Music: {allcanada} Team Canada prepares by playing ball-hockey

CALGARY — Hockey Canada began its preparations for the bigger ice surface at the Sochi Olympics with a ball-hockey walk-through on a boarded up rink.

The high cost of insurance kept players from skating at this week's Olympic orientation camp.

Coach Mike Babcock had to find a different way to get everyone used to the 200-by-100-foot rink, which is 15 feet wider than NHL ice. Players couldn't quite mimic hockey speed, but they got an opportunity to feel out the spacing they'll be dealing with in February.

They also got a glance at some very preliminary line combinations. During the first walk-through of the day, John Tavares centred Logan Couture and Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Toews centred Eric Staal and Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf centred Andrew Ladd and Corey Perry and Mike Richards centred Martin St. Louis and Jeff Carter.

On defence, Dion Phaneuf was paired with Brent Seabrook, Marc Staal with Drew Doughty, Jay Bouwmeester with P.K. Subban and Dan Hamhuis with Alex Pietrangelo and Travis Hamonic.

Roberto Luongo had one goal to himself, while Braden Holtby and Mike Smith shared the other one.

During the second walk-through, Sidney Crosby centred Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Chris Kunitz and Patrick Sharp, Patrice Bergeron centred Boston Bruins teammate Brad Marchand and Jordan Eberle, Matt Duchene centred Milan Lucic and James Neal and Jordan Staal centred Taylor Hall and Dylan Walchuk, a University of Calgary player who was filling in for Joe Thornton.

Thornton did not attend camp because of a family situation at home. Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux did not attend as he continued to rehab from a finger injury.

On defence, Duncan Keith was paired with Shea Weber, Marc-Edouard Vlasic with Dan Boyle, Marc Methot with Kris Letang and Karl Alzner with Mike Green.

Carey Price and Corey Crawford were the goaltenders.