Music: {allcanada} FASEL FOCUSES ON KEEPING BETTMAN HAPPY WHILE WAITING FOR SOCHI

Friday, May 6, 2011

{allcanada} FASEL FOCUSES ON KEEPING BETTMAN HAPPY WHILE WAITING FOR SOCHI

MR.BEER® Home Brewing Kits. American's #1 Home Brewing System. Makes a great gift!

KOSICE, Slovakia -- Part of Rene Fasel's strategy for getting NHLers to the Sochi Olympics is trying to keep Gary Bettman happy.

The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation dodged questions about the Games during a sitdown with reporters at the world championship on Friday afternoon. The primary motivation behind his caginess was a desire not to anger the NHL commissioner.

"We have a good chance," said Fasel. "I don't (put a) per cent (on it). I don't have my BlackBerry -- in 10 minutes I have my BlackBerry and it said, 'Rene, don't comment.'

"I do not comment, this is their decision."

Fasel has clearly learned from past mistakes. In November 2009, he told reporters there was a "better than 90 per cent chance" that NHL players would be involved in the 2014 Olympics.

"I made one day a guess and Gary was not so happy," said Fasel. "So keep him happy and say, 'I don't know.' I know that the players they want to come and then it will be a situation between the NHL and the Players' Association to find a way to come to Sochi and also other Winter Games."

A decision about the Olympics is expected to be made as part of the next session of collective bargaining in 2012.

Fasel and Bettman have not always seen eye to eye, which was evident during a joint press conference at the Vancouver Games last year. During that session, Fasel suggested Bettman's only interest in the Olympics was business, prompting the NHL commissioner to reply: "I will respectfully disagree with my good friend."

The IIHF also angered Bettman a year ago when communications director Szymon Szemberg wrote a column on the association's website that was critical of NHL players who declined invitations to the world championship.

Despite the recent past, Fasel said the current relationship between the two sides is "good." Deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr are both coming to Bratislava next week while Fasel has plans to attend the Stanley Cup.

"I'm really happy and pleased to work together," said Fasel. "Sometimes we have some clashes."

Among the other items Fasel touched on during a 30-minute availability:

-- In the event NHLers don't participate in the 2014 Olympics, he is "100 per cent" confident Canada and the U.S. will still send teams to the tournament.

-- He has no desire to see the world championship return to North America. It was held in Halifax and Quebec City in 2008.

-- There remains a possibility that a game during the 2013 world championship might be played outdoors in Stockholm.