HOCKEY

For the first time, National Hockey League stars will be allowed to represent their homelands, which promises to make this the best gathering of international talent ever. Another first is the debut of women’s hockey, with six teams in the field. The United States is one of three teams with realistic medal hopes.

The Game of Ice Hockey

The game is played in three 20-minute periods with 15-minute intermissions. The game is started at the center circle “faceoff” spot where the center from each team waits for the referee to drop the puck on center ice. As the puck drops, each team tries to knock it to another teammate. The team that has the puck quickly tries to manuever it through the attacking zone by passing it from one teammate to another or by one player pushing the puck to the goal line. The opposing team tries to block off or steal the puck. As the team with the puck gets close to the goal cage, the players try to knock it through the goal line for a score.

The Teams

Each team is made up of:

Goalie: His or her duty is to block off the puck from entering the goal cage. The goalie is the only one allowed to catch or throw the puck.

2 Defensemen: One is on the left side and the other is on the right side between the attacking and defensive zones. They defend and try to steal the puck from the opposing team.

3 Forwards: They are at the center of the rink and are responsible for carrying the puck through the attacking and defensive zones and trying to shoot it to the goal cage.

Basic Rules

Offside (blue line offside): Play is ruled offside if a player enters the attacking zone before the puck.

Center Line Pass (offside pass): Player cannot shoot puck from within one’s own defensive zone across the center line to a teammate on the other side.

Icing: Player cannot shoot puck from behind the center line to a point beyond the opponent’s goal line.

Equipment

Protective equipment weighs about 22 lbs.

SKATES: Skates have a sharp blade and a leather strap on the boot heel to protect the tendon.

STICKS: Stick can be made out of wood, fiberglass, aluminum or graphite. The shaft can be 58” or less and the blade 12 1/2” or less. The blades are usually wrapped to guide the puck.

PUCK: Made out of rubber. It is 3” by 1” thick, weighs 6 oz. and is frozen before the game to keep it from bouncing off.

Infractions

There are major and minor penalties caused by infractions. Eg., Minor infraction, checking (women’s) = 2 min. in penalty box or until goal is scored. Major infraction = 5 min. in box or ejected after second time.

TRIPPING: Tripping an opponent with foot, hand, arm, elbow or stick.

HOOKING: Impeding progress of opponent who does not have the puck.

SLASHING: Striking opponent with stick.

HIGH STICKING: Raising stick higher than shoulder.

CROSS--CHECKING: Using two hands, pushing opponent away (Checking is illegal in women’s play).

ELBOWING: Pushing elbow into opponent’s face.

INTERFERENCE: Impeding progress of opponent who does not have the puck.

HOLDING: Holding opponent with stick or hand.

The Rink

At 100 feet by 200 feet, the hockey rink is 15 feet wider than NHL rinks, which could cause problems for goaltenders playing unaccustomed angles. The rink is maintained at 19 degrees by refrigeration pipes embedded in a giant slab of concrete. Layers of water and paint are built up on the slab.

People to Watch

Canadian Rob Zamuner, a left wing and center who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was a surprise pick and made the squad over such multi-Stanley Cup winners as Mark Messier and Claude Lemieux. Zamuner, 28, excels in defensive situations and is likely to play against the top United States line.

U.S. goaltender Mike Richter of the New Yotk Rangers was voted the most valuable player of Team USA’s World cup victory over Canada in 1996, but he has struggled most of this season and hasn’t approached his old form. A hot goalie can be the difference in a short tournament--remember flag-draped U.S. goalie Jim Craig at Lake Placid in 1980?

On the U.S. women’s team, look for left wing Katie King. A graduate of Brown University and three-time Ivy League player of the year, King is a strong skater and makes good decisions when she carries the puck. She was among the top U.S. scorers during its pre-Olympic tour. King often plays with center Laurie Baker, who has a good shot. United States center Cammi Granato, sister of San Jose winger Tony Granato, is the all-time leading scorer on the women’s national team and the team’s leader.

Also worth watching are Canadian forwards Stacy Wilson and Hayley Wickenheiser. An agile skater and skillful stickhandler who can play right or left wing and kill penalties, Wilson is easy to spot, using her skating ability to dart through traffic and make plays. Wickenheiser, third cousin of former NHL center Doug Wickenheiser, has sound instincts and is an excellent playmaker with a good shot.

The relative lack of experience of goaltenders Sara DeCosta, 20, and Sarah Tueting, 21, will be keys. Only Tueting has played in the World Championships. Both outplayed national team veteran Erin Whitten to win Olympic berths.

Inside Info

Fans accustomed to watching NHL games will find the pace slower in the women’s game. However, women’s games tend to flow more smoothly because there are usually no neutral-zone traps to bog things down.

There’s no body-checking in women’s hockey, but that doesn’t mean there’s no contact. Elbows often come up and players aren’t hesitant to use their bodies to shield the puck.

Most goals in women’s games will be scored within 20 feet of the net. That’s because few female players are strong enough to launch hard, accurate shots from the point. But the lack of body checking also means that women hold onto the puck longer than the men and make more plays around the net, rather than shooting and hoping for rebounds. The skill level of the top players is impressive.

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Researched by LORENA INIGUEZ and HELENE ELLIOTT / Los Angeles Times

SOURCES: “The Olympic Factbook / A Spectator’s Guide to the Winter Olympics” by George Canton and Anne Janette Johnson; “Winter Olympics MAde Simple” by Dan Bartges, USA Hockey Inc., Associated Press, NAOC.