1183"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Finland is loaded in net, with Miikka Kiprusoff likely to get the first crack.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KIPRUSOFF: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>They also benefitted from a stupendous showing by goalie Antero Niittymaki, who was named the 2006 tournament&rsquo;s top goalie and most valuable player after posting a 1.34 goals-against average and .951 save percentage.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> The Finns won&rsquo;t go anywhere in Vancouver without a similarly inspiring goaltending job. But it isn&rsquo;t very likely they&rsquo;ll be turning to Niittymaki for a repeat performance.</p><p>Instead, coach Jukka Jalonen is expected to give the starting job to either Calgary Flames star Miikka Kiprusoff (who hinted at not showing up in Vancouver if he wasn&rsquo;t named Finland&rsquo;s starter) or Minnesota Wild backstopper Niklas Backstrom.</p><p>Once again, the Flames leaned heavily on Kiprusoff in the first half of the season, so Jalonen may go with a platoon for the preliminary games before settling on one netminder for the medal round.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011221/9379571-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="635" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SAKU KOIVU</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> Not known as a high-scoring hockey nation to begin with, Finland may very well have difficulty putting the puck in the opposition&rsquo;s net &ndash; particularly if Selanne isn&rsquo;t in the lineup. Even with a healthy Selanne, the Finns will need maximum offensive contributions from up and down the lineup to ease the burden on their defense.</p><p>Regardless of Selanne&rsquo;s status, Mikko Koivu will be expected to pick up some of the offensive slack. If Finland fails to consistently generate offense, even an MVP-type performance in net every game won&rsquo;t be enough to save them.</p><p><b>ONE MORE TIME</b> The Vancouver Games almost assuredly will be the last Olympics for a number of Finnish players.</p><p>Other than the 39-year-old Selanne, 34-year-old Kiprusoff and 35-year-old Saku Koivu, veterans such as Jere Lehtinen (36), Kimmo Timonen (34) and Sami Salo (35) may ride off into the retirement sunset before the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.</p><p><b>GUTSY COACHING</b> Jalonen showed a willingness to take a risk at the 2009 World Championship. With the Finns requiring a regulation-time win in the tournament&rsquo;s round-robin portion, Jalonen pulled goalie Pekka Rinne with one minute remaining in a 1-1 tie with Canada. The gamble didn&rsquo;t pay off quite as hoped (the game still went to a shootout). But Jalonen&rsquo;s guts behind the bench did not go unnoticed &ndash; and could pay off in Vancouver.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02840/9379564-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="1484" height="2057"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04534/9379557-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Wed. Feb. 17 @3pm EST vs. Belarus</p><p><i>Belarus returns after finishing 4th in &rsquo;02</i></p><p>Fri. Feb. 19 @12am EST vs. Germany</p><p><i>Finns blanked Germany 2-0 in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Sun. Feb. 21 @12am EST vs. Sweden</p><p><i>Teams are 1-1 head-to-head since &rsquo;98</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05420/9379550-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="421" height="162"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06366/9379543-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="525" height="779"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KIMMO TIMONEN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TIMONEN: BRIAN BAHR/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>LONG IN THE FINN</b></h2><p><b>Average age of Team Finland, the oldest team at the Olympics</b></p><p>30.7<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-20

GRITTY FINNS AIM HIGHER

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-2032/9379686-1-eng-US/f0030-202.jpg" title="f0030-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011388/9379679-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02951/9379672-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>ne of the age-old mantras in hockey is that you can&rsquo;t use injuries as a crutch. But you can&rsquo;t help but think of how much better the Czech Republic team would be if Ales Hemsky and Milan Hejduk weren&rsquo;t on crutches themselves.</p><p>The absence of their two best offensive players, plus some head-scratching player omissions &ndash; such as leaving Vaclav Prospal, Ales Kotalik, Radim Vrbata, Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek off the roster &ndash; have made the Czechs a little difficult to figure out.</p><p>But it would not be wise to count them out. With a gold and a bronze in the past three Olympics, the Czechs have been more successful in the era of NHL participation than any other country.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> After going a disappointing 2-3-0 in the round-robin portion of the tournament, the Czechs defeated Slovakia 3-1 in the quarterfinal before being relegated to the bronze medal game after a 7-3 loss to Sweden in the semifinal. They won the bronze on the strength of a 3-0 victory over Russia.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> The Czechs are a tightly-knit group &ndash; many of them skate together back home in the summer and nine of them played for the World Championship entry last spring. In a perfect world, that camaraderie would take care of the difficult task of team-building and provide the Czechs with an <i>esprit de corps</i> they could carry with them through the tournament. Jaromir Jagr will have to prove he can still be an impact player and the defense and goaltending must be a strength.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03696/9379665-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="1077" height="1406"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Tomas Plekanec is the most productive Czech in the NHL this season.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PLEKANEC: JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> The Czechs are often an all-or-nothing proposition, either winning big or flaming out badly. The latter will happen if the team faces some early adversity or has a lot of trouble creating offense. If goalie Tomas Vokoun falters, backups Ondrej Pavelec and Jakub Stepanek are relatively untested.</p><p><b>WHERE ARE THE GOALS?</b> The Czechs don&rsquo;t have a single player who is on a point-per-game pace in the NHL this season and only one, Tomas Plekanec, who is among the NHL&rsquo;s top 25 scorers. Their leading goal-scorers are Tomas Fleischmann and Milan Michalek, who each had 16 goals as of late January.</p><p><b>AND THEN THERE WAS ONE</b> Jagr, a future Hall of Famer, is the only player remaining from the Czech Republic&rsquo;s gold medal team in 1998. Hamrlik and Spacek were both members of that team as well, but strangely were not chosen to be part of the 2010 edition of the squad.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011271/9379658-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="635" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TOMAS VOKOUN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>MARIO JR. LEADS THE WAY</b> Despite not playing in the NHL since 2007-08, Jagr goes into the Olympics as the all-time leading scorer playing in the Games. With 1,599 points, he is ninth all-time on the NHL&rsquo;s scoring list and 300-plus points ahead of the next highest-scoring Olympian, Teemu Selanne.</p><p><b>SUPER STOPPER</b> If the Czech defense turns out to be porous and the forwards incapable of backchecking, they will at least have a hot goaltender who is used to being busy. No Olympic-bound goalie had faced as many shots as Vokoun (1,319) or made as many saves (1,223) through late January.</p><p><b>GOOD ON DEFENSE</b> The Czechs actually should be all right on the blueline, despite the omissions of Hamrlik and Spacek. They were the only country other than Canada to have two players &ndash; Tomas Kaberle and Marek Zidlicky &ndash; among the top 10 defensemen in NHL scoring. Jan Hejda and Zbynek Michalek are among the most underrated shutdown defensemen in the league.</p><p><b>THAT&rsquo;S DIFFERENT</b> The Czechs and Swedes were the only teams among the top seven seeds to comprise a roster made up of eight defensemen and 12 forwards instead of the more conventional seven defensemen and 13 forwards.</p><p><b>CUP WINNERS</b> The Czechs have a total of five Stanley Cups on their roster. Jagr and Patrik Elias have two each and Pavel Kubina has one.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02852/9379651-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="1484" height="2098"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04517/9379644-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Wed. Feb. 17 @12am EST vs. Slovakia</p><p><i>Defeated Slovaks 3-1 in &rsquo;06 quarterfinal</i></p><p>Fri. Feb. 19 @7:30pm EST vs. Latvia</p><p><i>First Olympic game between two nations</i></p><p>Sun. Feb. 21 @3pm EST vs. Russia</p><p><i>Rematch of bronze medal tilt in &rsquo;06</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05398/9379637-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="418" height="161"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06330/9379630-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="710" height="790"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JAROMIR JAGR</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JAGR: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>ACTIVE LEADER</b></h2><p><b>Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s NHL point total, ninth all-time and more than anyone else in the 2010 Olympics</b></p><p>1,599<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-20

