THE OLYMPICS / WINTER GAMES AT ALBERTVILLE : NOTES

Canadian hockey Coach Dave King, whose team facest its toughest challenge tonight against Czechoslovakia, is as worried about his opponents’ penchant for drawing penalties as he is about their skills.

“The Czechs are the best actors in the tournament. They’re the best divers,” he said. “You watch (Tomas) Jelinek and (Peter) Rosol and (Leo) Gudas. You go near them and they’re on the ice, with their heads back and legs out. The thing is, they’re a good team. They can win without theatrics.”

Hockey player Jiri Slegr’s English is a bit spotty, but he knows enough to thrive in professional sports.

The Czechoslovakian defenseman, who was the Vancouver Canucks’ third choice in the 1990 NHL draft, was a standout in his country’s 4-3 upset of the Unified Team Wednesday. Asked later by American reporters if he wants to play in the NHL, he enthusiastically replied, “Oh, yes.” But when asked if he was about to sign with Vancouver, he frowned. “No comment,” he said.

Slegr, 20, attended Vancouver’s training camp last year but refused an assignment to Milwaukee of the International Hockey League and instead returned home.

Slegr’s teammate, goaltender Petr Briza, was also happy to speak to reporters. Listening to them, though, was another matter.

“Are you American or Canadian?” he asked a reporter. Told the reporter was American, Briza said: “Then you must speak slowly. Your accent sounds like you are speaking with potatoes in your mouth.”

NHL executives Bob Pulford of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bill Torrey of the New York Islanders and Harry Sinden of the Boston Bruins are in Meribel to watch their various draftees play in the Olympic tournament. Pulford has been especially impressed by 6-foot-2 defenseman Igor Kravchuk of the Unified Team. “He’s like Kevin Lowe,” Pulford said, referring to the veteran Edmonton defenseman. “He’s not a defenseman who goes end to end and rushes the puck. He’s just a smart and steady defenseman. I think he would adjust very well to the NHL.”