The main event: Men’s hockey to begin with Olympic openers for US, Canada, Russia

Main event: Men’s hockey to begin at Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Crosby. Ovechkin. Jagr. Selanne.

At most Olympic events, you can’t tell the players without a scorecard, but the men’s hockey tournament is a different story. The NHL is taking a break in the middle of its season, and hockey’s biggest names will be on hand at the Vancouver Games.

The preliminary round begins Tuesday, and the U.S., Canada and Russia will all be in action. Their games will be aired on CNBC and USA, and although the knockout round doesn’t start until next week, intensity will be at a fever pitch from the beginning.

“You do whatever you can. If that means diving in front of a shot to block it, you do that. If that means playing in a certain position you do that,” said Steve Yzerman, Canada’s executive director. “If that means that you play more minutes than you’re accustomed to, you do that. In some cases that means less minutes, you do that as well. … This event is so big and the guys want to do so well, they’ll do whatever they have to.”

Yzerman played for Canada’s gold-medal team in 2002, when the hockey-obsessed country won its first Olympic title in 50 years. The Canadians fell all the way to seventh at the 2006 Games and will be under pressure to win big on home ice.

Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s two top players, are the biggest stars here as well. Crosby is being counted on to lead Canada back to the top. Ovechkin and the Russians will try to end their own slump. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia’s best finish was a silver medal in 1998.

Somehow, Sweden has managed to stay under the radar despite winning the gold in 2006.

“I think it’s a good thing everyone’s talking about Canada and Russia,” Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom said. “We can be underdogs and maybe surprise some teams.”

The tournament has included its share of upsets in recent Olympics. In 1998, the first year the NHL stopped play for the Winter Games, the Czech Republic beat Canada and Russia in back-to-back games to win the gold.

Jaromir Jagr, a member of that Czech team, will play in Vancouver even though he left the NHL to play in Russia two years ago.

“I know it’s probably my last tournament,” Jagr said. “I’m not the same guy I was 10 years ago.”

Another old-timer, 39-year-old Teemu Selanne, is back after helping Finland to a silver medal in 2006.

The Americans are bringing an inexperienced team to Vancouver, but goaltender Ryan Miller could give the U.S. a shot at only its second medal since winning gold in 1980. The Americans also won silver in 2002.

The U.S. faces Switzerland in the tournament’s first game. Later Tuesday, Canada will take on Norway and Russia will play Latvia. The NHL kept playing through Sunday, so these Olympic all-star teams won’t have much time to prepare.

“It’s not like the women’s hockey team … where they’ve been together for six months playing 25, 30 exhibition games,” U.S. coach Ron Wilson said. “Our first exhibition game is the first game.”

Teams are divided into three groups for the preliminary round, although that’s basically a warmup. Every team advances to the knockout stage.

The U.S. and Canada are in the same group, meaning no matter what happens, they’ll play Sunday in a TV-friendly showdown.

Although it might be overshadowed by the start of men’s hockey, the men’s figure skating short program will take place Tuesday. NBC plans prime-time coverage of it, along with women’s snowboardcross, the men’s Alpine super-combined and women’s speedskating.