Originally published on IIHF.com in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd After a sumptuous media brunch organized at the IIHF House of Hockey adjacent to the Palasport Olympico, IIHF President René Fasel, NHL Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Bill Daly, and NHLPA Executive Director Ted Saskin sat down in front of a packed press conference […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd In international men’s hockey, there’s an ongoing debate about where the balance of power lies between North America and Europe. But on the women’s side, there’s no question. The economic equivalent would be something like General Motors and Ford versus the Bicyclemaker’s Guild of San Marino. […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Feeling nostalgic about the 2002 Olympic hockey tournament? Visit the special exhibit on the second floor of the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at the Utah Olympic Park, four miles north of Park City. This modern, 29,000-square-foot facility still feels brand new, almost as if the […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd With just 2 million citizens and just over 1000 hockey players, Latvia is thrilled every time one of its native sons cracks the big time. And defenseman Karlis Skrastins of the Colorado Avalanche is one of the best contemporary examples. Of course, there are others. Helmut […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd The USA-Russia semi-final provided twenty of the greatest minutes in Olympic hockey history. The key to the amazing third period was the emotional high both teams maintained down to the final buzzer that confirmed the USA’s 3-2 victory and berth in the gold medal game against […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd Before yesterday’s shocking result, Sweden losing to Belarus in Olympic hockey seemed about as likely as Greta Garbo posing for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or ABBA releasing a gangsta rap album. Belarus’s 4-3 upset in the quarter-finals will never be forgotten by Swedish hockey fans, […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd When North American players take part in an IIHF-sanctioned tournament, the big rink is always a hot topic of discussion. Before the Final Round of the Olympic tournament kicked off Friday, members of the American and Canadian teams weighed in with their opinions. Team USA center […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd Sean Burke, Tommy Salo and Mike Richter are great examples of goalies that have parlayed an Olympic experience into a successful NHL career. But not all are so fortunate. Some goalies are better suited for the concentrated brilliance that the Olympics require than for the long […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd There will be no “Miracle on Ice” at the Salt Lake City Olympics. That’s not because the USA doesn’t have a good shot at winning the gold medal, but because there is no opponent with the sheer overwhelming presence of the old Soviet national team. From […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd Everybody wants a piece of Canada at these Olympics. Or is it the other way around in the hockey tournament? It depends who you ask. According to Team Canada GM Wayne Gretzky, “the whole world” wants Canada to lose and the American media has been playing […]