The Thrashers have four players who will represent three countries at the men’s hockey competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which begin Friday. Two players will make their Olympic debut. Here’s a look at the players, including their favorite Olympic moment.
Maxim Afinogenov
Country: Russia
Olympic experience: 2002, Salt Lake City; 2006, Torino
Finish: third in 2002; fourth in 2008
Favorite Olympic memory: “When we got a bronze medal in 2002 in Salt Lake. That was a big moment in my life. Everybody dreams about Olympics. It’s everybody’s dream to be there. Everybody was waiting [when we returned], my family and all my friends were waiting. It’s a big, big thing back home.”
Tobias Enstrom
Country: Sweden
Olympic experience: none
Finish: none
Favorite Olympic memory: “Peter Forsberg’s penalty shot in 1994 [Sweden won gold medal with shootout win over Canada in Lillehammer]. I was seven years old. It was a couple years ago, but it feels like yesterday.”
Pavel Kubina
Country: Czech Republic
Olympic experience: 2006, Torino
Finish: third in 2002
Favorite Olympic memory: “Torino, bronze medal. That’s my favorite memory because we got the bronze medal.”
Ondrej Pavelec
Country: Czech Republic
Olympic experience: none
Finish: none
Favorite Olympic memory: “Nagano. I was 10 years old. I remember that [Czech Republic won the gold medal defeating Russia in 1998]. Also, Salt Lake City, we lost in the quarterfinals to Russia 1-0 [on current teammate Maxim Afinogenov’s goal]. We had like 50 shots and didn’t score. They had like 20, and they scored one.”
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