OFFENSIVE JUGGER-NOT

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-2034/9379773-1-eng-US/f0032-202.jpg" title="f0032-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011360/9379766-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02912/9379759-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>his will be the final Olympics for many players on the Slovakian team, whether or not the NHL goes to Russia in 2014. Eight of the 20 skaters on the squad were born in 1976 or earlier and the Vancouver Games will mark the return of 37-year-olds Ziggy Palffy and Jozef Stumpel to North American ice.</p><p>Led by Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa up front and Zdeno Chara on the back end, the Slovaks have some big names, but not a lot of depth. The young nation has never medalled in Olympic hockey and with youth development currently in a down cycle, there doesn&rsquo;t appear to be much help on the way anytime soon.</p><p><b>WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME</b> The Slovaks bolted out of the gates in Turin, running off a perfect 5-0-0 record in the preliminary round, including victories over the U.S., Sweden and Russia. A stiff defense yielded just eight goals in those initial five contests and goalie Peter Budaj finished the tournament with a 2.01 goals-against average, but the Slovaks fell to the rival Czechs in the quarterfinal. Marian Hossa paced the offense with 10 points in six games.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS TO GO RIGHT</b> The Slovaks must get huge minutes from Chara on defense and solid play from younger blueliners such as Andrej Meszaros and Andrej Sekera. Scoring will come from Gaborik, Marian Hossa and perhaps Marcel Hossa, but keeping pucks out will be key. Attention to detail and big saves from Jaroslav Halak or Budaj will put Slovakia in a position to again surprise in the round robin, but they must rise, not shrink, in the medal round.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03667/9379752-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="1121" height="1333"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Marian Gaborik will be the straw that stirs the Slovaks offensively.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GABORIK: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHAT COULD GO WRONG</b> Injuries. Gaborik is always one bad stride away from total torso meltdown and the Slovaks can&rsquo;t afford to lose his stick. Similarly, grizzled vets Palffy and Stumpel have a lot of miles on the odometer and support players such as Miro Satan and Michal Handzus aren&rsquo;t exactly spring chickens either. Durability and stamina will be key given the tournament&rsquo;s packed-in schedule. If the top line doesn&rsquo;t score, the Slovaks don&rsquo;t have the depth to keep up with the rest of the &lsquo;Big 7&rsquo; and being in the &lsquo;Group of Death&rsquo; with Russia and the Czechs (plus Latvia) gives them zero margin for error.</p><p><b>DARK HORSE</b> Former NHL right winger Branko Radivojevic is having his best pro season ever in the Kontinental League, ringing up 41 points in 45 games for Moscow Spartak. He knows the North American game from his time in Phoenix, Philadelphia and Minnesota, and his secondary scoring will be crucial if the Slovaks hope to nab a medal. Spartak teammate Martin Cibak will also suit up for the Slovaks and is having a similarly great season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011214/9379745-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="650" height="524"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JAROSLAV HALAK</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>CRUNCH TIME</b> Slovakia&rsquo;s top two goalies, Montreal&rsquo;s Halak and Colorado&rsquo;s Budaj, have a dearth of big-game experience. The pair has a combined 11 games of pro-level playoff hockey under their belts &ndash; and most of Halak&rsquo;s playoff experience came with Long Beach in the ECHL. Budaj has played three NHL post-season contests, and lost his only win-or-go-home start at the 2006 Turin Olympics.</p><p>Based on their play in the NHL this year, both netminders are poised for strong performances &ndash; but the pressure in the NHL regular season is much less than at the Olympics and they need to prove themselves.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02834/9379738-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="1484" height="1365"></div><h2><b>PRELIMINARY ROUND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04501/9379731-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="183" height="122"></div><p>Wed. Feb 17 @12am vs. Czech Rep.</p><p><i>Only loss in Turin was against Czechs</i></p><p>Thurs. Feb 18 @12am vs. Russia</p><p><i>Top two teams in their pool in &rsquo;06</i></p><p>Sat. Feb 20 @7:30pm vs. Latvia</p><p><i>Latvia failed to win a game in Turin</i></p><h2><b>MEDAL</b>&nbsp;<b>COUNT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05394/9379724-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="412" height="160"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06335/9379717-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="713" height="803"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ZIGMUND PALFFY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PALFFY: DOUG BENC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>A PERFECT 10?</b></h2><p><b>Number of players on Team Slovakia playing outside the NHL this season</b></p><p>10<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-20

STEP UP OR STEP BACK

<div class="byline">PREVIEWS BY RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-20100/9379832-1-eng-US/f0034-202.jpg" title="f0034-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011377/9379825-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="278" height="184"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02947/9379818-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p>In 13 years, the Swiss hockey program has gone from small-time afterthought to dangerous underdog.</p><p>The Swiss have improved their world ranking by 11 spots (No. 18 to seventh) since 1997. Still relying on patient defensive play to propel them past traditional power-houses, the Swiss have only two NHLers and five players in total plying their craft in North America, but they&rsquo;re sturdy in the most important position for Cinderella teams: Goaltender.</p><p>Jonas Hiller was Anaheim&rsquo;s MVP in two NHL playoff rounds last spring, lifting the Ducks past Presidents&rsquo; Trophy-winning San Jose in Round 1. And while the Swiss managed a shocking shutout of Canada in the last Olympics, if they are to repeat the feat they&rsquo;ll need a perfect game from Hiller and the baby-faced defense corps in front of him, led by the Islanders&rsquo; Mark Streit.</p><p>&ldquo;Play well defensively and then wait for our scoring opportunities, that&rsquo;s been our game lately,&rdquo; Streit said. &ldquo;If we have a great day, we can surprise a good team.&rdquo;</p><p>With Luca Sbisa and Roman Josi, the Swiss are the only team with players from the World Junior Championship on its roster. Eleven of the team&rsquo;s 12 forwards come from the Swiss League, with Hnat Domenichelli being the only player who isn&rsquo;t Swiss-trained.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03754/9379811-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="724" height="872"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JONAS HILLER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(HILLER: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-07392/9379804-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="723" height="487"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0034-20

DEFENSE FIRST

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04608/9379884-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="278" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05500/9379877-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>ere&rsquo;s a stat: 61 percent of Germany&rsquo;s registered hockey players are junior-aged. And their Olympic team will be young, too: 12 players are aged 27 or less.</p><p>But it&rsquo;ll be the veterans who will be leaned on to settle the nerves of the pups when the Germans line up across from Sweden and Finland in the preliminary round. Experienced NHLers Marco Sturm, Jochen Hecht and Christian Ehrhoff will be driving the offense and it&rsquo;s worth noting Christoph Schubert of the Atlanta Thrashers was left off the roster, but remains on the reserve list.</p><p>&ldquo;We aren&rsquo;t an experienced team so we just have to battle through and just play 0-0 as long as we can,&rdquo; Sturm said.</p><p>So while it&rsquo;s clear the defense-minded Germans will be trying to hold the door shut, it would be nice to add a bit of offensive acumen. Florian Busch, a 25-year-old scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace in the German League, was banned from international play for two years last summer when he refused to take a drug test after officials showed up at his door while he was having dinner with his girlfriend.</p><p>He took &ndash; and passed &ndash; the test a few hours later and the ban was lifted recently when Busch signed an anti-doping pledge required of all players in the tournament. Coach Uwe Krupp has kept the door open for Busch&rsquo;s late addition.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06449/9379870-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="724" height="868"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARCO STURM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STURM: MATHIAS RENNER/WCOH VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-08339/9379863-1-eng-US/f0034-082.jpg" title="f0034-08" width="723" height="486"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0034-04

