TURIN, Italy - Robert Esche wasn't happy when he was told he would not be playing in the Olympics.
But that won't stop him from coming.
Esche said Monday he was told by Team USA coach Peter Laviolette that he was going to name Tampa Lightning backup John Grahame the No. 1 goalie for the U.S. and that Rick DiPietro was the backup.
"I'm obviously disappointed," Esche said from his home in New Jersey before going to the airport to fly to Italy with teammates Derian Hatcher and Mike Knuble.
"Laviolette called me and told me I wasn't going to be playing. He said he was naming John Grahame the starter. I was upset and thought about not coming, but I talked with (assistant general manager Paul Holmgren) and he told me not to worry about it."
That Grahame is going to be the starter comes as a slight surprise. He has been a career backup in both Boston and Tampa Bay. He has had an opportunity to play more this year, sharing the starting role with Sean Burke.
In 40 starts this season, Grahame has been good, going 22-15-1 with a 2.68 goals against average and .900 save percentage. He also has had three shutouts in January.
But both Esche and DiPietro are starters on their respective teams and have more NHL experience. In addition, Esche backstopped the Flyers to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005.
One obvious difference between Esche, Grahame and DiPietro is that Esche has never played for Laviolette before. DiPietro played for the U.S. coach when he was with the Islanders and Grahame won a Calder Cup Championship under Laviolette.
Monday, Grahame and Jordan Leopold were the only two players from the U.S. squad who were in Turin. All of the players from teams based on the East Coast or who played an NHL Monday night game were unable to get to Turin.
The snow storm that dumped over a foot of snow in the Northeast stranded players from New York, Philadelphia and Toronto.
Both Leopold and Grahame met with the press Monday.
Grahame said he has not been told that he is the starter.
"That's a decision that (Laviolette) and the other coaches are going to make and when that happens, I'm sure we'll be the first to know," he said.
"When I got my name on the list, it was presented to me that whoever was playing the best would be the goalie, and that's the way I look at it."
Esche and Grahame have never met, but they did speak earlier this season after Esche commented during an interview about the goalie candidates, a list that included Grahame, DiPietro, and Buffalo rookie Ryan Miller, that "one of those guys doesn't belong on the Olympic team."
Stories the next day linked that comment to Grahame. Esche said later that his comment was taken out of context and called Grahame to smooth over any possible conflict.
Grahame said he had no reason not to believe Esche's explanation. Esche is good friends with Burke, who now plays with Grahame in Tampa. "I've never met Robert," he said. "But (Burke) says he's a really good guy."
The full squad is not expected to arrive until Tuesday. Team USA's first game is Wednesday night against Latvia and just getting the team together the day before is going to be a problem. They will have their first practice Tuesday night.
Jim Johansson, U.S. senior director of hockey operations was the only member of the Team USA coaching staff on hand and said he was concerned about a slow start resulting from the delay of the team.
"Yeah a little bit. I don't know if worry is the right word. We're at the mercy of the system. As far as the time change and things like that," he said. "The good news for us is a lot of the players have played for us internationally are used to it. We've flown players over for the world championships on late-minute notice and gotten them over for that, so, historically we've found that the first day isn't the tough day. It's the second day that's tough.
"We're hopeful of getting guys in here (Tuesday). We're skating at night (Tuesday) night. Hopefully get them on the time clock as quickly as we can and acclimated. We're skating roughly the same time we're playing Latvia (on Wednesday).
"Our medical staff is working hard on that. Part of that is just controlling the schedule. Meetings when you want them to meet and down times when you want them to sleep. That's all been well thought out."
This has been a tough season for Esche. He has suffered a groin injury that has sidelined him for weeks and left his participation in Turin in question.
He came back just before the Olympics and has been solid. He was pulled during the Flyers loss in Ottawa Sunday, the team's last game before the break, but it had more to do with shaking up the team than Esche's play.
"I feel great right now," Esche said. "I really do. I've really been battling these last few games and I feel ready to go. I've played really well and if they need me I'll be ready."
"I'm not going to be a baby about this," Eche said. "I'm coming over and I'm going to work hard and stay in shape for when I come back. Laviolette told me he had great faith in Graham.
"I'm going to be a good guy for the other guys in that locker room," Esche said. "The guys in that locker room are great guys."