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Sporting News, The, Feb 9, 1998 by Larry Wigge

Ask an American what the defining moment for hockery in his country is and he will without hesitation begin talking about the United States's victory over Russia that set up a gold-medal triumph in the 1980 Olympics at Lake Palcid.

Ask a Canadian and he will likely say it was the 1972 Sumit Series between a team of Canadian NHL stars and Russia in which Paul Henderson's goal in the seventh game won it.

All of the could change in Nagano, Japan, when, for the first time, the NHL will shut down its schedule from February 8 through 22 so its players can participate in the Olympic GAmes. And don't let anyone tell you the NHL doesn't view this as its best opportunity to sell the game.

"We have an opportunity to make an impact on the game that would be greater than either of those.," hockey's all-time leading scorer and greatest ambassador, Wayne Gretzky, says, placing Nagano in perspective against the previous defining moments. "This is not one Drama Team like in basketball, but five or six. The game's greatest players, with an opportunity to sell the game to fans who might not otherwise watch the Stanley Cup finals."

And what the Olympics fan must remember is this isn't journeyman minor leaguer Ray LeBlanc leading Team USA. It's Mike Richter, who has guided the Rangers to a Stanley Cup championship and almost was the Most Valuable Player for the U.S. against Canada in the Canada Cup.

The NHL is selling, but are you buying? don't be surprised if you see a greater clampdown on penalties after the Olympics in order to show these potential new fans that what Peter Forsberg, Jaromir Jagr and the rest of the NHL stars do on the ice is as incomparable as what Michael Jordan does in the air. Skill and talent will -- at least, in part -- be the focus and replace all of the talk about how to break the neutral-zone trap or left-wing lock.

"We've got the most exciting game in the world when it is played fast and aggressive," Gretzky says. "That's the high-tempo game we have to show the world and then continue to sell to them every night in the regular season of the NHL.

"I was brought up thinking that the Stanley Cup wa the only prize, but this is a prize for the future hockey players of the world, for all of the kids just learning to skate now."

This also is the defining moment for the next Gretzky. Mario Lemieux is retired, and Gretzky has only one more year left on his contract with the Rangers. The Olympics will be center stage for the game's next heroes.

In the next mellenium, Eric Lindros, Forsberg, Jagr, Paul Kariya and Mike Modano could become the next Gretzky or Lemieux. At least that's the opinion of a panel of 10 experts -- players, coaches and executives -- The Sporting News recently contacted.

The criterion for this Fab Five included: talent, potential, excitement on the ice, ability to lead and make the players around them better, and ability to carry a team. Forsberg received four first-place votes, Jagr three and Lindors, Kariya and Modano one each. Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure and Teemu Selanne also received consideration in the voting.

Watch these five, and you won't go wrong when the world faces off in Nagano.

Get in your easy chair and get ready for the Olympics as Gretzky helps you see a different game with his views on Lindros, Forsberg, Jagr, kariya and Modano. Then, some other NHL stars will tell you how they try ot stop -- or at least slow down -- the Fab five.

FLYERS Eric Lindros Team CANADA

Gretzky says: "He's like the Shaquille O'Neal of the NHL -- big, strong and talented. What makes Eric so good is he does things most big men can't."

Trying to stop him, you have to remember ...

"There are some defensemen in this game who are so afraid of Eric they just get out of his way. For me, it's all a push-and-shove game because he's too big and strong to move otherwise."

-- Blackhawks defenseman Chris Chelios

Danger zones: As Hasek says, `He's scary when he gets in front of the net.' He's scary anywhere in and around the net with his size, but don't discount his hard one-timer from the left-wing face-off circle.

"He's scary when he gets in front of the net, but you can't discount his shot. When he takes a one-timer from the left-wing faceoff circle, it's one of the heaviest shots in the league to stop. What you also must remember is, because of his size, when he's hungry for the puck, look out."

-- Sabres goaltender Dominik Hasek

"I had a lot of success against him in the finals because I concentrate on playing my position. He's not fast like (Forsberg, Jagr, Kariya and Modano), so you can ease him to where you want if you stay with him."

-- Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom

The inside dish: Critics will say h e's big and strong and tough to stop, but although he has good hands, he isn't a playmaker of the caliber of the other Fab Five members. He hasn't won a Stanley Cup yet, something experts say he must do to follow in the footsteps of Gretzky and Lemeius. In fact, he failed to be the leader for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals, when the team needed him most. Some say flyers general manager Bobby Clarke named him captain of Team Canada only because he figured success here would carry over to the NHL. Watch to see if Lindros carries this team.