AbNormal27
01-09-2006, 07:55 PM
Jason Spezza will not have to worry about getting rusty while in Italy. (File)
IIHF: Practise yes, bunk no
"We do not have room. They'll have to stay in a hotel."
By Alan Adams, Sportsnet.ca
The members of the so-called Olympic hockey team taxi squads can practise with their respective teams at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, next month but they won't be bunking with their teammates in the athletes' village.
That's the word from Rene Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The IIHF doesn't recognize Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Bryan McCabe as being part of Canada's roster but it won't prevent them from practising with the team, Fasel said Sunday from Russia.
"They can travel with the team to Italy. They can practise with the team but they can't stay in the athletes' village. That's the only thing," says Fasel. "We do not have room. They'll have to stay in a hotel."
Fasel was clarifying concerns that surfaced in this side of the Atlantic about the taxi squads.
Carolina GM Jim Rutherford was worried about Staal getting rusty if he went to Italy and was unable to skate for two weeks, and Rutherford wasn't the only GM to express his concerns.
"For him to go to Italy for two weeks and not skate and then come back for what is a critical time in the schedule, I had concerns," Rutherford said. "This is good to hear.
"And if you were the Olympic team, you would want Staal to practise in case you needed him. It made no sense to have him in Italy if he could not practise."
Staal, Spezza and McCabe were named as injury replacements when Team Canada announced its roster before Christmas. IIHF rules state that only three injury replacements can be made once the Olympic tournament starts.
Theoretically the remaining players on each nation's Oct. 24 long list are all legitimate replacement players as far as the IIHF is concerned. Several nations have listed standby players.
Aaryn
IIHF: Practise yes, bunk no
"We do not have room. They'll have to stay in a hotel."
By Alan Adams, Sportsnet.ca
The members of the so-called Olympic hockey team taxi squads can practise with their respective teams at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, next month but they won't be bunking with their teammates in the athletes' village.
That's the word from Rene Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The IIHF doesn't recognize Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Bryan McCabe as being part of Canada's roster but it won't prevent them from practising with the team, Fasel said Sunday from Russia.
"They can travel with the team to Italy. They can practise with the team but they can't stay in the athletes' village. That's the only thing," says Fasel. "We do not have room. They'll have to stay in a hotel."
Fasel was clarifying concerns that surfaced in this side of the Atlantic about the taxi squads.
Carolina GM Jim Rutherford was worried about Staal getting rusty if he went to Italy and was unable to skate for two weeks, and Rutherford wasn't the only GM to express his concerns.
"For him to go to Italy for two weeks and not skate and then come back for what is a critical time in the schedule, I had concerns," Rutherford said. "This is good to hear.
"And if you were the Olympic team, you would want Staal to practise in case you needed him. It made no sense to have him in Italy if he could not practise."
Staal, Spezza and McCabe were named as injury replacements when Team Canada announced its roster before Christmas. IIHF rules state that only three injury replacements can be made once the Olympic tournament starts.
Theoretically the remaining players on each nation's Oct. 24 long list are all legitimate replacement players as far as the IIHF is concerned. Several nations have listed standby players.
Aaryn