In fact, here is the story.
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Khabibulin says nyet to Russia[/color]
By NEIL STEVENS -- Canadian Press
source:
slam.canoe.ca/Slam040616/nhl_tb-cp.html Nikolai Khabibulin has given Russia's team for the World Cup of Hockey the big nyet, and more stars are said to be contemplating turning thumbs down on the assignment.
Insufficient planning to put a competitive team on the ice for the eight-country tournament, Aug. 30-Sept. 14, was cited by Khabibulin.
"We have no chance of winning based on the current situation surrounding the preparation of our national team," the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender told Sport-Express. "I have already had a similar experience before the 1996 World Cup when there was total chaos in our organization.
"This time we have more of the same and, frankly, I don't see any point in my participation in this tournament."
Disenchantment with the men who run the Russian federation is nothing new and is a main cause of the turmoil. Khabibulin was turned off in 1992, when the federation allowed Olympic team coach Viktor Tikhonov to pocket the gold medal that should have gone to Khabibulin. Slava Fetisov, now sport minister in Russia, arranged after he took office to have Khabibulin presented with a medal but the bad feelings lingered.
Fetisov, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and retired NHL centre Igor Larionov wanted input into assembling a team for the World Cup of Hockey but federation executives including president Alexander Steblin insisted on control.
Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, who was fired by Moscow Dynamo last season, was appointed head coach. Known as Coach Bill, he was an assistant NHL coach in Winnipeg, Phoenix and Chicago. Tikhonov was named a consultant to Russia's team.
The loss of Khabibulin is significant because he would have been Russia's No. 1 goalie. Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks also was named to the team but his status is uncertain because he might undergo knee surgery.
The only other goalie on the roster is Maxim Sokolov of Avangard Omsk of the Russian pro league.
With Khabibulin out, Russian skaters inevitably will have second thoughts about playing in September. But a report that Anaheim Mighty Ducks centre Sergei Fedorov might pull out is premature.
"I'm not aware of him deciding not to play at this time," Pat Brisson, Fedorov's agent, said from California. "I'm pretty sure he'll be playing."
Fedorov, who was travelling Wednesday, was to meet with Brisson on Thursday.
The trouble in forming a World Cup team follows recent international disappointments. Russia failed for the second year in a row to win a medal at the world championship, and it hasn't won gold since 1993. Russia was third at the 2002 Olympics.
The World Cup, first staged in 1996 when won by the United States, is the successor to the Canada Cup, which was won by the host country over the United States in 1991 and over the Soviet Union in 1987. Three 6-5 games in a best-of-three final that year, including two overtime gems, ranked as some of the best hockey ever played. The Canada Cup was an offspring of the 1972 Canada-Soviet Summit Series.
The rivalry has been intense, although Canadian fans try to forget the 8-1 shellacking the Soviets, with Bilyaletdinov in their lineup, administered Canada in the 1981 Canada Cup final.
It's hard to imagine a mediocre Russian team for the long-awaited renewal of the tournament but, if the stars keep going out on Bilyaletdinov, he'll be left in the dark. His team's opening game is Sept. 2 against the United States in St. Paul, Minn.
The U.S. team has a question mark beside the name of Robert Esche. The Philadelphia Flyers goalie had hip surgery last week.
"Esche's surgery went well," Chuck Menke, media relations officer for USA Hockey, said Wednesday. "We'll monitor his status and are hopeful he'll be able to play.
"We'll have a better sense later this summer."
Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders and Ty Conklin of the Edmonton Oilers are the other goalies on the U.S. roster.
All players asked to play for Canada have accepted.
the only thing that could stop us is one of the best goalies in the net of our opponents. As I used to see at ihwc.net - USA hockey is a joke, same for their goalies. Only those damn canadiens ... 
To be honest I can´t imagine their hockey would have deteriorated into a joke since 1996 
