All the Marbles

To quote a line from the movie "The Princess Bride": "So now it's down to you, and now it's down to me." Team USA and Team CANADA go for the Gold in Vancouver, with the winner taking more than bragging rights. For Team Canada, it's the culmination of a quest to reclaim the crown of supremacy in a game created on its icy ponds and lakes. Canada won its first gold in 50 years back in 2002. In the 2006 Olympics, the team finished in a dismal 7th place. So... there's a lot of redemption on the line here for the guys in red and white, and on "home" ice, too.

Team USA faces similar pressure. The last time Americans sported the gold, the year was 1980 and the team had pulled off a "Miracle" upset of a powerhouse Soviet team. In fact, the anniversary of that game just happened to fall this past week (February 24), adding pressure to a team already feeling the weight of history on its back. One week ago today, USA beat Canada for the first time in 50 years, since the 1960 Winter Games, the only other time Americans won hockey gold. And even though it was a preliminary game, it didn't lessen the sweetness of a 5-3 victory for Team USA fans. The fact that the team took the ice wearing replica jerseys (sweaters) from 1960 seemed fitting.

Team USA powered through Switzerland and Finland to reach this day. Canada battled past Germany, Russia and Slovakia. The arena will be jam-packed with patriotic Canadians. Canada goalie Roberto Luongo will man the net in a rink he already knows like the back of his hand. But Ryan Miller has been outstanding in net for Team USA, shutting down all comers. And his teammates have pretty much made themselves at home over the past two weeks, dominating nearly every opponent they faced.

So... it now comes down to Canada... and it now comes down to USA. Millions will tune in at 3pm Eastern/Noon Pacific to see who skates away with all the marbles.

Olympics: USA stuns Canada 5-3

 

Kesler & Parise celebrate empty net goal (Photo: AP)

Team USA wore historic jerseys on the ice tonight- throwbacks to the 1960 team that won gold at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. It was also the last time the US beat Canada in an Olympic game. Perhaps it was fitting, then, that they took the ice dressed to remind everyone of that victory 50 years ago.  Tonight's game had Team USA fans saying, "What took you so long!"

To read my wrap up on the KING 5 site, just click here.

Brief wrap up: USA v. Norway, Canada v. Switzerland, Russia v. Slovakia

Posted a brief wrap up of Friday's men's hockey excitement at the Vancouver Olympics, where the US beat Norway 6-1 but did not look amazing doing it; where Canada needed a shootout to beat Switzerland 3-2; and where Slovakia stunned Russia in a shootout 2-1.
Click here to read the wrap up-- and also be linked to some awesome coverage from the Games themselves.

'Tips' Simpson; T-Birds' Pickard invited to Team Canada Under-18 Summer Selection Camp

They made quite an impression this season. Now, two young goalies have been invited to test their skills on a much bigger stage. Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips and the Seattle Thunderbirds’ Calvin Pickard were among 40 players invited by Hockey Canada to take part in a summer camp aimed at selecting the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which will represent Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia and the Czech Republic from August 11 to 15.

Kent Simpson/Photo: Frank Deines III/Everett Silvertips

17 year old Kent Simpson just wrapped up his first full season with the Silvertips. He posted a record of 8-11-3-1 with a 3.85 goals against average and a .892 save percentage. He has one shutout. It came in his very first career start on September 26, 2008 against the Portland Winter Hawks. Everett selected Kent in the first round of the 2007 Bantam draft. Kent is from Edmonton, Alberta.

The Silvertips hope that Simpson becomes the 7th Everett player to take part in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Other Silvertips who have played include: Leland Irving, Brady Calla, Zach Hamill, Shane Harper, Vitaly Karamnov and Kyle Beach.

Calvin Pickard/Photo: David Pitcher/Seattle Thunderbirds

17 year old Calvin Pickard also wrapped up his first full season with the T-Birds. His record: 23-16-1-4 with a 3.05 goals against average and .896 save percentage. He posted 3 shutouts (against the Portland Winter Hawks on October 11, 2008, Spokane Chiefs on February 20, 2009 and Tri City Americans on March 7, 2009). Calvin is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He and Kent are among 13 WHL players invited to take part in the camp.

Kent Simpson and Calvin Pickard have also been invited to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp, which will take place in Calgary from June 11-14. They are among 14 goaltenders under the age of 20 selected to take part in this camp.

We wish Kent and Calvin the best of luck in the Under 18 camp and will update you on their progress. In the meantime, you can check out what the Everett Silvertips are up to by clicking here to link to their website. To see what the Seattle Thunderbirds have been doing in their off season, click here.

Learning to LIVE in the Moment

My computer wallpaper consists of a photo featuring two hockey players: Kris Letang and Luc Bourdon. Kris’ arm is draped around Luc’s shoulders. They are both grabbing the handles of a trophy cup. Medals hang from around their necks. Luc's face is split in a wide, joyful grin. Kris is smirking, his free hand raised to show the “we’re number one” gesture. It’s a jubilant moment frozen forever in time. The only things on these two young men’s minds were their great accomplishment, and quite possibly, where they would go celebrate afterward.

I don’t know when it was taken. I’m going to guess that it was a tournament that Team Canada won because Kris is wearing a Team Canada hat. We all know that Kris went on to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Luc joined the Vancouver Canucks. We also know that Luc died in a motorcycle accident near his home in New Brunswick last month.

Suddenly, young and carefree collided with painful loss and responsibility. Kris talked about how excited Luc had been to ride his motorcycle, which he had bought just two weeks before his death. In a press conference just hours after learning of his friend's death, Kris insisted that Luc knew the dangers and knew to be careful. (The RCMP does believe that rain made the road slippery to handle and call the collision a terrible accident.) And the hockey world watched a young man struggle to understand just what had happened. At this moment, he wasn't an NHL star on a team that was making a run for the Stanley Cup. He was just a young man trying to come to terms with a heartbreaking fact: that his good friend, with whom he had planned to vacation this summer, was gone. Just like that.

The tributes I’ve read about Luc describe a man with tremendous hockey talent and a tremendous heart. Everyone said he loved living and lived to the fullest. He contributed on the ice and off. He was friendly and enjoyed everything about being an NHL player, from playing with the likes of Trevor Linden, to meeting fans. The future only looked brighter for this 21 year old. And then it was gone.

And so, I come back to that photo, that moment frozen in time. My son asks me why I have it as my wallpaper. I explain. I keep that photo as a lesson to always LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

Celebrate every victory as though it is your first… and last.

Never take a friend… or yourself for granted.

Because you never know when it will all go away.