Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Can't ignore Igor
Russian hockey team calls on Flames defenceman once again
By JEAN LEFEBVRE -- Calgary Sun
PHOENIX -- Make it four for Igor.
International hockey veteran Igor Kravchuk has once again been called to serve his country at the Olympics with the Flames defenceman taking the roster spot vacated by injured Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Dmitry Yushkevich.
The Calgary blueliner's late invitation was rumoured last week when a blood clot was discovered in Yushkevich's leg but Kravchuk initially dismissed the speculation, claiming Chicago's Alexander Karpovtsev and St. Louis' Alexander Khavanov would get the first calls.
"I'd say I was surprised," the 35-year-old from Ufa admitted yesterday after the Flames' workout at America West Arena.
"I thought they were going to go with the younger guys, especially as a seventh defenceman."
Perhaps Russian officials simply decided they couldn't allow the NHL's most experienced and successful Olympian to sit this one out.
Kravchuk has been to the Winter Games three previous times and is the second participant at the 2002 tournament -- Detroit's Igor Larionov is the other -- to possess a pair of Olympic gold medals.
Kravchuk picked up his first gold with the Soviet Union in Calgary in 1988 and four years later captained the team of former Soviet nations -- collectively known as the Commonwealth of Independent States -- to a top-of-the-podium finish in Albertville. He also won a silver four years ago in Nagano.
Time has passed and the geopolitical landscape has changed but, says Kravchuk, the Olympic experience remains the same.
"It doesn't matter what year you play or at what stage is your country," said the veteran, who has three goals and 18 points in 52 games this season for Calgary. "Olympic Games are Olympic Games. This is huge. I've been lucky, this is my fourth. Not many athletes can get such a chance like I have."
Being an afterthought selection with the possibility of limited action in Utah, where he'll work under the orders of former Red Army and USSR teammate Viacheslav Fetisov, doesn't diminish the honour.
"It doesn't matter how," he reasoned. "To be a member of an Olympic team, I think it's very prestigious. I hope I'm going to play some games but there's a lot of responsibility, no matter if you're playing or not. You have to be part of the team, even if it's just to inspire the guys."
Not all the Olympic news on the Flames front has been good.
Left winger Ronald Petrovicky, scheduled to play for Slovakia in qualifying-round action, saw his trip to Salt Lake City get cancelled because of a roster shell game and injuries in the Calgary forward ranks.
Petrovicky then watched in horror on the weekend as his countrymen's hopes to advance to the main tournament were dashed by a loss to Germany and a tie with Latvia.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has come under fire for holding the qualifying tourney in the midst of the NHL season. The Slovaks, silver medallists at the 2000 world championships, were the team most affected by the scheduling conflict.
"They have to figure something else out so that everybody can bring their best players," remarked Petrovicky.
"Slovakia had to bring guys who were playing two nights in a row or three in a row with over 5,000 kilometres of travel.
"But that's just the way it is, there's no excuse. They knew what they wanted to do and they didn't finish in the proper spot."
While Petrovicky didn't make it to Salt Lake, older brother Robert was in the lineup.
"I'm sure he's going to be very disappointed because he was the captain of the team, too. Life goes on and now they have to get ready for the world championships."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
