NHL Olczyk hoping lockout will end

The Penguins coach was looking forward to this year.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- If this were a normal NHL season, Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk would have spent Wednesday running a practice, reviewing the previous night's game against the Sharks and looking ahead to Friday's game against the Rangers.
Of course, nothing is ordinary about what is threatening to become the NHL season that never was. That means Olczyk is trying to adjust to a lifestyle he has rarely experienced before -- one without hockey.
It's not easy for a man who, like many others across the lockout-shuttered NHL, wakes up with hockey on his mind and goes to bed still thinking about it.
"As a former player, I've seen pretty much everything that's going on, I've seen three work stoppages," Olczyk said Wednesday. "We are in the entertainment business, and when you have problems between employers and employees, you have to deal with it."
Remembers last time
Olczyk was a Rangers player 10 years ago, the last time the league shut down for an extended period during a labor disagreement.
But the two sides weren't as entrenched then as they are now, with no negotiations since early last month and none pending -- an impasse that could lead to an entire NHL season being canceled for the first time.
Until the league starts up again, Olczyk can only wait patiently to again coach a team that was the NHL's worst a year ago but looked to be much improved during a season-ending 12-5-3 run.
The worry is that, because of the labor mess, these Penguins may never learn if they will carry that promising finish into this season -- one that looked more promising with free agent forward Mark Recchi added to the top line and owner-player Mario Lemieux healthy again.
"It's disappointing on the highest level," Olczyk said.
"The way we finished, we sent a strong message that we were consistent in what we did -- our young players played early and they played late -- and you saw some mature once they got an opportunity to play. I think people here were real excited about it."
Closest hockey action
Now, Penguins fans must make the four-hour trek to watch the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to see players such as 2003 first-round draft choice Marc-Andre Fleury, Ramzi Abid and Tomas Surovy, all of whom figured to be playing in Pittsburgh this season.
Olczyk talked to them during training camp visits to Wilkes-Barre but, because of the labor situation, isn't calling all of his players to see what they are doing.
Several of his more promising players, including second-year defenseman Brooks Orpik, aren't playing in the minors or in one of the European pro leagues.
"You're hoping they're skating and staying in condition, but nobody really knows," Olczyk said. "If you're not playing, you can skate all you want, but there's nothing like being in actual game conditions. But, again, everybody has to go through it and we're not the only team going through this."
Olczyk is not totally removed from hockey. He is holding youth clinics this week and next in suburban Pittsburgh and he is enjoying watching his three sons play amateur hockey.