USOC Considers Ban of Entire U.S. Team

Unable to coax confessions from players who vandalized three rooms at the Olympic Village on Feb. 19, the U.S. Olympic Committee is considering banning all 23 members of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team from playing in the Olympics again and demanding apologies from each player or a team apology.

Such a ban would be unprecedented. It would also preclude a repeat in 2002 of the dream tournament that was staged in Nagano, where NHL players represented their homelands for the first time in an effort to bring the league global attention. Without its premier home-grown stars, the next Olympic team would have to rely upon lesser players or revert to using college players.

Other possible sanctions include not inviting the team to join fellow U.S. Olympians at a White House ceremony next month and withholding commemorative gifts players customarily receive, such as watches and rings.

The USOC executive committee discussed several ideas Tuesday and planned to relay its recommendations to executives of USA Hockey, the NHL and the NHL Players Assn.

Any action must be approved by the USOC board of directors, which meets next month in Portland, Ore. Stung by negative publicity and perturbed that players developed by USA Hockey are ignoring its pleas to do the right thing, the USOC is prepared to act decisively. “We are not sweeping it under the rug,” USOC President Bill Hybl said.

However, they’re not making much progress in finding the culprits. In hopes of creating guilt over the incident, which caused $3,000 worth of damage, USA Hockey last week sent each player a letter appealing to his conscience. The letters included copies of critical e-mail and messages fans have sent to USA Hockey.

The letter was no more successful than the NHL’s investigation, which has not uncovered any conclusive evidence. Investigators believe no more than two or three players were involved, but because no one can be identified, Hybl said a team-wide sanction is the next step.

“[The USOC was] defining and refining our position,” he said. “But nothing we are doing will undermine for one minute our determination to resolve this matter.”