KEEP IT CLOSE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-2067/9379943-1-eng-US/f0035-202.jpg" title="f0035-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011286/9379936-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="279" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02907/9379929-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>njuries are taking their toll on Belarus as Mikhail Grabovski and Andrei Kostitsyn, two of the nation&rsquo;s four NHLers, are questionable for the tournament.</p><p>Without those two offensive dynamos, the chances of Belarus pulling off another monumental upset dwindles from barely plausible to nearly impossible. Sergei Kostitsyn, who has struggled to produce at the NHL level, will carry the burden of a team stricken with stone hands. Seven Belarussians play with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, but the highest scorer from that group is defenseman Vladimir Denisov.</p><p>The loss of firepower will be put more pressure on the defense and goalie Andrei Mezin. For a country that joined the IIHF in 1992, Mezin is as close to legendary in the community as you can get. He tended the net for the upset of Sweden at the 2002 Games and was named an all-star at the &rsquo;06 and &rsquo;09 World Championships.</p><p>Generally a top candidate for an upset, Belarus will be in tough to overcome its injury woes. However, the country has qualified for three Olympics, is home to a KHL team and is ranked No. 8 in the world &ndash; all within 18 years of joining the international stage. The government is behind development of hockey as well: In 1992 Belarus had three arenas; now there are 20, with 28 more approved for construction in the next five years.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03749/9379922-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="724" height="872"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANDREI MEZIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04611/9379915-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="723" height="487"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0035-20

NOT THIS TIME

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-20126/9380002-1-eng-US/f0036-202.jpg" title="f0036-20" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011277/9379995-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="279" height="184"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02853/9379988-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>orway returns to Olympic action for the first time since appearing on home soil in Lillehammer in 1994. They&rsquo;ll take to the ice with a single NHL skater on their roster &ndash; stay-at-home defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen.</p><p>In the &rsquo;94 Games, the Norwegians went 0-5-0 in group play and scored more than one goal in a game only once: A 4-2 loss to the Austrians, who they later beat 3-1 in the consolation round to secure 11th place.</p><p>Judging by the makeup of Norway&rsquo;s current roster, the results could be similar.</p><p>&ldquo;We play a real defensive style, we can&rsquo;t go and play free-for-all,&rdquo; Tollefsen said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll be pretty much punished if you do that, so our game is built up on the defensive zone and getting chances on a couple breaks on offense.&rdquo;</p><p>There haven&rsquo;t been many changes on Norway&rsquo;s roster &ndash; 21 players on the Olympic team competed at the 2009 World Championship. Thirty-nine-year-old Tommy Jakobsen is the only player with Olympic experience as he took to the ice in 1994. Coach Roy Johansen suited up for the &rsquo;84, &rsquo;88 and &rsquo;92 teams.</p><p>One thing the Norwegians can hang their hat on is the play of goaltender Pal Grotnes, who went 3-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in Olympic qualifying contests.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03701/9379981-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="724" height="872"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PAL GROTNES</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04558/9379974-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="723" height="491"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0036-20

HELLO AGAIN

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05486/9380061-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="317" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011140/9380054-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="278" height="184"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02792/9380047-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="243" height="174"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>f you see the raucous crowd supporting their underdogs at the Olympics, you won&rsquo;t soon forget Latvian hockey fans. But if you blink, you might miss the participation of their team altogether.</p><p>The minnows in maroon are heading into a pool of piranhas with Russia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic all lined up to face Latvia in the preliminary round. While there are only two NHLers on the Latvian team, the others are afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would motivate any hockey player.</p><p>Most of the roster is comprised of players from Dynamo Riga, a bottom-half team in the KHL.</p><p>But while they are underdogs, the Latvians are in a can&rsquo;t-lose situation. They&rsquo;re playing on the biggest stage and, as defenseman Karlis Skrastins of the Dallas Stars noted, the youngsters who covet the NHL will be provided a unique opportunity in front of North American eyes.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be in Canada and a good chance to show yourself to the NHL, to scouts,&rdquo; Skrastins said. &ldquo;We have a couple younger guys who are really close to being in the NHL. We&rsquo;ll have a pretty good team and they&rsquo;ll want to show it every game.&rdquo;</p><p>Latvia is closer to relegation than moving into the &lsquo;Big 7,&rsquo; but their defense-first strategy could result in an unlikely upset.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03633/9380040-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="666" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KARLIS SKRASTINS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MARTIN ROSE/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04539/9380033-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="723" height="487"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0037-05

LOTS OF LOVE

<div class="byline">BY CHRISTINE RIVET</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2072/9380225-1-eng-US/f0038-202.jpg" title="f0038-20" width="317" height="164"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011234/9380218-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="2237" height="1191"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Jenny Potter and Hayley Wickenheiser can expect to meet in the gold medal final.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Twelve years and four Olympics later, Angela Ruggiero is still fielding the same question. Her answer is the same, too.</p><p>&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s hockey deserves to be in the Olympics,&rdquo; said the veteran Team USA defenseman. &ldquo;You have to give our sport time to grow. It took many, many years for parity to arrive in the men&rsquo;s game. Our sport is just budding.&rdquo;</p><p>Here she is at the ripe old age of 30 and not much has changed: Fans still expect a Canada-U.S. final in Vancouver.</p><p>The nearest challengers from Sweden and Finland have languished on the doorstep for so long, the hockey world has all but forgotten the Scandinavian women are even there.</p><p>Except for Sweden&rsquo;s shocking semifinal victory over the U.S. at the Turin Olympics in 2006, the Canadians and Americans have held a monopoly on gold and silver since the women&rsquo;s game arrived on the Olympic scene in 1998; Canada, in fact, is seeking to three-peat in Vancouver. The same goes for the World Championship where, year after year, it&rsquo;s a two-horse race to the wire.</p><p>When it comes to hockey, the North American women are so far ahead of the rest of the world, the only question, really, is who will take home the bronze.</p><p>In 2006, Canada outscored its opponents 36-1 in three preliminary round games; the Harvard-educated Ruggiero wasn&rsquo;t impressed. She told reporters at the time that those one-sided results could jeopardize the sport&rsquo;s Olympic status because of a perception that women&rsquo;s hockey isn&rsquo;t globally competitive.</p><p>But lopsided scores are not an indictment of the game according to USA Hockey&rsquo;s director of women&rsquo;s hockey, Michele Amidon.</p><p>&ldquo;(Blowouts) are not only in women&rsquo;s hockey, they&rsquo;re in all sports,&rdquo; said Amidon, who is also Team USA&rsquo;s GM. &ldquo;Look at the recent scores at the (World Junior Championship). It&rsquo;s the same issue for them.&rdquo;</p><p>That may be so, but Ruggiero occasionally sounds like her patience is wearing thin. Unlike Canada and the U.S., other nations woefully underfund female hockey, especially at the grassroots level.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s absolutely no reason why Russia (just 278 registered players) shouldn&rsquo;t have an outstanding women&rsquo;s program,&rdquo; said Ruggiero of the floundering Russian women, who have no Olympic hockey medals and only one world bronze to show for their efforts.</p><p>But Ruggiero applauds countries such as Sweden and Finland for spending the money to give their teams a boost.</p><p>&ldquo;I hope other great hockey nations will do the same,&rdquo; she said.</p><p>So while the six other teams in Vancouver slug it out for bronze, we&rsquo;re left to wonder who has the inside edge on gold.</p><p>The two-time defending Olympic champs from Canada were 7-3-0 in exhibition games against the U.S. this season. But that hasn&rsquo;t expunged Canada&rsquo;s record at the World Championship, where the U.S. defeated them three of the past four years, including an emphatic 4-1 romp in Hameenlinna, Finland, last year.</p><p>&ldquo;I look at our performance from last year in the World Championship until now and it&rsquo;s night and day,&rdquo; Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser told the <i>Globe and Mail</i>. &ldquo;Just the way we play as a team &ndash; puck movement, confidence, our younger players stepping up and feeling more confident that they can contribute &ndash; we have improved quite a bit.&rdquo;</p><p>Recent or ancient history, none of it means much to the U.S. now.</p><p>&ldquo;What matters,&rdquo; Ruggiero said, &ldquo;is who shows up in February.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>CUMULATIVE MEDAL STANDINGS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02842/9380211-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="1011" height="260"></div><h2><b>TEAM PREVIEWS & PREDICTIONS</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011135/9380204-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="141" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>USA</b></h3><p>Natalie Darwitz, a 12-year vet, is captain. Forward Jenny Potter and blueliner Angela Ruggiero are the only Nagano holdovers.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02742/9380197-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="238" height="189"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03579/9380190-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>CANADA</b></h3><p>Roster includes 14 Games veterans; Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Jen Botterill and Becky Kellar are four-time Olympians.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04484/9380183-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="238" height="190"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05406/9380176-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>SWEDEN</b></h3><p>Minnesota-Duluth goalie and Turin silver medal hero Kim Martin returns after knee surgery sidelined her through the 2009 worlds.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06334/9380169-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="239" height="189"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07295/9380162-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>FINLAND</b></h3><p>Led by nine former Olympians and five current U.S. collegians, including Minnesota freshman goalie Noora Raty.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08248/9380155-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="238" height="189"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-09197/9380148-1-eng-US/f0039-092.jpg" title="f0039-09" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>CHINA</b></h3><p>A world tour with stops in Canada and Finland fueled hopes of returning to form after slipping to</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-10166/9380141-1-eng-US/f0039-102.jpg" title="f0039-10" width="238" height="188"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-11143/9380134-1-eng-US/f0039-112.jpg" title="f0039-11" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>SWITZERLAND</b></h3><p>World No. 5 Swiss are led by five U.S. collegians, including Northeastern captain Julia Marty and goalie Florence Schelling.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-12127/9380127-1-eng-US/f0039-122.jpg" title="f0039-12" width="239" height="184"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-13114/9380120-1-eng-US/f0039-132.jpg" title="f0039-13" width="140" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>SLOVAKIA</b></h3><p>Games newcomers upset No. 7 Germany and No. 10 Kazakhstan at &rsquo;08 qualifier and are paced by goalie Zuzana Tomcikova.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-14105/9380113-1-eng-US/f0039-142.jpg" title="f0039-14" width="239" height="190"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1596/9380106-1-eng-US/f0039-152.jpg" title="f0039-15" width="140" height="92"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>RUSSIA</b></h3><p>Russia is expected to ramp up its program for the &rsquo;14 Games in Sochi. Captain Ekaterina Smolentseva is a three-time Olympian.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1685/9380099-1-eng-US/f0039-162.jpg" title="f0039-16" width="239" height="189"></div><h2><b>WOMEN&rsquo;S SCHEDULE</b></h2><p><i>Start times listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST)</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1781/9380092-1-eng-US/f0039-172.jpg" title="f0039-17" width="656" height="1285"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0038-20

