CANADA MAKES ITSELF AT HOME; AMERICANS SLUGGISH IN DEFEAT : CANADA 4, USA 1.

Byline: Steve Rosenbloom Chicago Tribune 

The sign held up by the fans read ``Hockey Night in Nagano.'' Might as well have been Toronto.

With hundreds of Canadian flags, banners and jerseys dominating the American paraphernalia, the absolutely stuffed Big Hat arena in central Japan sounded like Maple Leaf Gardens.

And the adopted home team played like it, too, as Canada exacted a measure of revenge for the 1996 World Cup loss with a 4-1 win over the United States in the much-hyped round-robin game of the first Olympics to feature NHL stars.

Nationalistic sentiment ran high, especially regarding Blackhawks and U.S. defenseman Gary Suter's crosscheck of Mighty Ducks star Paul Kariya that left Kariya with a concussion and kept him off Team Canada. One sign hung from the balcony read ``Suter or Later, Gary,'' while another read ``Suter, R.I.P.''

Perhaps that's why referee Bill McCreary took extra time before the opening faceoff, cautioning U.S. center Jeremy Roenick and Canadian captain Eric Lindros about going nuts in this game.

And then it took one shift for U.S. winger Adam Deadmarsh to leave the ice with a bloody nose.

And then Wayne Gretzky took the first penalty.

And then if there were any questions about whether opposing countrymen would ease up on their NHL teammates, all you had to see was Lindros cracking U.S. forward and Philadelphia teammate John LeClair in the head with his stick, turning LeClair's helmet sideways.

Game on, eh?

The lone U.S. goal was scored by Hull late in the third period, long after the game was decided.

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Photo

PHOTO Canada's Joe Sakic (91) collides with Derian Hatcher of the United States while going for the puck in a game dominated by Canada.

Associated Press