USA vs. Canada

[bushwacked]

One helluva hockey game, just got off to a rotten start. Slowly but surely started to take over the game, and we had a good chance in OT, they had a good chance. They made the most of it and won.

 

I am frustrated to see our boys lose, but to think we would go to OT in the Gold Medal game, what a helluva tournament for our guys.

 

 

The goal with less than 25 seconds left in regulation will be one of the most memorable events in my sport watching history.

[Piles]

Miller was awesome

 

Congrats to Canada.

[nuke'em ttg]

Yea, Ryan Miller's expression after the goal said it all.

 

 

 

He's Canadian, he gets to do that anyway.

 

 

[Big John]

Tford lives in Canada, and they will treat this as a national holiday.

[gilthorp]

The goal with less than 25 seconds left in regulation will be one of the most memorable events in my sport watching history.

 

Agreed. I can only compare my feelings to the White Sox winning the World Series, but it is something memorable, and IF we would have pulled this off, it is one of those things you can take to your grave. Very exciting, and I'm glad I got caught up with it these last few weeks.

 

Johnny Toews is a monster...so is Rick Nash. Clutch guys.

 

Our team was an afterthought and they had a major accomplishment winning Silver.

[TimC]

Canada and hockey can return to being irrelevant now.

[Tford]

I've said it before and I will say it again, the United States is replacing Russia as our premier competition in international hockey.

 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled that Canada pulled it off but I'm more excited about a great game than anything. The Olympics are intended to be a showcase of elite hockey and I think this tournament did well to accomplish that.

 

Believe it or not, that game was the 3rd best Canada vs USA international hockey game of the year IMO. Both World Jr Hockey Championship games that featured Canada vs. USA were even better games than that. USA won the Championship in overtime after the Canadians rallied from 2 down late 3rd period.

 

Canada vs USA World Jr. hockey highlights

 

Congrats Americans, your team played extremely well despite being the youngest team in the tournament. Those kids will be even more of a force in the upcoming years.

[Ursa Majoris]

Congrats Americans, your team played extremely well despite being the youngest team in the tournament. Those kids will be even more of a force in the upcoming years.

The NHL may not allow their players to compete in the Olympics in 2014.

 

Linky

 

Linky2

[bushwacked]

Both World Jr Hockey Championship games that featured Canada vs. USA were even better games than that. USA won the Championship in overtime after the Canadians rallied from 2 down late 3rd period.

 

I grew up in what is small city called Wenatchee and still have family there;. They have a NAHL Junior Hockey League team. I live about 200 miles away from there now, but everytime I go there, the hockey game is the main event we try to make it to.

 

It's just flat out awesome to watch; and the arena is brand new and modern. The community has completely rallied behind the hockey team. My sister and bro in law have 2 of the kids living with them and my son thinks they are superstars.

 

Hockey, IMO, is the best sport to watch live.

[Tford]

The NHL may not allow their players to compete in the Olympics in 2014.

 

Linky

 

Linky2

 

Zero chance that actually happens. Actually scratch that, there is zero chance that a sane commissioner allows that to happen. Bettman is nuts and it wouldn't really surprise me that he would ruin the NHL further by blocking Olympic participation.

 

The reason is that both Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have both stated publicly that they will breach their NHL contract if the NHL fails to negotiate an Olympic break in 2014. That would be a huge failure on the part of the NHL to allow that to happen.

 

What Bettman is trying to do is put pressure on the KHL (The Russian Pro League) to come up with a transfer agreement so that NHL teams cannot simply lose players to the KHL without compensation and he is using the upcoming Russian Olympics and the Russian NHL players as a bargaining chip.

 

Bettman has gambled like this before and failed (see the lockout a few years back). I can't see this going well. Hopefully the NHL smartens up and caves to the wishes of their stars before this gets ugly.

