“Ever since they announced the schedule,” he said.

The Anaheim Ducks goaltender will be in net at noon today for Switzerland against the United States in the opening game of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament in Vancouver. His first task, against NHL teammates Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney, will be the first of many matchups between players who will wear the same jersey for all but two weeks of the year beginning today.

In a recent interview, Ryan said pointedly that he is not excited to face Hiller.

“No, because he knows my tendencies a little too much,” Ryan said. “If I get a shot from the slot, he knows where it’s going most of the time.”

Perhaps if either player were Canadian, or if they played for a team north or east of Anaheim, the potential Ryan-Hiller showdown would be more highly anticipated. Each has already proved his worth in a high-pressure situation, despite their relative youth (Ryan is 22, Hiller 28).

Hiller posted a .943 save percentage – best in the NHL – in the playoffs last season, when Anaheim upset top-seeded San Jose in the first round then took Detroit to seven games in the second. This season, he officially became the team’s No. 1 goaltender when Jean-Sebastien Giguere was traded to Toronto.

Ryan is the third-youngest member of Team USA. He lived up to the expectations of The Player Drafted After Sidney Crosby in last year’s playoffs, scoring four goals in the six-game series against San Jose. He leads the Ducks with 28 goals this season, which is tied with Zach Parise for the most among U.S. Olympians.

So who has the advantage? Both seemed to think it would be a wash.

“I know where I would consider him weaker,” Ryan said of Hiller. “If he knows that I know that, he’ll overplay that side a little bit and make me shoot somewhere I’m uncomfortable shooting.

“Jonas will trick you. He plays mind games back there with you a little bit. I’ve got my work cut out for me if I do get any shots on him.”

Goalies generally do not know who is responsible for a puck fired in their direction until after the fact.

“In the game you’re just focused on the shot,” Hiller said. “You almost don’t have time to think. You know some tendencies. I can tell the defensemen to be careful or whatever, but I don’t think it’s a huge advantage. They also know where to shoot.”

Whitney was a late addition to the U.S. squad by virtue of injuries to Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek. He does most of his damage on offense by laying back and shooting, but predicts a possible edge in a 1-on-1 situation with Hiller.

“Maybe if you have a breakaway on a goalie you play with, you might think of something you did in practice that works,” Whitney said, “but if you have a one-timer, you’re just trying to score. Not really considering strengths of a certain goalie.”

All three said they will not hesitate to share knowledge of their NHL teammates’ tendencies with their Olympic teammates.

“My teammates are going to be well aware of where I think they should shoot,” Ryan said. “Then again, I’ve already told the media that once. Jonas probably sits on that back there knowing everybody’s going to the same spot, and he’ll have a fun game.”

Hiller will have some familiar help on defense in Luca Sbisa, a Swiss native whom the Ducks returned to juniors after eight games in October. Sbisa currently plays for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, but roomed with Ryan over the summer after the Ducks acquired the then 19-year-old defenseman in the Chris Pronger trade.

“I’m hoping to be on the ice against him a few times and take some runs at him,” Ryan said of Sbisa. “We’ve been talking back and forth in Switzerland and Portland.”

Expect the talk to continue in Vancouver.

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