U.S. Players Are Defended
Blackhawks 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.
“They were eliminated from competition, which is the worst thing that can happen to a hockey player, and in their frustration, they broke some chairs,” Wirtz said in an open letter to the National Hockey League commissioner, the U.S. Olympic Hockey Committee president and other officials. “This entire incident has been blown completely out of proportion.”
Unknown players on the U.S. Olympic team did an estimated $3,000 damage to three rooms at Nagano’s Olympic Village in the early morning of Feb. 18, hours after the Czech Republic eliminated the heavily favored U.S. team. Ten chairs were broken, and walls were damaged by a fire extinguisher.
League officials said Tuesday their investigation essentially was closed. Olympic officials have said they believe only two or three players actually were involved in the vandalism.
USOC president Bill Hybl and executive director Dick Schultz have suggested the offenders come forward, apologize, pay for the damage and perhaps make donations to charity. Failing that, all 23 members of the team could be banned from future Olympics, they said.
Tampa keeps Zamuner
Left wing Rob Zamuner, who was due to become a restricted free agent in the off-season, re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Terms were not disclosed.
On the ice
Randy McKay scored his 20th goal and the New Jersey Devils matched a club record by extending their unbeaten streak to 13 games (9-0-4) with a 2-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in Greensboro, N.C.
Gerald Diduck blasted a shot off Dallas defenseman Craig Ludwig for the game-winner with 30 seconds remaining as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Stars 5-4 in Phoenix, snapping their 10-game winless streak.
The game was costly for both teams.
Mike Modano, the Stars’ leading scorer, left the game in the second period when he injured his right shoulder on a hard check against the boards.
The Coyotes’ Keith Tkachuk, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with a groin strain, also left the ice in the second period with bruised ribs.
Chris Osgood stopped 26 shots and Igor Larionov set up two goals to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Detroit.