Ice hockey chief defends lack of NHL players in the Games

Germany-Russia men’s final match-up throws up a surprise element

The men’s ice hockey tournament at the Pyeongchang Games might not have turned out to be a gourmet meal so far with the absence of NHL players, but it has not entirely been without flavour, the International Ice Hockey Federation chief said yesterday.

The fact that today’s gold medal game will feature the one elite team in the tournament — the Olympic Athletes from Russia — playing a surprise finalist in Germany rather than another hockey powerhouse like Canada or Sweden only adds to the unique nature of this year’s Games, IIHF president Rene Fasel said.

“You don’t need caviar every day. I mean you can also live with leberkase and weisswurst, and yesterday was a day like this,” Fasel said of Germany’s semi-final upset over Canada to reach the final.

Last year, the International Olympic Committee and NHL failed to broker a deal to send the world’s top players to the Games, leaving men’s hockey as arguably the only event at this year’s Winter Olympics not to feature the best-of-the-best in its sport.

Aside from the team from Russia, stacked with the top players from the best sides in their local Kontinental Hockey League and several ex-NHL all stars, most of the other 11 countries had to form teams from a collection of journeyman pros and a handful of recent NHL retirees.

“Not having the NHL is still a disappointment but actually with the result yesterday, Germany going to the final, and the interest, I would say that in Germany nobody cares that the NHL is here or not,” Fasel said at a news conference.

AP North Korean cheerleaders perform during the first run of the women’s slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Friday.

AP Russia’s Sergei Andronov (left) and Jan Kolar of the Czech Republic battle for the puck during semi-final of the men’s hockey game in Gangneung, South Korea, on Friday.