BRIDGING THE GAP

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02511/9380263-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="305" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01829/9380270-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>ON MATSUMOTO</b> has been the Adirondack Phantoms&rsquo; most consistent scorer this year, but his name wasn&rsquo;t one of the first two brought up by Flyers assistant GM John Paddock when discussing which AHL players are getting close to full-time NHL duty.</p><p>&ldquo;David Laliberte and Andreas Nodl are solid players for us down there who have both shown they can play in the NHL,&rdquo; Paddock said, &ldquo;and you wouldn&rsquo;t hesitate to call them up.&rdquo;</p><p>Nodl and Laliberte, both right wingers, have each spent some time with the Flyers this season, the latter getting his first 11 games of big league action, while Nodl played 38 NHL contests last year and 10 more this season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03392/9380256-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="1137" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Andreas Nodl is working on his all-around game with the Flyers&rsquo; farm team.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Neither is tearing up the AHL offensively for an Adirondack club that is the lowest-scoring team on the circuit. Nodl, who turns 23 soon and was drafted 39th overall in 2006, had just five goals and 12 points in 28 games. Laliberte had similarly under-whelming numbers with six goals and 21 points through 32 games. He is one year older than Nodl and was drafted 124th overall in 2004.</p><p>Paddock emphasized each wingers&rsquo; evolution is more about all-around play.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re both good, responsible players,&rdquo; he stressed. &ldquo;Andreas is probably looking to score a little more than he has, but he&rsquo;s a real responsible player.</p><p>&ldquo;David showed an ability last year to score, he scored up with us (two goals with the Flyers), he should have a little more offense than he&rsquo;s had in Adirondack, but we&rsquo;re not scoring (a lot) of goals.&rdquo;</p><p>Matsumoto, a 23-year-old drafted 79th overall in 2006, paced all Phantoms with 17 goals and 33 points in 40 games, prompting Paddock to suggest all he may really need is a chance at the NHL level.</p><p>Another intriguing prospect is 21-year-old Stefan Legein, who briefly walked away from hockey in the summer of &rsquo;08 before opting to return. Philly picked him up from Columbus earlier this season.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done real well when I&rsquo;ve seen him,&rdquo; Paddock said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s scored a lot of big goals for the team. It&rsquo;s been a good acquisition for us. As we get to see him more, he&rsquo;s moving his way up the depth chart.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-02

Philadelphia

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04319/9380301-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="316" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>YLER ECKFORD,</b> a 24-year-old defenseman, has already played three games for the Devils and is on the fast track to the NHL. In the AHL, he has been dynamic on the power play while putting up a plus-14 rating with Lowell.</p><p>Left winger Alexander Vasyunov is developing into what the Devils see as another John MacLean. Not surprising, since MacLean is his AHL coach. He has a deadly shot, but needs to use it more often.</p><p>Just when the organization&rsquo;s goalie pipeline seemed to dry up, Jeff Frazee emerged last year. He suffered a skate cut to the neck on Sept. 29, 2009, a definite setback, but Frazee wasn&rsquo;t gun-shy in his return and looked ready to resume his climb to the NHL.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-04

New Jersey

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05273/9380332-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="308" height="185"></div><p><b>THE ISLANDERS</b> see a few future full-time NHLers in their stable of Bridgeport (AHL) prospects.</p><p>Power winger Jesse Joensuu has had two brief stints with the Isles, who are still trying to get the 22-year-old Finn to consistently skate hard and use his hulking frame to his advantage. They also are high on potential third-liner Matt Martin, a physical first-year pro who&rsquo;s willing and able to do the little things necessary to advance quickly.</p><p>One of the Isles&rsquo; top prospects, 6-foot-7 Finnish goalie Mikko Koskinen, played in just two AHL games before under-going hip surgery. Defenseman Mark Katic was named to the AHL All-Star Game before an injury kept him from playing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-05

NY Islanders

<div class="byline">&#x2013; STEVE ZIPAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-06241/9380363-1-eng-US/f0040-062.jpg" title="f0040-06" width="295" height="185"></div><p><b>NEW YORK&rsquo;S</b> top prospects in Hartford (AHL) are Evgeny Grachev, Chad Johnson and Bobby Sanguinetti.</p><p>Grachev projects as a top-six power forward. The 6-foot-4 left winger, who turns 20 in February, struggled with his AHL transition and has been streaky after a solid camp.</p><p>Johnson, a poised 23-year-old goalie, might back up Henrik Lundqvist next year. Since Steve Valiquette was demoted, Johnson has started his first two NHL games. He shuttles to Hartford to stay sharp when the Rangers are off.</p><p>Sanguinetti, a 2006 first-rounder, played a couple NHL games when Wade Redden was injured. With a defense-minded partner, he has a future as a second-pair blueliner.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-06

