Tuesday, February 19, 2002
Havlat shows off for his hero
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Team Sun
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Wayne Gretzky has always been Martin Havlat's hero.
Last night, the executive director of Team Canada was nearly the Ottawa Senators winger's victim.
While all the focus was on Mario Lemieux following a 3-3 tie between the Czech Republic and Canada at the E Center, Havlat made a name for himself on the international stage by scoring a pair of goals.
Thrown out of the game against Sweden on Sunday for nailing Michael Nylander into the boards, Havlat was also on his best behavior and, as one of the youngest players on the Czech team, showed a lot of poise last night.
"That was nice for me," said Havlat, who played on a line with Jaromir Jagr and Milan Hejduk most of the night.
"I believe both (linemates) are great players, but I think playing with those guys helped me be better as a player. I thought I did as much as I could with those guys. It felt good to be with them."
Havlat gave the Czechs a brief 2-1 lead in the second until Lemieux' controversial goal on Dominik Hasek tied it up to give Canada new life.
"I thought that (Havlat) was the best player on the ice," said Czech coach Josef Augusta.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
