Bonk left in cold

Canadian Press

OTTAWA

One Ottawa Senator realized a dream Friday while another had one all but crushed.

Sophomore forward Martin Havlat was among eight players added to the final roster of the Czech Republic's hockey team for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City but teammate Radek Bonk was surprisingly skipped over.

"I was hoping I would make the team," said a jubilant Havlat.

The 20-year-old was awakened at 6 a.m. by a call from his father, Slava, to inform the younger Havlat he'd made the team.

"I was tired, I was sleeping. I didn't sleep too much after that," Havlat said.

But Bonk, a two-time all-star centre, wasn't among the names announced earlier in the day by Czech coach Josef Augusta.

"I'm disappointed, I had a good chance but somebody didn't think so," said Bonk. "It was one of my dreams but somebody didn't like my dreams. It's frustrating."

Havlat was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season when he scored 19 goals and added 23 assists in 73 games to finish third among freshmen in scoring.

He's already got 15 goals, including five game-winners, and 30 points in just 33 games this season. After having earned gold medals at the world junior and senior championships, he'll get a chance to win another gold with the defending Olympic champions.

Bonk, 25, posted back-to-back 23-goal seasons, which, combined with his strong defensive play, earned him appearances in both the 2000 and 2001 NHL all-star games. Despite a slow start this year, he has 10 goals and 17 assists in 33 games.

"I was hoping he would go, but it's up to the coaches," Havlat said of Bonk. "I'm happy I'm in."

Bonk was particularly disappointed that he didn't receive a call from the Czech team to tell him why he wasn't selected or to inform him whether or not he was under consideration as a replacement in case of injuries.

"But life goes on," he said. "I'm going to concentrate on the Senators right now."

Meanwhile, Slovakia's qualifying hopes got a boost from Ottawa on Friday.

Senators general manager Marshall Johnston announced the team would allow right-winger Marian Hossa and defenceman Zdeno Chara to participate in one of the country's qualifying-round games while another right-winger, the little-used Ivan Ciernik, will be released for all three.

Since the preliminary round takes place a week before the NHL shuts down for the Winter Games, the league is permitting its teams to release players at their discretion provided the players don't miss any NHL games. The Senators had been under pressure to make a decision that could help Slovakia progress into the final round.

In addition to Ciernik's release, the Sens will charter a plane to have the six-foot-nine, 255-pound Chara and Hossa, an all-star last season, in the lineup when Slovakia meets Latvia on Feb. 10 in its second game of the eight-team preliminary round. The top two countries advance to the final round.

"I'm really happy they will let us go for one game and I'm thankful for that," Hossa said.

Other Senators remain hopeful of spending the February break among Mormons. Magnus Arvedson should join Daniel Alfredsson on Team Sweden, but nothing will be made official from Stockholm until Saturday. And if the fact that he might be the most exciting offensive player in the NHL overrides his youthfulness, Marty Havlat will be named to the Czech squad this weekend as well.

"I'll carry the water bottles if they want me to," Havlat said.

Whether Radek Bonk will be drinking from them is a good question. The guessing here is he'll be one of the four Czech centres, along with Pittsburgh's Robert Lang, Toronto's Robert Reichel and Philadelphia's Jiri Dopita.

"I don't know, I'm just going to have to wait," said Bonk, who -- if the Republic is monitoring the NHL -- is making a strong push with nine points in his last eight games heading into last night. "Of course you want to go, but it's not your choice."

Especially if Havlat has first dibs on the water bottles.

Bonk, Havlat still on bubble as Czechs, Finns name hockey Olympians

By BILL BEACON -- Canadian Press
Ottawa Senators stars Radek Bonk and Martin Havlat were overlooked Thursday as the defending champion Czech Republic added nine names to its hockey roster for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

But Bonk and Havlat remain favourites to be among a group of eight who will be added before the Dec. 22 deadline to announce rosters for the Feb. 6-24 Games in Salt Lake City.

OTTAWA (Ticker) -- The Ottawa Senators continue to own the third period and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Martin Havlat scored twice and Todd White recorded a career-high three assists - all in the third - as the Senators extended their unbeaten streak against the Carolina Hurricanes to seven games with a 5-2 victory.

The contest was knotted at 2-2 entering the final 20 minutes. Havlat's second tally broke the deadlock and sparked a three-goal outburst in the third, when the Senators have outscored their opponents this season, 33-20.

That offensive production has helped them post a 6-1-3 record in games in which they are tied after two periods.

"I took the first chance I got to make a good shot on my first goal," Havlat said. "On the second, I was fortunate to get the rebound."

White registered his second three-point game of the season and his career. The Ottawa native collected a goal and two assists on November 12 at the New York Islanders.

The Senators have collected at least a point in nine consecutive meetings with the Hurricanes (6-0-2-1).

Defenseman Sean Hill tallied a pair of assists for the Hurricanes, who dropped their third straight game.

"We got the lead and they took it away," White said. "But we played a solid game after that. There was a lot of hitting and some penalties near the end and that cost them the game."

The teams were skating 4-on-4 when Ottawa's Shaun Van Allen and Carolina's Aaron Ward were issued coincidental minor penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct at 9:04 of third.

White carried the puck into the zone up the right wing. He fed Havlat, who wristed a shot from the right faceoff circle that was blocked by Carolina goaltender Arturs Irbe. Havlat battled to get to his own rebound, found the back of the net and made it 3-2 at 10:09.

"We've played four games in five nights and it's been a little tough," said Irbe, who made 31 saves. "We showed some grit when we came back to make it 2-2. But in the third, there were some breakdowns and questionable calls. That was the difference in the game."

The momentum swung Ottawa's way for good with 5:29 remaining. Cole controversially was hit with major boarding and game misconduct penalties. The left winger skated to the penalty box before being informed he was out for the rest of the contest.

Cole visibly expressed his anger as he skated across the ice and smashed his stick on the Hurricanes' bench.

"I was just trying to finish my check," Cole said. "I put a hit on their defense (Chris Phillips), I thought it was good. But (referee Kerry) Fraser saw it a different way."

"The hit was shoulder on shoulder," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "But it didn't turn out well for us."

Brad Smyth doubled the Senators' lead with his second goal of the season. White carried the puck to the low slot and fed it to the left circle for Smyth, who flipped it past Irbe.

The Senators still had a man advantage with 1:48 to play when Petr Schastlivy's seventh goal put the contest out of the Hurricanes' reach.

Ottawa leads the season series, 2-0-1, with one meeting to go.