HOCKEY
MEN
* Where: Palasport Olimpico and Esposizioni.
* When: Preliminary round, Feb. 15-21. Quarterfinals, Feb. 22. Semifinals, Feb. 24. Bronze-medal game, Feb. 25. Gold-medal game, Feb. 26.
* The field: The NHL is taking a break to allow its players to represent their countries, and most of the world’s top players will participate. Defending champion Canada is seeded first in the 12-team tournament, followed by Sweden, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Finland, the U.S. and Russia.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has adapted the NHL’s anti-obstruction guidelines, but the ice will be 15 feet wider than in the NHL, goaltenders can use bigger equipment than the NHL allows, and there will be only one referee on the ice.
* U.S. chances to medal: Mediocre in net, lacking up front and questionable on defense, this team is hardly overwhelming. If goalie John Grahame gets hot, the U.S. will be able to compete. Many core players, such as Keith Tkachuk, Brian Leetch and Aaron Miller, have been injured. The U.S. might have trouble getting out of its group, which includes ever-interesting Sweden, a sleeper Slovakian team, Russia -- which will put super rookie Alexander Ovechkin on the world stage -- Latvia and Kazakhstan.
* Little-known fact: Canadian-born Trent Evans, who oversaw ice operations at the Salt Lake City Olympic rink, hid a Canadian dollar coin, known as a loonie, beneath the ice to bring the men’s and women’s teams good luck. Both won, and the loonie was later put on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
WOMEN
* Where: Palasport Olimpico and Esposizioni.
* When: Preliminary round, Feb. 11-14. Semifinals, Feb. 17. Gold-medal and bronze-medal games, Feb. 20.
* The field: The U.S. won the first women’s Olympic hockey tournament, at Nagano in 1998, but Canada negated the Americans’ home-ice advantage and won in Salt Lake City. No other team is remotely close to the North American teams, though Finland’s goaltending has improved and Sweden might vie for the bronze medal.
* U.S. chances to medal: The U.S. has never lost to a team other than Canada in a major international tournament. Canada has never lost to a team other than the U.S. in a major international tournament. All nine women’s world championship tournaments have featured U.S.-Canada finals, with Canada winning eight and the U.S. not breaking through until last year. It’s a two-team race for the gold.
* Little-known fact: Three players on the Canadian team have NHL connections, Hayley Wickenheiser, considered perhaps the greatest player in the women’s game, is a distant cousin of the late Doug Wickenheiser. Gillian Apps is the granddaughter of Hall of Famer Syl Apps Sr. and daughter of Syl Apps Jr., whose NHL stops included a stint with the Kings. And Jennifer Botterill is the sister of Jason Botterill, a 1994 first-round draft pick who played for Dallas, Calgary, Atlanta and Buffalo.
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-- Helene Elliott
