SkateZilla
02-03-2005, 02:55 PM
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/AHL/2005/02/03/919166-ap.html
VIENNA (AP) - Rochester Americans winger Thomas Vanek will fly home to help his country qualify for the 2006 Olympics rather than appear in the AHL all-star game, the Austrian Hockey Federation said Thursday.
"Austria is my homeland. It is more important to me to help my country start at the Olympics than to appear in an all-star game," a federation statement quoted Vanek as saying. "To me the decision was easy. I am Austrian and so I will always be there for my country."
Austria is hosting one of three Olympic qualification tournaments in Klagenfurt from Feb. 10 to 13.
Vanek will be joined by several other key overseas-based players: New York Ranger Thomas Poeck, currently with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack; Syracuse Crunch's Matthias Trattnig; Christoph Brandner of the Houston Aeros, and University of Wisconsin goalie Bernd Brueckler.
Vanek, whose rights belong to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres but is playing in Rochester during the NHL lockout, will stay in Austria an entire week and miss the AHL All-star game as well as four league games.
"I am sure it was the right decision. We will play France, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It will be tough, but I am sure we can beat them all," said Vanek.
Vanek was a member of Austria in the 2004 IIHF world championships in Prague, where he collected seven points (two goals and five assists) in six games. He led the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in goals (26) and points (51) for the second-straight season before being Buffalo's first pick - fifth overall - in the 2003 NHL draft.
VIENNA (AP) - Rochester Americans winger Thomas Vanek will fly home to help his country qualify for the 2006 Olympics rather than appear in the AHL all-star game, the Austrian Hockey Federation said Thursday.
"Austria is my homeland. It is more important to me to help my country start at the Olympics than to appear in an all-star game," a federation statement quoted Vanek as saying. "To me the decision was easy. I am Austrian and so I will always be there for my country."
Austria is hosting one of three Olympic qualification tournaments in Klagenfurt from Feb. 10 to 13.
Vanek will be joined by several other key overseas-based players: New York Ranger Thomas Poeck, currently with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack; Syracuse Crunch's Matthias Trattnig; Christoph Brandner of the Houston Aeros, and University of Wisconsin goalie Bernd Brueckler.
Vanek, whose rights belong to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres but is playing in Rochester during the NHL lockout, will stay in Austria an entire week and miss the AHL All-star game as well as four league games.
"I am sure it was the right decision. We will play France, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It will be tough, but I am sure we can beat them all," said Vanek.
Vanek was a member of Austria in the 2004 IIHF world championships in Prague, where he collected seven points (two goals and five assists) in six games. He led the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in goals (26) and points (51) for the second-straight season before being Buffalo's first pick - fifth overall - in the 2003 NHL draft.