Czechs Select an Even Dozen

Goalie Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguin forwards Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka will be among 12 NHL players selected for the Czech Republic’s Olympic team, Coach Ivan Hlinka said Friday.

Hasek won the Vezina Trophy last season as the NHL’s best goaltender.

The Sabres’ Richard Smehlik, Roman Hamrlik of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Petr Svoboda of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jiri Slegr of the Penguins will be selected as defensemen.

Joining Jagr and Straka on offense will be Martin Prochazka of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vaclav Prospal of the Flyers, Robert Reichel of the New York Islanders, Martin Rucinsky of the Montreal Canadiens and Vladimir Vujtek of the Lightning.

The remaining players on the Czech roster are playing in Europe or in the Czech league.

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The Phoenix Coyotes put right wing Mike Gartner on waivers. Gartner, 38, needs two goals to reach 700, but has been sidelined since Nov. 2 because of a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Gartner, who makes $1.1 million, has two goals and four assists in 13 games this season.

Last season, Gartner played in all 82 regular season games for the Coyotes, collecting 32 goals and 31 assists.

Only four other players in league history have reached the 700-goal plateau: Phil Esposito had 717, Marcel Dionne had 731, Gordie Howe had 801 and Wayne Gretzky has 869.

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Philadelphia Flyer goaltender Ron Hextall said he would sit out at least one week after he suffered a left thigh muscle strain in a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Hextall left the game with 5:46 remaining after making 27 saves.

It was not immediately determined how the injury occurred, but Hextall said he was hurt on an earlier play.

“[Zigmund] Palffy had the puck, he faked the shot and I was ready for it,” Hextall said. ‘I pushed off and felt it then. I thought I could go on, but later on when I stopped the shot and I kicked my leg out, that’s when I knew I was done.”

Hextall improved to 8-3-3. Backup Garth Snow could see extensive time over the next week.

“The injury is closer to my knee than it is to my groin,” said Hextall. “It’s my thigh and the doctor doesn’t think it’s that serious. I’ve been playing so-so lately, but things were beginning to look up for me and now this happens. Hopefully, I’ll be back in a week. Hopefully.”

The injury marks the second time that Hextall has been sidelined this season. On Nov. 2, against Dallas, he suffered a strained neck and back when he dived from the crease and collided with teammate and defenseman Paul Coffey in an attempt to block a shot.

Neil Little is expected to be called up from the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League to replace Hextall on the roster.