Team player

Grueling schedule ahead for Sabres' Satan

Miroslav Satan will miss two of Slovakia's three prelim games due to Sabres' games. AP

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- For love of country and a chance for Olympic glory, Miroslav Satan is embarking on a grueling odyssey.

The Buffalo Sabres' leading scorer and Slovakian national team star will play four games in five days starting Friday, an itinerary that will take him to three cities and cover 3,952 miles.

Satan isn't pleased that the NHL's tight schedule is forcing him to go through this.

Yet, it's something he's willing to endure if it means helping Slovakia advance out of the preliminary round at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

"What else can I do?" Satan said. "If the NHL schedule was done differently, maybe make the [Olympic] break a little longer, then you would not have to do this. But unfortunately, they did what they did and they put us in this."

Slovakia is one of six nations in the Olympic hockey preliminary rounds from Saturday through Feb. 14. Six others teams, including the United States and Canada, are guaranteed berths in the next stage, which opens Feb. 15, the start of the NHL's 10-day break. The NHL is allowing its players to participate in the preliminary rounds as long as they doesn't conflict with the league's scheduling.

And that's a problem for Satan, who will miss two of Slovakia's three preliminary games because the Sabres are playing on those nights.

"I think the system forgot about us," he said. "I don't see what would be the big deal making the season three days longer and making the Olympic break three days longer. I don't get it."

The Sabres initially balked at allowing Satan to play in any preliminary round games. The team's position changed in December, when Sabres owner John Rigas offered his private jet to make Satan's travel less cumbersome.

Still, his journey won't be easy.

On Friday night, he'll play for the Sabres against the visiting Ottawa Senators. On Saturday, has to be in Salt Lake City for Slovakia's opener against Germany.

Then on Sunday, it's off to New Jersey for the Sabres' game against the Devils. And after a day off Monday, he'll be back in Buffalo for Tuesday's game against New Jersey.

"I don't think it's been done before, playing so many games. It'll be interesting," Satan said. "I'm curious, myself, how I'm going to respond physically and mentally to it."

The Sabres, battling for a playoff spot, have similar concerns.

"It's going to be tough," said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who's already planning to limit Satan's ice time so as not to wear him out.

"It's something that he obviously feels very strongly about, getting a chance to play for his country," Sabres captain Stu Barnes said. "It's a huge honor."

Other Slovakian-born players in the NHL face similar scheduling problems. Washington's Peter Bondra is only eligible to play Tuesday against Austria. Los Angeles' Zigmund Palffy and St. Louis' Pavol Demitra will play on Sunday against Latvia.

Of those four NHL stars, Satan is the only one playing on three consecutive days.

"For [Slovakian] sports fans, hockey's the biggest deal, because we're able to compete at the highest level. A world championship in hockey or the Olympics in hockey becomes a national hope, a matter of national pride," Satan said.

"That's why I'm willing to go through this."

 

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