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There is nothing too
complicated about life as an NHL player. For at least eight months, they
know they'll be getting up in the morning and heading to the rink. Some
days it will be for practice, others will be for games. Sprinkled in,
you can always count on a day off here, a day off there and, if you aren't
chosen to play, a weekend all to yourself sometime in February during
the All-Star break.
Well, come February 2002, the world of your average hockey player is going
to change. For only the second time in NHL history, the season will be
suspended in order to allow players to participate for their respective
countries at the 2002 Winter Olympics, to be held on U.S. soil in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
The best hockey players in the world will come together at the XIX Olympic
Winter Games to battle for ice hockey supremacy. All of the NHL's biggest
and brightest stars, from Mike Modano to Dominik Hasek to Pavel Bure,
will don their nation's colors and blaze up and down the rinks of Salt
Lake City in a quest for gold. The tournament and the NHL's involvement
was made possible last year when the NHL, in conjunction with the NHLPA,
entered into an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation,
the worldwide governing body for ice hockey, that allowed NHL players
to play for their national teams during the 2002 Games.
It sets up a winner-take-all tournament for the title of the greatest
hockey country in the world. Fans all over the world can't wait for the
showdown, and neither can those who skate side-by-side with these players
every day.
"I think it is great for hockey," said Minnesota Wild center
Wes Walz. "I'm looking forward to being able to watch the best hockey
players in the world play on a huge stage and play against each other.
The World Championships are nice, but you never get the best players in
the world playing in those. So it is going to be great for any hockey
fan."
While all the attention and spotlight will shift to Salt Lake City come
February, what about the rest of the NHL? The league officially shuts
down operations on Feb. 14 and won't drop the puck again until the 26th
of the month. Suddenly, players here in Minnesota and all around the league
will have 12 days on their hands to do as they please. No lacing up the
skates, no grinding in the corners — what's a hockey player to do?
"I've never really had that time [off]," Aaron Gavey, a Wild
forward, explained, "but it's going to be nice. [The break] will
give us some downtime to let the body and the mind relax."
The time off might seem a little strange, but there is no doubt that players
will need it. The involvement in the Olympics and the break in the schedule
have put an added strain on the NHL campaign. Training camps were shortened
from 27 to 22 days, and the action in the regular season has been fast
and furious. The Minnesota Wild played 15 games in the 30 days that make
up November, and will turn the trick again in January with 15 in 31 days.
With the burden of a schedule like that weighing on a player's shoulders,
even the most regimented athletes are eyeing the break.
"It is a grind when you are playing every couple of days," said
Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell, who is one of the youngest players on
the Wild team and has not escaped the beatings of the condensed schedule.
"I've had so many little injuries that have been tough to heal from
because there hasn't been a lot of rest between games this year. I'm sure
they will still be around come the break, so it will be great to be able
to put your feet up, relax and try to get healthy."
While the break may sparkle in the eyes of some individual players, teams
as a whole might waver in on their opinions. February is usually a make-or-break
month in the NHL. Teams with dreams of a playoff run have historically
cranked it up and begun their push toward Lord Stanley's tournament. The
month has also brought winds of change and the cold reality of losing
streaks that have dashed a playoff dream or two. Either way, the 12 days
off could add an additional wrinkle to the 2001-2002 season.
"It depends on how you are going," said Minnesota's Captain
of the Month for October, Jim Dowd. "It could work both ways. If
you are struggling, have some injuries and need a little break, the time
off is going to be great for you. But on the other hand, if you are playing
well and everyone is going, it might not be such a good thing."
The play of the team is always the biggest concern on a coach's mind,
and the idea that the break could help or hinder a squad is unquestionable.
However, there is more to guiding the reins of an NHL club in 2001-2002
than wins and losses. The players who strap on the pads and hit the ice
aren't the only ones who have had to deal with the impact of the League's
involvement in the Olympics. Head coaches such as Minnesota's Jacques
Lemaire have been forced to be more aware of the schedule and the physical
strains it will place on their teams. Changes in coaching styles, practice
regimens and travel schedules have all had to be made to make sure players
are prepared to play night-in and night-out.
"Dealing with the schedule is an adjustment that a coach needs to
make," said Lemaire. "[A coach] needs to look and see how many
games his team has to play in so many nights. He also needs to evaluate
the shape that his players are in. Are they in good shape? Do they need
to work on their conditioning? If they need that work, then you have to
push them in practice. If they don't, then you can get them on the ice
for a shorter time and just make sure they don't lose the feel for the
game."
Come February 26, everyone is in the same boat. Each of the 30 teams in
the NHL will have been idle for 12 days and will face the challenge of
physically and mentally returning to the game. Players will have to re-focus
and begin preparation for the stretch run of the season. The ones that
find their rhythm and their games the fastest might have an immeasurable
edge.
"[The break] will definitely get you out of your routine as a player,"
said Walz. "I think the toughest part is going to be, after guys
do whatever they want for a week, getting back into the swing of things.
"The teams that are in better shape are going to have the advantage
for sure. Playing four games in six nights is something we did before
the break and it will continue throughout the year."
The schedule and the break each present unfamiliar challenges in the simple
world of an NHL hockey player. But the excitement and opportunity of giving
the game of hockey the international exposure and spotlight are well worth
it. For 12 days, hockey players and fans will get the best of both worlds,
so sit back, relax and enjoy.
Brian Israel is the director of publications/creative services for
the Minnesota Wild.
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