Olympics on NHL ice should make for faster, better hockey

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Hockey at the Olympics is happening on NHL-sized ice for the first time since the 2010 Vancouver Games. The smaller surface should be an advantage to teams like the U.S. and Canada that want to play a direct, north-south style game. It’s a bit harder on European teams used to playing on international rinks that are 15 feet wider. The NHL-sized 200-by-85-foot ice also makes for faster action and more physicality. That makes for higher quality hockey at the Olympics even without the world’s best players taking part.