Talk to any professional hockey player and you will pretty much get the same reaction—that playing for your country in an Olympic tournament is an incredible high.

As the NHL is on hiatus, five members of the Buffalo Sabres were scheduled to compete in Italy this week in the men’s hockey tournament. But a freak knee sprain suffered by Jochen Hecht in last Thursday’s game against Montreal means he is sidelined and will be staying here.

We caught up with the other Sabres players to get their Olympic thoughts…

MAXIM AFINOGENOV – Team Russia

Ask Maxim Afinogenov if memories and attitudes from the Cold War era still hold sway at international hockey tournaments and you will draw a sharp response. “We are not bad people,” snapped Afinogenov, defending his countrymen. “We are nothing more than a collection of young men who play to bring honor to ourselves and our country. All the politics which you describe happened a lifetime ago.” Interestingly, as Afinogenov commented, there was the big-screen TV in the Sabres clubhouse, tuned into TSN and showing great moments in the Soviet vs. the West rivalry.

“We have as good a chance as any to medal,” said Afinogenov of Team Russia. “In a short tournament one bad bounce can send a team home.”

JOCHEN HECHT – Team Germany

Playing for a country where rampant nationalism isn’t the cool thing to do, Jochen Hecht nonetheless feels a special sense of pride as he laces up for his third Olympics. “I see the German flags in the stands, the boys wearing jerseys from our teams. Do you think it gets old? It never gets old! I am so excited to again be representing my country in Torino.”

Hecht’s home town of Mannheim is a doable drive to Italy, so can we expect to see a whole gaggle of supporters making the trip to cheer on their favorite son? “Nah,” replied Hecht. “It’s about a seven- to eight-hour drive from my home, but to tell you the truth, hotel rooms are impossible to find, and I know that my friends will be watching back home.

TONI LYDMAN – Team Finland

There is a sparkle in Toni Lydman’s eyes as he talks about his first ever Olympics appearance for Team Finland. “Well, I’ll get to fly over with Teppo so that will help,” quipped Lydman, referring to Sabres teammate Teppo Numinnen.

With all the scrutiny being given to the U.S. and Canada, does Team Finland get the respect it deserves in international hockey circles? “In that regard we’re very much like the Sabres. Few of the power teams pay much attention to us but we have a lot of talented players and we can sneak up on you in a hurry,” said Lydman.

TEPPO NUMMINEN – Team Finland

For Teppo Numminen, the games of Turin will be his fourth crack at representing Finland’s best on the ice. As a veteran, Teppo is a mainstay of Finland’s defense corps and will be a big help in assisting a young corps of players as they head to the Olympics.

Numminen reminded us that the Finns finished as the runner-up in the 2004 World Cup. When asked what that did for Finland, he replied, “It was a huge thing for Finland. It shows that anybody can beat anybody, especially in these short tournaments where every club has plenty of NHL participants.”

CHRIS DRURY – TEAM USA

Chris Drury’s favorite Olympic moments evoke hockey memories of his older brother, Ted. “My brother played for Team USA in ’92 and ’94, so our family and friends rallied around that,” explained Chris.

Drury, too, is making his second consecutive Olympic appearance. He played in the 2002 Salt Lake City games, where he failed to register a point in six games but nonetheless came home with a silver medal. Maybe that made him a little superstitious, because he refused to talk Olympics with the media at morning practices. But when we asked if the Americans will be looking for Canadian loonies buried at center ice, he smiled and replied, “Maybe we’ll have some surprises of our own in store.”

TARO SEZ…(Ryan Miller got hosed edition)

• Yes, Ryan Miller did get named to the “taxi squad,” meaning that if one of the three U.S. goaltenders gets hurt in Turin, Miller will be pressed to service. Meantime, he remains in the States.

• If Team USA wins a medal, would Miller also receive one? “Only active team members would receive a medal,” explained Sabres PR Director Michael Gilbert.

• Is it better to have Miller in Turin and leading the Americans or to have him home resting up for what will be a brutal March schedule? “For Ryan’s sake, we would rather have had him there, playing,” said Gilbert. “It would be a tremendous opportunity for him.”

• For you stat geeks, Ryan Miller is 4-0 in head-to-head competition against the other three goalies representing the USA. Also Miller ranks sixth in the NHL in GAA at 2.23. Compare that to John Grahame’s 13th (2.68), Robert Esche’s 30th (3.15) and Rick DiPietro’s 35th (3.38). We’ll try not to snicker if Team USA loses a couple of 7–6 games.

• One more thing…It’s a bit of a shame that Ovechkin and Crosby both entered the NHL this season. Those two future stars took out any chance of Ryan Miller taking home the Calder Trophy for top rookie.

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