[Ursa Majoris]

Zero chance that actually happens. Actually scratch that, there is zero chance that a sane commissioner allows that to happen. Bettman is nuts and it wouldn't really surprise me that he would ruin the NHL further by blocking Olympic participation.

 

The reason is that both Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have both stated publicly that they will breach their NHL contract if the NHL fails to negotiate an Olympic break in 2014. That would be a huge failure on the part of the NHL to allow that to happen.

 

What Bettman is trying to do is put pressure on the KHL (The Russian Pro League) to come up with a transfer agreement so that NHL teams cannot simply lose players to the KHL without compensation and he is using the upcoming Russian Olympics and the Russian NHL players as a bargaining chip.

 

Bettman has gambled like this before and failed (see the lockout a few years back). I can't see this going well. Hopefully the NHL smartens up and caves to the wishes of their stars before this gets ugly.

 

First link is the US Men's GM, evidently no Olympics junkie.

 

U.S. men's hockey GM Brian Burke went on rant Saturday when the topic of the NHL's participation in 2014 Winter Games was brought up:

 

"I don't like how it's been characterized as Gary Bettman's view, because I don't think it's fair to Gary. I've been in that room where owners have stood up and said, 'We are not going to the Olympics after this one.'

 

"Imagine some of our markets where we're challenged attendance-wise, and you get into a situation where an Atlanta or Florida are fighting for a playoff spot, actually generating interest, people are following their team, and then we close our doors for 2 1/2 weeks and say, 'Thanks for your patronage, but come back in 2 1/2 weeks.' Any other business in the world did that, they'd win some award for imbecility. But we do it.

 

"Everyone says, look at the matchup, 'suckyU.S., this is marvelous.' What was the matchup in Torino? What juice did we get out Nagano? Nothing.

 

"Rene Fasel says, 'Oh, they have to go, it's the best hockey.' Well, from a business perspective, it does not make sense for us. ... There are really compelling business reasons to not go."

[Hugh B Tool]

I grew up in what is small city called Wenatchee and still have family there;. They have a NAHL Junior Hockey League team. I live about 200 miles away from there now, but everytime I go there, the hockey game is the main event we try to make it to.

 

It's just flat out awesome to watch; and the arena is brand new and modern. The community has completely rallied behind the hockey team. My sister and bro in law have 2 of the kids living with them and my son thinks they are superstars.

 

Hockey, IMO, is the best sport to watch live.

 

Everett Silvertips of the WHL, Hugh Fan here, great game, kids give it their all for room and board

[Outshined]

That was one heck of a game...sucks that they lost.

 

5 players in the gold medal game went to Shattuck Prep School in my home town.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Outshined

[chiefjay]

That was one heck of a game...sucks that they lost.

 

5 players in the gold medal game went to Shattuck Prep School in my home town.

 

Yep, top school for hockey for sure. Saw one of their Bantam teams play earlier this year at a tournament here in Michigan.

 

Who are the other four players besides Crosby?

[Delicious_bass]

Yep, top school for hockey for sure. Saw one of their Bantam teams play earlier this year at a tournament here in Michigan.

 

Who are the other four players besides Crosby?

Parise, Malone, J Johnson, and Toews I think

 

 

As for the game, (I havent read this whole thread so someone may have already said this) but if Rafalski finishes Crosby or even pushes/bumps him, Sid doesnt get off the half-boards that quick and doesnt get the pass from Iginla and doesnt score the winning goal. Rafalski HAS to at least get a piece of him when he had the chance by the boards. You cant let a skilled forward like Crosby come off the wall and get to the net like BF did

 

Still, good showing by the Americans and they have reason to be proud. There is no shame in taking second in that tournament

 

Edited March 1, 2010 by Delicious_bass

[chiefjay]

Parise, Malone, J Johnson, and Toews I think

 

 

As for the game, (I havent read this whole thread so someone may have already said this) but if Rafalski finishes Crosby or even pushes/bumps him, Sid doesnt get off the half-boards that quick and doesnt get the pass from Iginla and doesnt score the winning goal. Rafalski HAS to at least get a piece of him when he had the chance by the boards. You cant let a skilled forward like Crosby come off the wall and get to the net like BF did

 

Still, good showing by the Americans and they have reason to be proud. There is no shame in taking second in that tournament

 

 

Yep, no doubt about it. Was thinking it as sounds as Crosby released from the boards. Love BR but not his best game, coughed up the puck on the first goal as well. Not saying his job is easy because it obviously was not but you have to take the body on Crosby in that siutation, even a bump.

