The Milan Cortina Games “got underway Wednesday” with the first curling matches in Cortina, but “came to a halt only moments later because of a power outage.” Officials “briefly paused” the matches at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium when the lights “dimmed and flickered” (AP, 2/4). Play resumed after “about a five-minute delay in the first end of the first draw” (SPORTSNET.ca, 2/4).
Oilers C Leon Draisaitl is the “face of winter sports in Germany” after he was selected “as his country’s flag bearer” at the opening ceremony. He is the highest-scoring German-born player in NHL history with 1,034 points (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 2/4). Bruins RW David Pastrnak will “be a flag bearer for Czech Republic” during the opening ceremony. He will be joined by biathlete Lucie Charvátová (MASSLIVE.com, 2/4).
