Hockey Canada begins to prepare for life on bigger ice at the Olympics

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.