BEIJING (AP) — Members of the U.S. men’s hockey team were involved in a noisy late-night party at the Olympic athletes village that prompted a conversation between the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Hockey.
The USOPC confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that a noise complaint was reported inside the village. No property damage was involved, and no one was kicked out.
It was not at all like the 1998 Nagano Olympics when U.S. hockey players – many of them NHL stars – caused $3,000 in damage by trashing apartments and throwing chairs and a fire extinguisher through windows.
“We hold Team USA athletes to very high standards of personal conduct,” the USOPC said in a statement sent to The AP. “We have spoken to USA Hockey leadership, affirmed those expectations and can confirm that athletes will remain in the village until their scheduled departures.”
NHL players are not at the Olympics for the second consecutive time. The U.S. team is made up of 15 college players and almost a dozen others now in European professional and North American minor leagues.
The Americans were eliminated in the quarterfinals Wednesday with a shootout loss to Slovakia. The U.S. won its first three games to earn the top seed in the knockout round.
