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Do. 04.11.04 - 15:24:29 underdog   Registriert seit: März 2002 Posts: 1.335 |
Quelle: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Penguins in Exile: Fata`s tour of duty in Italy could lead to Olympic bid Tuesday, October 26, 2004 By Dejan Kovacevic The Penguins` Rico Fata is savoring every tick of his time in Italy as the NHL lockout drags on. He has his own fully furnished, two-bedroom flat in the northern mountain town of Asiago. Easy access to the world-class ski lifts nearby. A Fiat given to him by a car dealership in the area. All the made-from-scratch fettucini and spaghetti any appetite could covet within a block`s walk. All that and a hockey experience with A&O Asiago in Italy`s top league, Serie A, that he describes as no less satisfying than his environment. "It`s all been cool," he said by phone. "Really cool, actually." Cool enough, apparently, that he would not mind making a return trip in the winter of 2006 to participate in the Olympics for the host nation, which receives automatic entry into the tournament. And that is something he might be helping to make possible by playing where he is. Both of Fata`s parents are "100 percent, all-the-way Italian," he said. His father was born in Calabria, and his mother is a native of Canada whose parents were born in Italy. That opens the door for Fata to qualify for the Olympics` very loose requirements for participation, even though he is a Canadian native and citizen. Moreover, because he never represented Canada in an international tournament at the senior level -- his only national team appearance came five years ago at the World Junior Championships -- he is not considered to have committed to one nation by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which oversees the Olympic tournament. Where he could run into a complication is an Italian requirement that its Olympic hockey players must spend at least two seasons in Serie A. Because this is Fata`s first duty in Serie A, that means that the NHL lockout would have to stretch into next season -- "Not what I want," Fata said -- or that an exception be made to the rule. In general, recent Italian hockey teams have been made up of many foreign nationals, mostly Canadians. "I don`t know what will happen, but I know I would really welcome the opportunity. It would be the chance of a lifetime to be in the Olympics," Fata said. "Don`t get me wrong: I`d love to play for Canada, but, hey, I don`t think I`m going to make that roster. Maybe I could ask Mario to do me a favor ..." In the meantime, Fata`s wish is to make the most of his experience in the land of his ancestry. Off the ice, that has meant an easy assimilation to the lively culture of the Italians. "The people are just so wonderful, so warm, and the place is great. I can walk to the rink for practices and games. I can walk to any kind of restaurant you can imagine. Best of all, everywhere I eat, it`s like eating at home. The food`s fantastic, just unbelievable." On the ice, he is tied for A&O Asiago`s scoring lead with four goals and seven assists in eight games. The team is 3-3-2 and sixth in the 10-team Serie A. "The hockey`s pretty good," Fata said. "It`s not as good as the NHL, of course, but they recently cut down on the number of teams they have in the top league so each one can have three or four impact players. There`s some interest, too. Most of the rinks hold about 3,000 to 5,000 people, and they tell me that all the games sell out after Christmas because that`s when tons of tourists start coming up here to ski." Fata is playing mostly right wing -- Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk used him mostly at center last season -- but he also spent a game on defense Thursday on an emergency basis. "It doesn`t really matter to me. I`m deferring to the guys who have been here and doing everything they ask. As long as I can stay in shape and do my part, it`s fine." The only negative to his daily routine, Fata said, is when he phones Penguins teammates or checks in online to learn the latest on the NHL lockout. Only to hear, invariably, that there is no end in sight. "It`s tough going to the rink, even in a great place like this, knowing that you want to be in the NHL. Any of us who are in Europe, that`s what we`re thinking about. We want to play in the NHL. But things don`t look very bright." While stressing that he supports the positions of the players` union, he urged the owners and union to resume negotiations. There have been no talks since Sept. 9. "Both sides have got to talk. There`s no way they`re coming to an agreement if they don`t talk. Both sides have got to compromise at some point, so why not get started while we can still save part of the season?" |
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Do. 04.11.04 - 19:06:19asd Registriert seit: Oktober 2003 Posts: 367 Fan von: Rittner Buam |
Das wäre eine super Verstärkung für die Azzurri!!! | ||||||||
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Do. 04.11.04 - 21:53:47Chris084 Registriert seit: Oktober 2003 Posts: 883 Fan von: HC Eppan |
Muss ein klasse Typ sein dieser Fata! Jedenfalls macht er hier mächtig Werbung für "unser" Land! Vielleicht zieht es ja noch ein paar NHL - Cracks nach Italien oder Südtirol! und fata im Blue-Team - wäre echt eine Verstärkung! aber er alleine wird uns auch nicht vor einer Balamge retten! |
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Fr. 05.11.04 - 10:23:13 teamcanada Registriert seit: August 2003 Posts: 2.996 Fan von: HC Eppan |
Muas wirklich a "takter Tuttn" sein der Fata. Ober wia holt olle ausländischen Spieler denkt er lei ons Pasta fressn... und von saufen darf er nix sogen...  Egal - lei schod daß des so quasi net dorwortn wieder ofetzn zu kennen, hoast, Lockout um - olle ob! |
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