Svatos’s ice time will rise by suiting up for Hershey

This was the year MarekSvatos was supposed to savor the sweet smell of success in the NHL. Instead, he’s sniffing chocolate fumes in a minor league town. Svatos, who scored a gamewinning goal in the playoffs for the Avs last season and was slated to be a possible second line right winger, is having to make do with playing for the American League’s Hershey Bears. “I am kind of upset; this was going to be my big chance with Colorado,” Svatos said. “But right now, it’s the lockout. I can’t do anything about it.” Svatos, 23, got off to a bad start in his first game with the Bears, going minus-1 with no points and 12 penalty minutes. But his future remains bright; he was considered the best Bears player,…

EUROPEAN STATISTICS

Heatley’s legal predicament doesn’t mean he can’t play

Right winger Dany Heatley’s legal status did not stop him from signing to play with Bern in the Swiss league. Heatley, charged with firstand second-degree vehicular homicide for his involvement in the car-crash death of teammate Dan Snyder, notified the office of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard through his attorneys of his intentions. Howard had no objections to Heatley’s playing abroad. “The judge gave him an opportunity to make bond,” he said…Howard said Heatley’s lawyers have not yet approached him about a possible plea deal. “We haven’t heard from them in reference to that,” he said. “We’ve heard a lot about how the Snyder family feels about (Heatley). We’d like to see that that care is reciprocated.” Heatley’s next court date is Nov. 29…The Thrashers talked to their AHL…

Brothers in arms? Not!

It is one of the undercurrent debates that NHL players faced in the opening weeks of the lockout: to skate or not to skate. While virtually all NHLers have given their unwavering support to the union in the battle for a new collective bargaining agreement, it is one of the issues that has shown a crack in player solidarity. When it comes to the widespread practice of signing with European teams or some minor league clubs, for example, some NHL players have reservations. “I believe in staying together as a union,” says New Jersey Devils left winger Jeff Friesen. “Some guys feel they have to play. Personally, I don’t think you bring your problems elsewhere and take jobs. If you do things for charity, yes.” To some critics, it is not only taking…