Peter Forsberg, Sweden's all-world talent, is not sure if he'll be able to skate in the Olympics due to a nagging groin injury.

Forsberg's status
is unclear
By Chuck Gormley
NHL.com correspondent
Feb. 14, 2006

Saying he will not play in the Olympics unless his left groin strain is 100 percent healed, Flyers center Peter Forsberg boarded a flight at JFK Airport in New York at 6 p.m. Monday and made his way to Torino, Italy, where he hopes to represent Sweden in the Winter Olympics sometime next weekend.

"Well, I'm going to fly over and see how it goes," Forsberg said Monday after reviewing an MRI exam taken Sunday night. "It's still not 100 percent and I'm going to rest a few more days and see how it goes. It's not (certain) I'm playing over there, but they want me to come over and see if it heals up. If it feels 100 percent this weekend we will skate over there and get going and get ready to maybe play a couple of games. If it's not, then I'm not going to play. I'm just going to go over there and see how it goes."

Last week, Flyers Chairman Ed Snider told the Camden Courier-Post he wasn't in favor of Forsberg competing because the groin injury has been a season-long problem. Forsberg missed the Flyers' last eight games before the Olympic break.

Reached Monday, Snider toned down his earlier remarks, saying, "Listen, he's a pro and I don't want to put any more pressure on him than he already has. I think Peter is a professional and I'm sure he'll handle things properly. He'll make his decision in the best interests of himself and the Flyers."

Flyers GM Bob Clarke, who eight years ago served as the general manager of the Canadian Olympic team, issued this statement regarding Forsberg's decision: "I think Peter knows what the results of the MRI were and he knows the risks involved. Going over there is his choice and he made the decision to go, so we wish him good luck, except against the Canadians."

Asked if he is concerned about Forsberg's health, Clarke said, "I'm concerned for every player that goes over there because, obviously, it's a very high level of play and I think there's a risk for everybody. In Peter's case, there's probably a little higher risk, but that's the chance you take when you play."

Forsberg will join five other Flyers -- goaltender Robert Esche, defenseman Derian Hatcher and right wing Mike Knuble (USA), Simon Gagne (Canada) and Antero Niittymaki (Finland) -- for the men's ice hockey tournament, which begins Wednesday with preliminary round games.

Flyers forwards Michal Handzus had dropped out of play for Slovakia because of injury and Sami Kapanen and defenseman Joni Pitkanen removed themselves from Team Finland because of nagging injuries. Defenseman Kim Johnsson told Team Sweden he will not play because of the impending birth of his second child.

Forsberg based his decision to go to Torino on a conversation he had with Swedish Olympic coach and former NHLer Bengt Gustafsson. Gustafsson informed Forsberg that he could take as long as he needed before joining the Swedes' quest for their first gold medal since 1994, when Forsberg's shootout goal beat Canada in the deciding game.

The Swedes open the tournament with a game against Kazakhstan Wednesday and against Russia on Thursday. They are off on Friday and face Latvia on Saturday. If Forsberg is feeling 100 percent by next weekend, he could clear himself to play against Team USA Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. ET.

Forsberg and the Swedes lost to the Czechs during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Sweden concludes its preliminary round one week from today against Slovakia, with the playoff round taking place from Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 26.

Forsberg, who is from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, said his decision to represent Sweden did not come because of external pressures from his native country or from his father, Kent Forsberg, who coached Sweden in the 1998 Nagano Games. Nor was it influenced by the fact he missed the 2002 Olympics because of surgery to remove his spleen.

"I don't care about that," he said. "It's me, and I want to go over and play for my country and have a chance to win the gold medal. ... I just want to make my own decision. Like I said before, if I'm sitting somewhere feeling great on Wednesday and I know I could have played, not being able to be there would be hard. They gave me the opportunity to come over there and see how it feels for a couple more days. If I can't play, I can't play and I'll just come back (to Philadelphia) and rehab. If I can play, great."

Forsberg said he only feels pain in his groin when he takes long skating strides and admitted that Flyers head trainer Jim McCrossin recommended he remain in Philadelphia the next few weeks to rest the groin. But after the MRI showed that the slight tear in his left groin had not gotten worse, Forsberg decided it was worth giving himself the opportunity to wear Sweden's blue and yellow three crowns.

"When we came back (Sunday) and looked at the MRI it wasn't any major (tear)," Forsberg said. "I talked to the specialist and it's a groin strain. Hopefully, it will be healed up so I can play over there for my country."

Esche, who could face Forsberg if he's in goal for Team USA, said he doesn't think Forsberg would risk injury to play in the Olympics, but acknowledged Team Sweden's chances of medaling will increase dramatically with him in the lineup.

"That whole country knows they have the best player in the world," Esche said. "They know he couldn't miss the Olympics without at least trying. I just hope he waits until after they play us."

Snider, a native of Washington, D.C., said he wishes all of his players luck in the Olympics, but was very clear on which team he'd like to see come home with gold.

"USA," he said. "I'm a true American. It's about time we show those Canadians who's boss."