NY Rangers

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-07211/9380394-1-eng-US/f0040-072.jpg" title="f0040-07" width="352" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE PROSPECT</b> most ready for the NHL is defenseman Ben Lovejoy, who went plus-8 in 12 games with the Penguins this season. He&rsquo;s a great skater, has a good first pass and isn&rsquo;t afraid to handle the puck.</p><p>Next, three left wingers top the charts &ndash; and this is a good thing, because such jobs will open in Pittsburgh over the next few years. Power forwards Eric Tangradi and Luca Caputi play a similar game, though the 6-foot-4, 221-pound Tangradi is much bigger. He projects into a Ryan Malone-type, with his big body and soft hands. Caputi loves to mix it up in front.</p><p>Dustin Jeffrey switched from center and was a checker last season, but was asked to score more on the wing and has done that in the AHL this year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-07

Pittsburgh

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BOB DUFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01717/9380432-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="348" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-2022/9380439-1-eng-US/f0041-202.jpg" title="f0041-20" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>IF THERE</b> was only one cookie left, Cal O&rsquo;Reilly would happily pass the plate to the next person.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a passer, it&rsquo;s in my genes,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Reilly said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way I grew up. That&rsquo;s the way my parents raised me. That&rsquo;s the way I like to be.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s also the way the Predators like the 23-year-old center to play.</p><p>&ldquo;He really distributes the puck well,&rdquo; said coach Barry Trotz of O&rsquo;Reilly, who leads the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring and plus-minus, while representing the team in the 2010 AHL All-Star Game.</p><p>In his most recent call-up to Nashville in early January, O&rsquo;Reilly, older brother of Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O&rsquo;Reilly, posted three assists in four games.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02455/9380425-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="1143" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Cal O&rsquo;Reilly has raised eyebrows with his playmaking potential in Nashville.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very smart hockey player,&rdquo; said winger Steve Sullivan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to have a long career in the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;His vision is outstanding, his passing skills are great. I&rsquo;m looking forward to playing some more games with him.&rdquo;</p><p>O&rsquo;Reilly is among a number of top prospects in the always-deep Predators farm pool.</p><p>Strong-skating center Colin Wilson, 20, is rounding into form in Milwaukee after missing the first three weeks of the regular season due to a groin injury. He was Nashville&rsquo;s top pick in 2008.</p><p>&ldquo;It was definitely a setback,&rdquo; said Nashville assistant GM Paul Fenton. &ldquo;We saw him making our team and being a contributor, but sometimes, a little adversity can be good for you.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been able to acclimatize himself to the pro game and integrate himself with the young guys he&rsquo;ll be playing with in the future.&rdquo;</p><p>The son of former NHLer Carey Wilson, the 6-foot-1, 214-pound power forward opened the season playing 10 games with Nashville, tallying his first NHL goal on Oct. 21 against Boston.</p><p>Defenseman Jon Blum, 20, the team&rsquo;s top pick in 2007, is the latest in a long line of solid blueliners earning their stripes with Nashville. But the AHL rookie will need to bulk up his 6-foot-1 frame from his current weight of 178 pounds to become an NHL regular.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll play,&rdquo; Fenton said. &ldquo;He has a high level of hockey intelligence.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-01

Nashville

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03369/9380470-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="353" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN THE</b> occasional bumps and bruises have occurred, forwards Bryan Bickell and Jack Skille have come up from Rockford (AHL) and contributed what was needed.</p><p>The rugged Bickell is someone who fits in the Blackhawks&rsquo; plans as a future fourth-liner. He has grit, size and the ability to chip in the timely goal, as he did on Nov. 22 at Vancouver in a 1-0 victory over the Canucks.</p><p>Skille&rsquo;s $1.2-million cap hit squeezed him out of an NHL job after training camp. His contract expires after this season and a lower number would improve his chances of playing in Chicago. Skille, drafted seventh overall in 2005, is a good skater whose future appears to be as an NHL checker.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-03

Chicago

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04321/9380501-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="350" height="185"></div><p><b>RIGHT WINGER</b> Mike Blunden spent the first three months up with the Blue Jackets, but has been a bright spot since joining Syracuse (AHL).</p><p>Beyond Blunden, though, the bright spots have faded.</p><p>Winger Maksim Mayorov, expected to have a breakout season, had only seven goals and 15 points in 40 games. Left winger Alexandre Picard, the No. 8 overall pick in 2004, continues to be a tweener. He thrives in the AHL, but is a borderline NHLer with two assists in 67 career games.</p><p>Meanwhile, winger Tom Sestito (hip) sustained another long-term injury, blueliner Nick Holden started the season with mono and D-men Grant Clitsome and Jonathan Sigalet have been merely average.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-04

Columbus

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05289/9380532-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="351" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>KILLED BLUELINER</b> Jakub Kindl is Detroit&rsquo;s only top-20 draft pick since 1991 (19th in &rsquo;05) and the top prospect at Grand Rapids (AHL). A good skater, Kindl moves the puck well and can quarterback the power play, but isn&rsquo;t physical for his size and needs to cut down on turnovers.</p><p>Small, skilled center Tomas Tatar is a potential steal with the 60th pick in &rsquo;09 and is already in the AHL at age 19. He has tremendous hands and offensive instincts.</p><p>Thomas McCollum is a big netminder experiencing growing pains in his first pro season, getting demoted from Grand Rapids to Toledo (ECHL). Eventually he should join Jimmy Howard to give the Wings a solid 1-2 punch.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-05

Detroit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06252/9380563-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="331" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>R</span>ECENTLY, THE</b> Blues have allowed their prospects to develop in the minors, a philosophy that can only benefit center Lars Eller, D-man Jonas Junland and goalie Ben Bishop.</p><p>Eller, who was the first of the Blues&rsquo; three first-rounders (13th) in 2007, battled through injuries to establish himself as the most skilled player in Peoria (AHL). In five games with the Blues, he was also more physical than anticipated.</p><p>Junland, an &rsquo;06 third-rounder (64th), needs to get stronger, but his hockey sense and puck-moving ability clearly show NHL potential.</p><p>Bishop, a third-rounder (85th) in &rsquo;05, has the most to gain from time to develop; he has been better physically and mentally this season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-06

St. Louis

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01754/9380601-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="286" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-2028/9380608-1-eng-US/f0042-202.jpg" title="f0042-20" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>THE PICKINGS</b> are slim for the Ottawa Senators.</p><p>While they&rsquo;ve had plenty of injuries to deal with this season, it&rsquo;s a little tough for GM Bryan Murray to find help from the team&rsquo;s AHL affiliate in Binghamton because the cupboard is virtually bare after years of poor drafting by the previous regime.</p><p>As Murray, along with assistant GM Tim Murray and director of player personnel Pierre Dorion, tries to get the franchise back on track, he must do so from a Baby Sens squad with problems of its own. However, Ottawa does have its eye on a few Binghamton boys.</p><p>Center Zack Smith, selected in the third round of the 2008 draft, was expected to challenge for NHL duty in training camp, but wasn&rsquo;t able to get the job done. Smith, 21, had a difficult time adjusting to the pressure of making the team and didn&rsquo;t perform up to his capabilities.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02478/9380594-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="1143" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Mike Brodeur is a &lsquo;veteran&rsquo; prospect who gives Ottawa some depth in goal.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;We like Zack Smith a lot,&rdquo; Tim Murray said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy who competes hard, he&rsquo;s not afraid to get involved and he brings grit.&rdquo;</p><p>Recalled when Ottawa was banged up in mid-Janaury, Smith scored his first NHL goal against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, but he isn&rsquo;t expected to be a big-time scorer at the NHL level.</p><p>Defenseman Brian Lee was another prospect who didn&rsquo;t perform in camp the way management expected and he ended up losing his spot to blueliner Erik Karlsson. Troubled by back issues at the AHL level, Lee has seen only limited playing time this season after suiting up for 53 NHL games last year.</p><p>A first round pick in the 2005 draft (ninth overall), don&rsquo;t be surprised if Lee is used as a bargaining chip at the NHL trade deadline. Nobody has been pleased with what&rsquo;s happened this season and his days in the organization may be numbered.</p><p>And then there&rsquo;s goalie Mike Brodeur. Called up in emergency situations, the 26-year-old has been solid when given the chance. He&rsquo;s the No. 3 goalie in the organization, but made 32 saves in a 2-0 shut-out of the Rangers after getting recalled earlier in the day. He gives the Sens a solid option, especially considering Pascal Leclaire&rsquo;s injury history.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

