Executive Defends Olympians

Chicago Blackhawk President Bill Wirtz on Thursday defended the Olympic hockey players who trashed their rooms in Japan, accusing hockey officials of hounding hard-working players who simply lost their tempers.

“This entire incident has been blown completely out of proportion,” Wirtz said in an open letter to the NHL commissioner, the U.S. Olympic Hockey Committee president and other officials.

Unknown players on the U.S. Olympic team did an estimated $3,000 damage after the Czech Republic eliminated them from the Games.

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Montreal Canadien center Vincent Damphousse, who had never missed a game because of injury in his 12-year career, will be sidelined for at least three weeks after having arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left shoulder. . . . Left wing Rob Zamuner, scheduled to become an restricted free agent in the off-season, re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . New York Ranger defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev will sit out the rest of the season because of torn ligaments in his right wrist. . . . Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who helped the Montreal Canadiens to eight Stanley Cup titles, is being treated for stomach cancer.