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 Hockey Notebook: Olympics' style of hockey not coming to NHL anytime soon
Friday, February 22, 2002 From wire dispatches
Enjoying the fast-paced, wide-open brand of hockey being played in Salt Lake City?
Get a good look.
The NHL apparently wants no part of it.
Commissioner Gary Bettman has made it clear that, of the many variations between the NHL and international game, the only one he would consider implementing in his league is the hurry-up faceoff rule. It could come up for discussion as early as the next meeting of the general managers next month.
"There's a lot whole merit to giving this some consideration," he said. "It could take eight to 10 minutes off our game."
Bettman did not express any enthusiasm for dropping the NHL's rule that prohibits two-line passes, even though the absence of that restriction at the Olympics has brought numerous breakaways and prevented teams from effectively employing neutral-zone traps.
Bettman's take is that the reason the quality of hockey at the Olympics has been so good "is not the nuance difference in a couple of rules. It's because you have 120 of the best hockey players in the world, playing in a relatively brief tournament, for their countries. That's what's responsible for the hockey being better."
The NHL is averaging 5.1 goals per game, its lowest point since 1955.
Black and gold
Update on the Penguins at the Olympics:
In the news
They're calling it the Minsk Miracle.
Thousands of fans poured into the streets of Belarus to celebrate their team's stunning upset of Sweden in the quarterfinal, and politicians lined up to laud the players.
President Alexander Luka-shenko, an intense hockey fan who frequently skates with the national team, was said to be "rejoicing," according to press secretary Natalya Petkevich.
"This victory was unexpected for many, but it was deserved," she said.
Alexander Grigorov, deputy sports minister, was equally ebullient.
"This game will go down in the history not only of Belarussian hockey, but also of Belarussian sport in general."
Face in the crowd
So, who is this Andrei Mezin, and where did he come from to stone Sweden with 44 saves in Belarus' 4-3 victory?
Answer: He was in North America most of his professional career but never came within a whiff of the NHL.
Mezin, 27, once played Tier II in Canada, then found a job with the Flint Generals and four other minor-league teams in the United States before getting frustrated and heading back to Europe to play for Berlin of Germany's top league, where he has been the past three years.
He would stand out even if it weren't for his play, a 2-year-old catching glove, a 9-year-old chest protector and leg pads smaller than some players' elbow pads.
Game inside the Games
For the United States to beat Russia, they likely will have to shuffle strategies to ensure they are playing as much of the game as possible deep in the attacking zone.
In their previous meeting, a 2-2 tie Saturday, the Americans went through a 30-minute stretch without managing much offense because of a refusal to dump the puck in and pressure the Russian defense. They are sure to come out employing that tactic tonight, and when the Russians adjust by backing off the blue line, they will need to go back to carrying the puck.
The Americans' strength is up front; the Russians' weakness is on the blue line.
Quoting 'em
Mike Modano, United States center, explaining his linemate's finishing touch: "That's Brett Hull. He's the luckiest guy in the world shooting the puck."
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Matchup: Canada (2-1-1) vs. Belarus (3-4), 2 p.m., E Center, West Valley City, Utah.
Canada center Mario Lemieux, skating with Steve Yzerman and Paul Kariya, has two goals and an assist in two games since sitting out the round-robin game against Germany.