Ottawa

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05260/9380701-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="348" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>EDRICK DESJARDINS</b> has usurped Curtis Sanford as the No. 1 goalie in Hamilton (AHL). The 24-year-old RFA-to-be produced five shutouts in 26 contests and elevated his game &ndash; mental and physical &ndash; with goalie coach Pierre Groulx.</p><p>Based on his play in junior, it was always thought Subban, 20, was a riverboat gambler-type of blueliner. But the 2007 second-rounder (43rd) was tied for second in the AHL in plus-minus and had nine goals and 28 points in 43 games. The rookie pro was also an all-star game selection.</p><p>Left winger Brock Trotter is the best Bulldog not to be recalled by the Habs this season. His game improved when he began going to the net and converting his chances.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-05

Montreal

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TERRY KOSHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06232/9380732-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="331" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE LEAFS</b> don&rsquo;t have a farm system that is brimming with potential NHL stars, but they have a few players with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) who should develop into serviceable NHLers in the near future.</p><p>Right winger Christian Hanson certainly has the size (6-foot-4, 228 pounds) and relatively good hands to make an impact one day. His skating is a concern and he needs to demonstrate a better nose for the net.</p><p>Center Tyler Bozak is a slick player and was looking to stick when the Leafs summoned him in mid-January. Left winger Viktor Stalberg is another prospect who should become a Leafs regular, but putting him on the fourth line with the big club is pointless.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-06

Toronto

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01743/9380763-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="353" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-2031/9380770-1-eng-US/f0043-202.jpg" title="f0043-20" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE WILD</b> is still waiting for 2007 first-rounder Colton Gillies to break on through to the other side. Gillies spent all of last season with the Wild as a 19-year-old, but only managed two goals in 45 games under former coach Jacques Lemaire.</p><p>This season, the 6-foot-4 left winger was dispatched to Houston (AHL) for seasoning, but the offense hasn&rsquo;t been forthcoming. After 39 games, Gillies was stuck on two goals &ndash; hardly impressive, although nagging injuries have been a mitigating factor. His ultimate role at the NHL level is still up in the air, but he needs to play more aggressively.</p><p>On the blueline, Maxim Noreau is making some noise as an offensive defenseman. A bit undersized by NHL standards at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, the undrafted Montrealer continues to improve. He had 16 points with Houston two seasons ago, put up 39 last year and was on pace for close to 60 this season. Only 22, Noreau is a right-shot power play option for the future. His selection to the AHL All-Star Game is another indication of his rising stock.</p><p>Goalie Anton Khudobin also went to the AHL All-Star Game despite a losing record and having to share the net with vet Wade Dubielewicz. If the Wild opt to move Josh Harding at some point, Khudobin, 23, will compete for the backup role. Like Noreau, Khudobin isn&rsquo;t big (5-foot-11), so that&rsquo;s a bias he&rsquo;ll have to overcome.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-01

Minnesota

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02508/9380801-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="332" height="184"></div><p><b>THE STRENGTH</b> of Calgary&rsquo;s prospects is on defense.</p><p>Matt Pelech (2005 first-rounder) is a stay-at-home, physical defender, while &rsquo;07 third-rounder John Negrin has more offensive skill. They&rsquo;ll make up a decent second pairing over time. Look for Pelech to make the jump next season.</p><p>Up front, the Flames have high hopes for &rsquo;07 first-rounder Mikael Backlund. In his first AHL season, he hasn&rsquo;t shown top-line skill, though he is sound defensively and may develop into a second-liner.</p><p>Matt Keetley and Leland Irving are both in the picture as Flames goalie of the future.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-02

Calgary

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03423/9380832-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="334" height="184"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>OPES WERE</b> high that Ryan Stoa would make the Avalanche&rsquo;s roster out of training camp, but the 6-foot-3 left winger lost out to some of Colorado&rsquo;s other youngsters.</p><p>Stoa has put up good numbers at Lake Erie (AHL) and earned a two-game NHL call-up. The ongoing question is: Does he have the footspeed to compete at the NHL level?</p><p>Meanwhile, blueliner Derek Peltier has had his ups and downs. He was a minus-9 in his first 30 AHL games, but got an NHL taste when injuries hit the Avs. Coaches like Peltier&rsquo;s leadership, but want to see him adjust better to a quicker game.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-03

Colorado

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04323/9380863-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="334" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>PRINGFIELD&rsquo;S SEASON</b> is going very much like the Oilers&rsquo; season - terribly. The AHL Falcons have been decimated by injuries &ndash; their own and in Edmonton &ndash; resulting in so many call-ups that the team was left with a skeleton crew that lost 17 in a row at one point.</p><p>That&rsquo;s made it difficult to get a good read on things, but most of Edmonton&rsquo;s top prospects have already seen time with the big club. Forwards Ryan Potulny and Ryan Stone and goalie Devan Dubnyk are up with the Oilers for the rest of the season, while the likes of Theo Peckham and Chris Minard have been injured.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-04

Edmonton

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01645/9380932-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="303" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-2032/9380939-1-eng-US/f0044-202.jpg" title="f0044-20" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span>VEN BEFORE</b> the Coyotes turned out to be one of the surprise stories of the season, GM Don Maloney liked the fact his prospects were playing in the minors instead of being fast-tracked to NHL duty.</p><p>That happened in previous seasons and didn&rsquo;t help anybody &ndash; not the in-over-their-heads players, nor the organization, which struggled after the all-star break.</p><p>But many of the Coyotes&rsquo; prospects do have a significant upside, thanks to three top-eight picks in the past three years. Much of the focus is on the first of the three, Kyle Turris, selected third overall in &rsquo;07, who saw 63 games in the NHL last season, but has played exclusively with San Antonio (AHL) this year. Turris &ndash; compared to a young Wayne Gretzky in his draft year &ndash; still needs to fill out physically to take the next step, according to Maloney. Even though Turris hasn&rsquo;t posted monster numbers at the AHL level, the Coyotes still project him as a top-six NHL forward and he&rsquo;s made an impact on the Rampage&rsquo;s power play this season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02403/9380925-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="1143" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>The Coyotes feel Kyle Turris needs to develop physically to reach the next step.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Mikkel Boedker is a different story. A year younger than Turris, Boedker has been shuttled back and forth this season. His numbers aren&rsquo;t good, but Maloney said, &ldquo;we&rsquo;ve done a little bit of disservice to him&hellip;he&rsquo;s been one foot in and one foot out all year. He can wow you, and he wows you at that level. It hasn&rsquo;t translated into a lot of points yet, but he can dominate on some shifts &ndash; and then he&rsquo;s invisible on others. Once he gets that consistency, that&rsquo;ll get him in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>Maloney said the next step for Kevin Porter, a former Hobey Baker winner, is to give him 10 or 15 NHL games in a row to get comfortable and show whether he&rsquo;s a support player or a top-six forward.</p><p>Of all their prospects, the Coyotes like the long-term upside of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson the most. Tall and lean (6-foot-2, 176 pounds), he needs time to physically mature, but Phoenix believes he can be a top-four NHL defensemen in a relatively short period of time.</p><p>&ldquo;His skating and puck-movement are so superior that he could come in and have an impact early, but I think we&rsquo;re going to take our time with him,&rdquo; Maloney said<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