[Chavez]

"Imagine some of our markets where we're challenged attendance-wise, and you get into a situation where an Atlanta or Florida are fighting for a playoff spot, actually generating interest, people are following their team, and then we close our doors for 2 1/2 weeks and say, 'Thanks for your patronage, but come back in 2 1/2 weeks.' Any other business in the world did that, they'd win some award for imbecility. But we do it.

 

 

 

Hmm, any business that got HUGE WORLDWIDE exposure for their product, with people who wouldn't normally watch it going OUT OF THEIR WAY to watch the sport - well, to me it's like a no brainer to go.

[Chief Dick]

 

Hmm, any business that got HUGE WORLDWIDE exposure for their product, with people who wouldn't normally watch it going OUT OF THEIR WAY to watch the sport - well, to me it's like a no brainer to go.

 

+ yah, you hoser

Edited March 2, 2010 by Chief Dick

[detlef]

Zero chance that actually happens. Actually scratch that, there is zero chance that a sane commissioner allows that to happen. Bettman is nuts and it wouldn't really surprise me that he would ruin the NHL further by blocking Olympic participation.

 

The reason is that both Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have both stated publicly that they will breach their NHL contract if the NHL fails to negotiate an Olympic break in 2014. That would be a huge failure on the part of the NHL to allow that to happen.

 

What Bettman is trying to do is put pressure on the KHL (The Russian Pro League) to come up with a transfer agreement so that NHL teams cannot simply lose players to the KHL without compensation and he is using the upcoming Russian Olympics and the Russian NHL players as a bargaining chip.

 

Bettman has gambled like this before and failed (see the lockout a few years back). I can't see this going well. Hopefully the NHL smartens up and caves to the wishes of their stars before this gets ugly.

Why is the impetus just on the NHL to loan it's best talent and stop work for over 2 weeks so the IOC and NBC can make a bunch of money putting on a tourney? For the alleged juice they get off the exposure? Every game but last night was on CNBC and, honestly, I think the residual is completely overrated. I'm exactly the guy they're hoping to win over. I like sports. I don't tend to watch hockey unless, for instance, last year when my local team was in the hunt for the Cup. Yet, I sought out the Olympic hockey. Well, guess what, I'm barely more likely to watch the NHL now than I was before. My guess is that I'm not entirely unique in that respect.

 

So, basically what you're saying here is that he's over a barrel and has to choose between losing a bunch of money or looking like a dick. What about the guys who are actually profiting from this whole thing? Where's their obligation to step up and make it more worth the NHL's trouble.

 

Goodwill and exposure are the most overrated benefits of doing charity work. And that is exactly what this is to the NHL, charity work. Trust me. Every week I'm approached by people trying to get free goods out of me for whatever benefit they're doing. Sometimes the cause is flat out lame, but they make a big deal about all the exposure I'll get and all the new customers I could win over. Sometimes, it's worth it even if I don't think the cause is all that. Maybe it is the right people and I want my product in front of them. But it isn't as often as they make it sound. And I fear this is exactly the case here. I don't know what the exact cost to the NHL of shutting down is (not to mention the risk of losing it's best players to injury), but it looks like these guys don't believe it's as great a PR boon for their league as most imply. Like the guy in Ursa's link said, it's not always a game of the ages pitting neighboring countries. Sometimes it's a forgettable game, played on tape delay, between Sweden and Canada and nobody cares.