MILAN (AP) — What do golf carts have to do with hockey at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Turns out, they are essential equipment.
The trip from the locker rooms to the ice at the main hockey arena is so long that the heavily padded goaltenders get to ride in style in golf carts while their teammates make the mildly awkward walk in skates. Like bullpen carts for relief pitchers in baseball, it’s an express trip with a bit of whimsy.
“You have a quick ride like you’re on a golf course before stepping onto the ice,” France’s Antoine Keller said. “I find it funny. I like it.”
Keller is not alone. Women’s counterpart Alice Philbert and Italy’s Martina Fedel were the first to get chauffeured over for a game when they played the curtain raiser at Milano Santagiulia Arena on Thursday.
“It’s so fun,” Philbert said. “It’s the first time, but it’s so fun. We feel like we are pro players, so that’s fun for us.”
The netminders already on site are enjoying the four-wheeled ride, and those coming from the NHL can look forward to it after they arrive Sunday. Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal was the first over from the league to get the honor before Czechia’s practice on Friday.
“I don’t mind it,” Dostal said. “You’ve got to save your legs, you know?”
The setup in Milan has the locker rooms in a separate building from the game arena, so players need to actually go outside. The idea came from previous world championships, including last year in Herning, Denmark, when golf carts were also used.
“We have this situation here (where) it’s a permanent dressing room outside from the main arena, it was our decision, I don’t know, a year ago, OK, we organize this service for equipment managers and for goalies with these golf carts,” said Igor Nemecek, the sport manager for hockey at the Olympics. “Everything is very good, and nobody have a problem with this.”
Quite the contrary, other than perhaps making the skaters who have to hoof it jealous. Maybe there’s room for a couple of stowaways, but this is a goalie-centric service.
“I feel special,” Latvia’s Kristers Gudlevskis said. “I feel thankful that I don’t need to walk. And especially, if you need skate guards and everything, it’s just such a pain.”
It is something of a bumpy five-minute ride with no seatbelts.
“You’re just all in your equipment, you can almost not move,” Keller said. “It’s still a long distance, but you have some strong core (muscles) because it’s moving. You’ve got to hold on.”
Veteran Swiss goalie Reto Berra heard about the golf carts but was disappointed not to ride one because he and his teammates were at the nearby practice rink instead. Berra was delighted to hear it was true, especially after fond memories of riding a golf cart at worlds in 2013 when the Swiss won a medal.
“I love golf carts,” Berra said. “Who doesn’t?”
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