MILAN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The NHL's biggest stars began their long-awaited return to the Olympic stage on Friday, as players battled exhaustion to join their national teams at the Milano Cortina Games five days before the tournament begins.
The National Hockey League began its Olympic break on Friday, freeing up dozens of players to fly into Milan as it allows its athletes to compete at the Games for the first time in 12 years.
"Of course, I'm jet lagged," said Czech goalie Lukas Dostal, who was the first NHLer to practice at Santagiulia arena after arriving in Milan on Thursday night.
"I didn't have much time to see around because I got here last night so I just went to my room, got some dinner, slept, and just got here," said the Anaheim Ducks goaltender, who got a head-start after his team played their final game on Tuesday night.
A representative for the Swiss team said that six of their players were arriving on Friday, including three from the New Jersey Devils who played on Thursday night.
Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter would serve as flag bearer for Switzerland in the Opening Ceremony only hours after arriving on Friday, the representative added.
Dostal said he had planned to skip the Opening Ceremony in favour of rest but had a change of heart.
"I woke up and I'm like, 'Hey, it's one-of-a-kind experience'," he told reporters.
'DIFFERENT LEVEL'
The roughly 150 NHL players expected to compete in Milan will bring a megawatt spotlight to their sport and promise a true "best-on-best" tournament, after two Olympic cycles with players from outside the top-flight North American league.
"It's good that I know how it is to play against them," said Czech winger Dominik Kubalik, an NHL alum who competed in 2018 and plays in the Swiss National League. "It's going to be a different level."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Milan)
