UPDATE 1-Olympics-Ice hockey-Injured Hasek and Elias to leave
Feb 17 2006
By Alan Crosby
TURIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Top Czech goalie Dominik Hasek will leave the Olympics due to a leg injury, team officials said on Friday, dealing a severe blow to his team's chances of dethroning champions Canada.
Zbynek Kusy, general manager of the Czech ice hockey team, added that forward Patrik Elias was also leaving the Games after suffering a rib injury from a crosscheck during the Czech's opening game against Germany.
He added that Dusan Salficky would replace Hasek, while Ales Kotalik would be called up for Elias.
"For me, this is a big disappointment," Hasek was quoted by the online website of the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes as saying.
Hasek, a two-times NHL MVP, was the star of the Czech team that upset Canada and Russia on the way to Olympic gold in 1998, and was expected to reprise his role in Turin.
But the 41-year-old's Olympic dream was shattered less than 10 minutes into the Games, when he fell awkwardly while making a save and immediately came off the ice with a strained adductor muscle in his left leg.
"I consulted with the doctors but unfortunately, it isn't good, I can't play for the rest of the tournament," Hasek said.
The news hits hard a Czech team that has struggled so far even though they are considered one of the top two teams in the tournament.
The Czechs trailed Germany 1-0 after the first period on Wednesday before pulling away late in the game to win 4-1.
Bad went to worse as they underestimated a plucky Swiss team on Thursday, losing 3-2 in a game where goalie Tomas Vokoun, Hasek's replacement, admitted he played poorly.
The injury to Elias comes just as he was getting his skating legs back.
The New Jersey Devils forward was not named in the original Czech team after he contracted Hepatitis A last year while playing in Russia during the NHL labour dispute.
He missed the first 39 games of the NHL season this year as he recovered, and was later added to the Czech squad after New York Rangers forward Petr Prucha went down with a knee injury days before the Games started.