TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Dominik Hasek's quest for another Olympic gold medal is off to a rough start.
The goalie from the Czech Republic is missing his equipment.
Hasek made the trek from Ottawa to Turin, but his gear got sidetracked along the way. And there is no guarantee he will have it in time for the tournament opener Wednesday against Germany.
"Oh, I had some problems," the 41-year-old goaltender said Monday night after practicing with borrowed gear. "I don't know where it is. It's traveling somewhere in Washington, I believe. But we don't know for sure."
Hasek helped lead the Czechs to the gold medal in 1998 -- the first time the NHL sent players to the Olympics. He took a year off after his team's also-ran finish at Salt Lake City, but he is back in top form for the Ottawa Senators this season -- in the top five in the league in victories and goals-against average.
He was able to get some work in with his teammates on Monday with the help of Jim Corsi, the goalie coach for the Buffalo Sabres and Team Italy. Hasek spent nine seasons in Buffalo before moving onto Detroit, where he won his only Stanley Cup title.
"I wasn't happy with it, but it was better than nothing," he said of the unfamiliar equipment.
Ottawa defeated Philadelphia at home on Saturday before the Olympic break. Hasek flew on Air Canada to Washington before switching to Alitalia for the trip to Milan and then Turin. He doesn't know where his belongings were lost.
"I don't want to blame. It's an unfortunate situation," he said. "We are smiling right now, but if it won't be here tomorrow it's not too much fun for me."
I hope he gets his equipment soon, I hate Hasek's style, but I'm embarassed for the sonofabitch. But really the way he flops around in the crease, does it matter what he wears?
Now on the net, conspiracy thorists unite to come to the conclusion that someone in Air Canada Cargo put the stuff on the wrong plane on purpose. C'mon people baggage handlers aren't that smart!
*NOTE: He is going to be wearing the 12" pads from before the NHL size restrictions, guess there's just more of him to hit. If his stuff gets there. Muhahahahaha!
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