Gretzky: No distractions for players at Olympics

TV ratings for Canada's gold-medal win in 2002 were among the highest.
TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Finally, what Canada has been waiting for: hockey.
No more talk about Wayne Gretzky's link to an alleged gambling ring -- OK, at least until he pokes his head into one of the two rinks at the Turin Olympics.
Or discussion about possible distractions for the players, who make up what may be the best Canadian Olympic team ever. They say what's going on with Gretzky has nothing to do with them winning another gold.
"The players are pretty much insulated here," Gretzky said after arriving Tuesday. "Distractions don't matter to them. They're here to play the game ... and they're ready to play."
What's expected
The games start today with Canada playing Italy in what could be a 10-goal game or more.
The United States, silver medalists in Salt Lake City in 2002 while Canada won its first gold in 50 years, takes on Latvia in the first of its five round-robin games in pool play.
The Olympics stir a Super Bowl-like reaction in Canada, only everybody roots for the same team. TV ratings for Canada's gold-medal win in 2002 were among the highest ever in the country.
And this team, put together mostly by executive director Gretzky, is seen as the gold medal favorite.
But who could have seen this coming? A New Jersey-based gambling investigation alleges Rick Tocchet, Gretzky's top assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, financed an illegal betting ring that purportedly drew $1.7 million in bets in the weeks leading to the Super Bowl.
Gretzky has not been questioned, but his wife, actress Janet Jones, is alleged to have placed bets with the group.
The timing
And the timing couldn't have been worse -- leading one Canadian newspaper to question if the probe was intentionally timed to hurt Canada's chances and improve the United States' in the Olympics.
The NHL only wishes Americans paid such close attention to hockey.
Canada's players are acting as if Gretzky's troubles aren't their own, since he won't be taking any shifts or leading any odd-man rushes -- even though, at age 45, the NHL's all-time leading scorer probably could.
"We're excited he's coming and that he'll be a part of that," team captain Joe Sakic said. "I know people are trying to bring up, 'What's going on with Wayne?' ... It's not an issue."
But Gretzky knows it will be if Canada doesn't repeat.
"I'll get blamed," he said. "But I've been blamed for losses before. It's not going to change my life."
It will be difficult to tell if Canada is distracted against Italy, an NHL player-less team appearing only because it is the host country. If betting was allowed, Italy might be an eight-goal underdog against a team that practiced Tuesday with Sakic on its third line.
Miracle on ice? This one might be better called the mismatch on gelato.
Late arrivals
The Americans were mostly late arrivals in Turin, with most players scheduled to get in Tuesday night or this morning after many missed scheduled flights due to last weekend's East Coast snowstorm.
"It's not the ideal way you'd like to prepare for a game, but it's that switch -- that competitive juice -- that just turns on and you're ready to go," said John Grahame, who is expected to open in goal for the Americans.
The United States, despite relatively low expectations that caused coach Peter Laviolette to joke last week there was no reason to make the long trip, also figures to have a relatively easy game Thursday against Kazakhstan.
The best matchup of today's six games looks to be Russia against Slovakia, which has star-quality NHL forwards in Marian Hossa, Pavol Demitra, Miroslav Satan and Marek Svatos.
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