Smack dab in the middle of Southern Chiner, there isn't much in the way of hockey fans around here. In fact, the entire country doesn't seem to understand that the Olympics are about one thing...hockey. The rest of it could be cancelled, and I wouldn't notice.
The Winter Olympics presents the best opportunity for an international championship of hockey. But, when I switch the channel to try and find the game, I am usually disappointed with visions of curling instead. Shuffleboard on ice.
Now...I can't put curling down too much...because Newfoundland's main man won a gold medal today!
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rejoiced in triumph Friday as local hero Brad Gushue led his rink to a gold medal in men's curling at the Turin Games.
At the St. John's Curling Club - Gushue's home rink - fans spontaneously sang O Canada as the final rocks were thrown.
"It was absolutely fabulous," said Karen Efford, who was among the 500 people jammed into the club. "It didn't matter to us if he came home with a medal or not. He was representing Canada. He was representing Newfoundland . . . We're very proud of him."
Newfoundlanders (Newfies) are a great lot. We had the pleasure of having a bonifide Newfie as a neighbor in the USA...and did she like to cuss and drink and just be a normal person! It was a welcome relief to all the other morons in the area. And, many of her friends and family would visit and they were all the same way...regular folk.
Which brings me back to hockey...a little. One of our new found Newfie friends was kind enough to tape Hockey Day in Canada and send it to me. The best part of Hockey Day is the stories they do on local hockey in the small communities. This year's hockey day was in Stephenville, Newfoundland. It gave me an even better sense as to why these people love their own and can get drunk and rowdy over a game of curling.
Hockey finals are in...
Finland's Olympic men's hockey team will be playing for gold for the first time in 18 years.
Antero Niittymaki posted his third shutout of the tournament while his teammates scored two power-play goals in a 4-0 semifinal win over Russia at the Palasport Olimpico on Friday.
...
The Swedish men's hockey team will get a chance to play in the gold-medal game for the first time since the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.
Using a flurry of skill and speed, Sweden defeated the Czech Republic 7-3 Friday to advance to the final.
We get an all Norse final this time around.
I haven't seen Finland play...but they have cruised through their schedule and this shutout of the Russians is impressive. The Russians had been crushing nearly everyone they met...including a 5-0 drubbing of Sweden. You've got to like their chances.
Sweden, I have seen play a couple games. They have been inconsistent. They seem to only get up for games that mean something to them (great against the USA...boring and lackluster against Kazahkstan). Well, if they cannot get up for a game against their most natural rivals, then there is something seriously wrong with the coaching and captaining of their team. Sweden has two pieces that are in their favor; History and Peter Forsberg.
I'll take the Tre Kroners 2-1 for the gold medal.
Comments