Phoenix

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC STEPHENS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03302/9380970-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="340" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>EING THE</b> only NHL team without an AHL affiliate has been a worst-cast scenario for the Ducks, but a handful of prospects are close to making the jump.</p><p>Matt Beleskey had played in just 15 AHL games, but has shown the Ducks he can battle in the corners and finish plays from the left wing. Troy Bodie may have a future as a checking winger.</p><p>Former Vancouver (WHL) teammates Brett Festerling and Brendan Mikkelson have battled for a spot on the Ducks&rsquo; blueline the past two seasons, and they&rsquo;ve split time between the AHL and NHL this year.</p><p>Justin Pogge, the one-time Maple Leafs goalie-of-the-future, is putting up solid numbers for AHL San Antonio.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-03

Anaheim

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04244/9381001-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg" title="f0044-04" width="350" height="185"></div><p><b>WITH THE</b> Texas Stars in an Austin suburb this season, Dallas has total control of every aspect of its AHL affiliate.</p><p>That allowed the franchise to sign a bunch of veterans on defense to complement two solid goalies in Brent Krahn and Matt Climie. The combination has resulted in one of the best defensive teams in the AHL and a solid breeding ground for a group of prospects that is a little thin right now.</p><p>Ivan Vishnevskiy leads the way. The skilled, 21-year-old blueliner has been asked to shape up his defensive game and get ready for the jump to the NHL next season.</p><p>Others looking to make the leap are role-playing forwards Colton Sceviour, Ray Sawada and Francis Wathier.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-04

Dallas

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-05207/9381032-1-eng-US/f0044-052.jpg" title="f0044-05" width="344" height="185"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>IVE OF</b> the Kings&rsquo; top prospects are playing in Manchester (AHL), but don&rsquo;t be surprised to see goalie Jonathan Bernier and center Andrei Loktionov with the big squad next year, with defensemen Thomas Hickey and Viatcheslav Voynov and goalie Jeff Zatkoff just a phone call away.</p><p>Bernier is definitely L.A.&rsquo;s goalie of the future. The Kings felt it was more valuable for him to be the No. 1 in Manchester rather than spend the season in a backup role with L.A. His goals-against average has been under 2.00 for much of the campaign.</p><p>Loktionov is a nifty play-maker with high hockey IQ. He&rsquo;s projected to be a top-six forward, but has been injured since November.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-05

Los Angeles

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID POLLAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-06182/9381063-1-eng-US/f0044-062.jpg" title="f0044-06" width="336" height="185"></div><p><b>THE SHARKS&rsquo;</b> pool of prospects at Worcester (AHL) is as deep as its ever been, according to GM Doug Wilson.</p><p>Topping the list is center Logan Couture, drafted ninth overall in 2007. In his rookie pro season, he has averaged more than a point per game. Couture, 20, might not be a top-line candidate in San Jose, but he will fit in just about anywhere else.</p><p>Couture hasn&rsquo;t played as many NHL games as some of the Sharks&rsquo; other forward prospects, but there&rsquo;s a reason.</p><p>&ldquo;We want players to establish themselves and ripen a little bit,&rdquo; Wilson said.</p><p>On defense, San Jose is high on Derek Joslin, 22, for his versatility and Mike Moore, 25, for his physicality and leadership.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-06

San Jose

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01551/9381094-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="313" height="185"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-2016/9381101-1-eng-US/f0045-202.jpg" title="f0045-20" width="133" height="130"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>IVE PLAYERS</b> on the Lightning roster have spent at least half-a-season with Norfolk (AHL) in the past two years, while young sensations Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, jumped straight from junior to the NHL.</p><p>But even with those recent injections, Norfolk still has some promising talent on the cusp of the NHL. Blair Jones, a 23-year-old fourth round pick (102nd) in 2005, is second in team scoring and has seen 14 NHL games this season. Tampa GM Brian Lawton was pleased with Jones&rsquo; efforts during the call-up, but is looking for another dimension to his game.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s proving he can play at this level defensively and the next step for him will be to develop a little bit of an offensive game,&rdquo; Lawton said.</p><p>Matt Lashoff, 23, finished strongly last year with Tampa Bay, but was the odd man out when the team reconstructed its blueline last summer. Lawton attributed Lashoff&rsquo;s slow &rsquo;09-10 start to a hangover from finishing last year in the NHL, but the GM wasn&rsquo;t worried.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just starting to hit his stride this year and we&rsquo;re looking for a big second half from him,&rdquo; Lawton said. &ldquo;I expect he&rsquo;ll get an opportunity up here at some point soon.&rdquo;</p><p>Goalie Dustin Tokarski, 20, had a mid-January call-up, but will be returned to Norfolk when Mike Smith returns. Lawton also was pleased with the development of Norfolk&rsquo;s other goalie, Jaroslav Janus.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

Tampa Bay

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GUY CURTRIGHT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02355/9381132-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="342" height="184"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>RTURS KULDA</b> was just a seventh round draft pick in 2006, but the steady and physical defenseman&rsquo;s stock has soared in his second season with Chicago. The Latvian led the AHL with a plus-29 rating at the all-star break and had three goals and 14 points.</p><p>Another NHL-ready 21-year-old prospect is versatile winger Spencer Machacek. Called a Colby Armstrong-type by Thrashers GM Don Waddell, the third round pick in 2007 had eight goals and 23 points at the AHL break.</p><p>On the flip side, center Angelo Esposito played just 12 games before tearing the ACL in his right knee &ndash; for the second time &ndash; and having another season cut short.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-02

Atlanta

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03298/9381163-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="351" height="184"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH DEFENSEMAN</b> Brett Carson and forwards Brandon Sutter and Patrick Dwyer apparently in the NHL for the rest of the way, the Hurricanes still have forwards Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk and Jerome Samson on call.</p><p>Boychuk is Carolina&rsquo;s top prospect. He projects as an NHL goal-scorer and is expected in Carolina next season.</p><p>Bowman has impressed with his steady development and could also factor into Carolina&rsquo;s 2010-11 plans. Samson, an undrafted free agent, has become a proven AHL scorer.</p><p>Goalies Justin Peters and Mike Murphy could battle for the backup spot next year as well, while defenseman Jamie McBain could also get the call.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-03

Carolina

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04266/9381194-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="352" height="184"></div><p><b>FLORIDA&rsquo;S AFFILIATE</b> in the AHL, Rochester, has had great goaltending this season.</p><p>The Americans have hovered around the top of the standings thanks to Alexander Salak, 23, from the Czech Republic. Salak, who filled in as Tomas Vokoun&rsquo;s backup briefly this season and made his NHL debut in October, made the AHL All-Star Game after going 19-5-1 with a .920 save percentage in 26 games.</p><p>Salak&rsquo;s future isn&rsquo;t known since touted prospect Jacob Markstrom will come over from Sweden next year and Scott Clemmensen is signed for the next two seasons.</p><p>Blueliner Keaton Ellerby, 21, had six goals and 18 points through 40 games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-04

Florida

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER KERZEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05238/9381225-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="319" height="184"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>INCE THEY&rsquo;RE</b> flush with experienced defensemen, the Capitals see no reason to rush top prospect John Carlson, 20, who&rsquo;s already had a couple cups of NHL coffee this season.</p><p>Carlson, who scored the overtime winner for the U.S. at the world juniors, is a smart puckmover whose tender years belie veteran instincts.</p><p>Meanwhile, no one has made better use of an unexpected opportunity than goalie Braden Holtby, 20. When injuries in D.C. necessitated some roster shuffling, the pro rookie grabbed his chance. Holtby, who moved up from the ECHL to the AHL in November, has displayed a flashy, athletic style. He&rsquo;ll soon push Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-05

Washington

<div class="byline">by Nicolas Chabot</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0047-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01507/9381256-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DUSTIN JEFFREY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THINGS</b>&nbsp;<b>ARE LOOKING</b> pretty green down on the farm.</p><p>Thirty-seven percent of all American League players were 22 or younger on Oct. 1. Of that group, 35 sat among the league&rsquo;s top 100 scoring leaders at the season&rsquo;s halfway point.</p><p>The highest scorer of that group was Pittsburgh prospect Dustin Jeffrey, who at 21 years and six months had 43 points in 39 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, ranking him fifth in league scoring. Not bad for a guy drafted 171st overall in 2007.</p><p>Despite being seven months shy of turning 21, San Jose prospect Logan Couture had a stellar 42 points in 31 games with Worcester.</p><p>In net, four of the league&rsquo;s top 10 leaders in save percentage were 22 or younger, including two on AHL-leading Hershey.</p><p>Can&rsquo;t get enough numbers? Visit our online <b>&lsquo;Stats&rsquo;</b> section every day at <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-01

