It’s Coin of the Realm in Hockey World

Who says the Canadian dollar doesn’t go as far as it once did? It got as far as Prague last week.

Team Canada’s 5-3 victory over Sweden in the title game at the World Hockey Championships last week was money in the bank. Canadian Press reported that team officials had secretly put a loonie -- a gold-colored Canadian dollar coin -- behind each net at the Sazka Arena in the Czech Republic capital.

That, it seems, is the secret to Canadian hockey success. The same two loonies were hidden under the nets during the women’s world championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia, two months ago, as well as Canada’s Spengler Cup championships in late December.

Canada won both tournaments.

In the 2002 Olympics, a loonie was hidden at center ice at the hockey venue. Both the Canadian men’s and women’s teams won gold medals.

As lucky as cold Canadian cash has been, though, it can’t seem to raise the interest rates for hockey in the United States.

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Trivia time: Who was president of the United States when Joe Paterno was hired as head coach at Penn State?

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Olympic smoke rings: Olympic organizers are hoping that smoke-happy Greeks get into the spirit of the Games this summer, but chances of creating a cigarette-free environment seem slim.

Studies show that 40-45% of Greeks smoke.

Associated Press pointed out that Greece’s former health minister Alekos Papadopoulos, a smoker, predicted this would be a difficult issue. When pressed for the anti-smoking measures in 2002, he said, “Greeks are defined by an internal sense of anarchy.”

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Backhand jab: Martina Navratilova says she is not intimidated about returning to singles play at the French Open. She received a wild-card spot for the tournament, which she last won 20 years ago, and, although she hardly frightens opponents at 47, she has little fear of the younger players.

“What is there to be afraid of? Losing?” Navratilova asked while talking to Associated Press.

“We’re playing tennis. It’s not like I’m getting into the ring with Mike Tyson.”

Navratilova vs. Tyson? It’s surprising that Don King hasn’t thought of that.

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Looking back: A year ago today, Mighty Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere shut out Minnesota, 4-0, tying the NHL record for most shutouts, three, in a playoff series.

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Trivia answer: Lyndon Johnson, who at the time was 57, 20 years younger than Paterno is now. On Thursday, Paterno was given a four-year contract extension -- much as Johnson was in 1964.

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And finally: The Sporting News’ Caught on the Fly column, on San Francisco Giant catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s having his work ethic questioned by an anonymous teammate, who pointed out that Pierzynski had once played cards instead of going over scouting reports with pitcher Brett Tomko:

“Yeah, that was wrong. But, honestly, in which circumstance did A.J. have a better chance of working with an ace?”