Publisher: International Ice Hockey Federation, Editor-in-Chief: Jan-Ake Edvinsson Editors: Kimmo Leinonen and Szymon Szemberg, Layout: Szymon Szemberg, Photos: IIHF Archives Zürich, City Press, Berlin December 2001 - Vol. 5 - No 6 Let everyone join the party NHL teams should to understand the posi- show the Olympic spi- tion taken by the NHL rit and release the managers who have Slovaks, Latvians, announced that their players will not be relea- Germans, Swiss and sed earlier. I am very well This December issue of the IIHF News others for the Release is almost entirely devoted to aware that the players Preliminary Round of are well compensated to the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in the Olympic hockey perform for their teams Salt Lake City. Some players are very tournament, writes and that the managers fortunate to have participated in several IIHF president René have a responsibility Olympics. Raimo Helminen, whom we Fasel in his Christmas towards the fans who pay featured in the September issue, has editorial. for the tickets. played in five Olympics and he could But I am sure that the fans of the Washington be on his way to a record breaking I Things became clear sixth. Vladislav Tretiak, the former great Capitals would fully to me when I happened understand and support goalie of the Soviet Union, has three to catch a glimpse of the idea of letting Peter Olympic gold medals and one silver in the Uruguay - Australia Bondra play for Slovakia four appearances. Tretiak is featured World Cup soccer qua- and Olaf Kolzig for on the back cover of this issue. lifying game on TV. The Germany. I can not imagi- But others are less fortunate. In an arti- commentator informed ne that true Carolina fans that Leeds United, the cle in the Edmonton Sun, former Team would not wish Arturs English Premiership Irbe good luck if he mis- Canada greats Bobby Orr and Mike team, released their Bossy regret never playing in the sed a couple of league Australian super pairing games for what could be Olympics. of Mark Viduka and Irbe's first and last “That would have been wonderful”, said Harry Kewell, for this Olympics, playing for Orr in the interview. “I would not have home-and-away fixture, Latvia, something that we refused it”. The 1976 Canada Cup was which meant that the all know makes Irbe the only international tournament Orr players missed four Photo: CITY-PRESS immensely proud. Would vital games with Leeds. Irbe’s last Olympic chance?: Latvia’s goaltender anyone in the Buffalo played in. Arturs Irbe is one of several players who could miss This in a league where area not feel true joy if Mike Bossy participated in the 1981 the Olympic Winter in Salt Lake City if he is not rele- teams play only 38 their hero, Miroslav and 1984 Canada Cup, but the NHL ased by his club team. games (home and Satan, performed some did not take a break for the Olympics in away) to decide maybe Olympic magic while missing a couple of league those days. “If there is something today the most prestigious league championships in the games? How much would the Stanley Cup that I look back on, it would have been most global of all team sports. champions Colorado suffer if they let their backup I a heck of a lot of fun playing for the In soccer, and all other big team sports that I goaltender David Aebischer go earlier and let Olympic team” said the 44 year old sni- can think of, the general view is that major inter- Patrick Roy, maybe the best goalie in the league, per. national competition like the Olympics or World handle the duty in the meanwhile? Cup, always is above domestic league competi- Bossy holds the memories of four As for the players themselves, needless to tion. Soccer is already mentioned, but it is the Stanley Cup wins with the Islanders in say, they want to play. same case in basketball, volleyball, handball and I Their NHL fans would be happy for their high regard with the Canada Cups furt- rugby, just to mention some team sports with glo- heroes, the NHL players would be happy for their her down the list. “It would have been a bal appeal. team mates and the league itself would support I lot different if it would have been the The IIHF and the NHL have, together, come a that gesture. I call on all relevant NHL teams, Olympics”, he said. “The Canada Cups long way in making ice hockey a truly global their boards and managers to show some true were sort of our Olympics, but they Olympic sport where all top-level domestic com- Olympic spirit and let their players go. They might weren’t the Olympics”. petitions take a break for this great event, which miss a couple of games, but they will return as comes along only once every four years. As most happier players and bring back the Olympic of you know, eight teams start their Olympic momentum to their teams for the rest of the regu- Preliminary Round on February 9, while players lar season. from the NHL are released on February 14 for As President of the International Ice Hockey the Final Round, which starts a day later. Federation I wish you a wonderful holiday season Among the eight teams which play their prelimi- and a prosperous 2002. It should be a great year naries, are Slovakia, Latvia, Germany and for hockey. Switzerland, teams who have some of their best players performing in the NHL. Some of them, if René Fasel not released in time, will miss the opportunity to International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF President represent their country in the Olympics, probably Parkring 11, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland the biggest honour in sports. Phone: +41-1-289 86 00, Fax: +41-1-289 86 20 I See also related article on page 5: “Stastny on crusa- I As much as I am happy and appreciate our Internet: www.iihf.com E-mail: [email protected] de to get players.” agreement with the NHL, it is somewhat difficult December 2001 - Vol. 5 - No 6 OLYMPIC PREVIEW SECTION - SALT LAKE CITY 2002 Triple GGoolldd Club Hockey’s most prestigious company It takes extraordinary commitment, outstanding skill and - as II February 27, 1994 saw the Mats Naslund points out - lot's of luck and timing. Otherwise, three first players become members the criteria, for joining the club are simple. You only have to of the TGC. At the same moment win: when Tommy Salo saved the last I The IIHF World Championship penalty from Canada's Paul Kariya in the Olympic final in Lillehammer, I The Olympic hockey tournament Naslund, Tomas Jonsson and I The Stanley Cup Hakan Loob became the historical Welcome to the Triple Gold Club - at present an exclusive trio to hold all three championships. company of 10. “Of course, I was told by media then that we were the first to win all II The IIHF conducted a very unscientific poll among a three, but I must admit that I did not know that this group had only ten number of hockey experts and asked question: members so far”, said Naslund “If you were a hockey player and wanted to become when the IIHF informed him about immortal by winning the three most prestigious team cham- it. “I was sure that there were some pionships in the game today, which would you want to Golden moment: This fine Czechs… if you think about it, this win?” Each and every one in the panel listed the three trio was the first to join group might not grow much bigger above mentioned championships as hockey's grand slam. hockey’s Triple Gold Club than this. If you happen to be draf- The next step was to jump into the archives and search the on February 27, 1994. The ted by Nashville and Atlanta, you record books for players who have won all three honours. picture is taken minutes will probably never get the triple. Or We found ten of them, all shown on these pages. Four after Peter Forsberg sco- look at Borje Salming, probably the Swedes and six Russians. red his famous Game best European to have played in the The most exclusive and prestigious society in international Winning Shot against NHL, he never won anything.” hockey. Canada in the Olympic II Mats Naslund, Aleksander II The IIHF called one of them, Mats Naslund, one of the final in Lillehammer. From Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov are left: Hakan Loob, Mats finest players in the international game and one of the best the most economical of the TGC Naslund and Tomas Europeans to play in the NHL. Naslund played for the members. They have won one of Jonsson. Montreal Canadiens for eight seasons and he led them to a each championship. On the other Seven more players joined Stanley Cup victory in 1986 and another final in 1989. He side of the scale you have the club in the following won the IIHF World Championships in 1991 and was gran- Vyacheslav Fetisov, the GM and years. Peter Forsberg had ted entry to the Triple Gold Club in 1994 by winning the head coach of Team Russia at the to wait until 1996 before Olympic gold in Lillehammer in 1994. Salt Lake City Olympics, who won he had his triple. “When you are in the middle of your career, you shrug your seven IIHF World Championships shoulders at things like that”, said Mats from Malmo, and two Olympic gold medals befo- Sweden where he now resides.