YOUTH RULES AHL

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02255/9381287-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01349/9381294-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="152" height="150"></div><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></b></p><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Nickname of Tri-City&rsquo;s junior team</p><p>8 Mellon is Pittsburgh&rsquo;s (for now)</p><p>9 Rick ___ is coach in Tampa</p><p>10 Mats Sundin finished his career as one</p><p>11 Win back-to-back championships</p><p>12 Player selection system</p><p>14 Ex-goalie Glenn ___ is now a TV analyst</p><p>17 He last coached in Calgary</p><p>19 Playoff season</p><p>20 Take air into the lungs</p><p>21 Eddie &lsquo;The ___&rsquo; Belfour</p><p>22 He&rsquo;s the coach in Pittsburgh</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>2 There&rsquo;s also junior hockey in ___ Jaw</p><p>3 Maurice Richard&rsquo;s nickname</p><p>4 All goalies wear ___ protectors</p><p>5 He coached Chicago in 2007-08</p><p>6 One who gets lots of ice time</p><p>7 Home of the Western League&rsquo;s Blades</p><p>11 Home of hockey&rsquo;s other Americans</p><p>13 A heavy onslaught (with lots of shots)</p><p>15 Pulled</p><p>16 Bring back a player from the minors</p><p>17 Hockey&rsquo;s &lsquo;King Kong&rsquo;</p><p>18 Arron ___ is now with the Flyers</p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION</b>&nbsp;<b>ACROSS</b> 1. PETE TIMES, 8. ARRON, 9. AMPUTEE, 10. FRANCE, 11. GRAPES, 12. STAND, 14. ITALY, 17. SHARKS, 19. ORLAND, 20. RELIEVE, 21. KJELL, 22. EUROPEANS <b>DOWN</b> 2. ELMER, 3. EQUIPS, 4. IDEAS, 5. SABRES, 6. BRENDAN, 7. UNDERDOGS, 11. GOLIGOSKI, 13. MARLIES, 15. YANDLE, 16. LABINE, 17. SHERO, 18. KEVIN<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0049-02

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">by charlieteljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03195/9381325-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg"></div><p>Want to own an original cartoon? Click on <a href="http://charlieteljeur.com/journal">charlieteljeur.com/journal</a> for details.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0049-03

hockeysockpuppettheatre

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05137/9381356-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="742" height="711"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COLORADO AVALANCHE</b></p><p>2009-10</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MICHAEL MARTIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04177/9381363-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="144" height="151"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span> usually like to leave diagonal lettering to the New York Rangers, since they made it famous, but Colorado&rsquo;s new third jersey is a nice one.</p><p>The font on &lsquo;Colorado&rsquo; is fun and the arm striping is particularly good, but it&rsquo;s the main color that really makes this one shine. Taking the team&rsquo;s usual shoulder band blue and reversing it with the maroon gives the Avs a totally new look without compromising the team&rsquo;s identity (right, Florida Panthers?). Plus, you can&rsquo;t go wrong with tie-up laces.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0049-05

JERSEY Hound

<div class="byline">with Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0050-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02233/9381394-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01330/9381401-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="206" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HINK OF THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b> as a kind of modern-day, mom-and-pop operation, one that runs efficiently and well in an era of multinational conglomerates. Nashville is like that sturdy, worthy independent bookseller on the corner. In an era where big is not necessarily better, they function because they sweat the details better than the big boys.</p><p>Eleven years into their NHL life &ndash; and competitive for the past six seasons &ndash; the Predators annually deal with minimal payrolls, financial uncertainty, threats of relocation, player turnover and hard personnel decisions that need to be made. They find netminding talent everywhere, as well as players from unlikely sources, such as Patric Hornqvist, who was selected last overall in the 2005 draft and put in a year adjusting to life in North America, without quarreling about the time he spent in the minors.</p><p>Mostly, they sell opportunity and the man who makes the pitch is Barry Trotz &ndash; after all these years, still the only coach in franchise history. That sort of stability is the hallmark of the Predator way.</p><p>&ldquo;No. 1, we&rsquo;ve come to pure grips with what our restraints are,&rdquo; said Trotz, when asked about Nashville&rsquo;s formula for success. &ldquo;Because of that, you have to make really good hockey decisions, based on what you have given to you. We have a self-imposed budget and we work with that.&rdquo;</p><p>At the top of the Predators&rsquo; chain of command is GM David Poile, who apprenticed in the Flames system under Cliff Fletcher; turned the Washington Capitals into a competitive team after years as a laughingstock; and, has been at the helm in Nashville ever since they were awarded the franchise in 1997. Only once in all that time has Poile been an aggressive buyer at the NHL trade deadline &ndash; in 2006, when he brought in Peter Forsberg to play on a team that also included Paul Kariya. Otherwise, the Preds rarely sacrifice the future for help in the present.</p><p>Or as Trotz puts it: &ldquo;The key is, we&rsquo;re patient and we develop players. For a team that&rsquo;s always under a bit of the gun financially to make it work, we show really good patience with our young guys. We believe if you rush players &ndash; and they may have successful first years &ndash; you&rsquo;re going to pay a price for skipping the process. Everybody that we&rsquo;ve sort of skipped the process with a little, there&rsquo;s always a price to be paid. If you look around the league, you can see that happening with some young guys.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&lsquo;NO. 1, WE&rsquo;VE COME TO GRIPS WITH WHAT OUR RESTRAINTS ARE&rsquo;</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;We try to just allow our players to be ready when they&rsquo;re ready, not when we want them to be ready.&rdquo;</p><p>Beyond their drafting successes, the Predators have also done a good job of turning unwanted players into useful assets.</p><p>Nowhere is that more evident than their success in developing goalies. Not many organizations can lose quality stoppers in back-to-back years, as the Predators did with Tomas Vokoun and then Chris Mason, and still have a top tandem in Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis to fall back on. In fact, one or the other will probably be sacrificed this summer for financial reasons; and yet, the Preds never seem to come up short in that all-important area.</p><p>Trotz gives much of the credit to goalie coach Mitch Korn.</p><p>&ldquo;If you notice, our backup goaltender gets better because he can really work on his game,&rdquo; Trotz said. &ldquo;Mitch does a good job of putting a plan in place so they can work on their games and actually get better so when they&rsquo;re thrust into that starting role, they can do the job.&rdquo;</p><p>Defenseman Dan Hamhuis has played his entire career with the Predators and said the team&rsquo;s players always expect to be competitive, even if outsiders can&rsquo;t imagine the possibility.</p><p>&ldquo;To the guys in the room, I don&rsquo;t think we feel that we overachieve,&rdquo; Hamhuis said. &ldquo;I think we play to our potential. There are a few things that contribute to that. No. 1, we always have a great group of guys in the room that get along really well and enjoy playing with each other and for each other.&rdquo;</p><p>Philosophically, Poile has demonstrated an unflinching commitment to letting staff work through the down times, without the axe poised over everyone&rsquo;s collective head.</p><p>&ldquo;We have an identity,&rdquo; Trotz said. &ldquo;Anytime we go through a struggle, we find our answers in our dressing room. I think that puts a lot of onus on a team concept&hellip;no one can bail out. If you come out of those hard times together, you become a lot more galvanized and resilient and a lot stronger as an organization.&rdquo;</p><p>With all these old-school values, you can be sure of one thing in Nashville: Mom and Pop would be proud.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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February 8, 2010

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