News stories about racism, or any prejudice really, fill me with disgust. But, ones like this fill me with delight. And the icing on the cake is that this particular story includes hockey and took place in my home region. According to a column by Globe and Mail writer Tom Hawthorn, "Mr. Kwong broke the colour barrier in the NHL as the first player of Asian decent to skate in the league." His story truly has all the makings of a good book – local hero who persevered in the face of obstacles and racism to reach his goal, then endured life hardships and slid into obscurity, is now finally being honoured in his hometown and province. I'd love to write that book...
These are my favourite lines from the article:
"Like so many boys, he spent cold winter evenings during the Depression listening to Foster Hewitt broadcast hockey games on the radio. He played the game himself on borrowed skates with makeshift equipment on the frozen ponds of the Okanagan."
Every Olympic Games has one. An athlete with a touching story, someone who persevered and overcame tremendous obstacles or personal hardships. Someone who's story inspires the general non-athletic public. In my opinion, this year's compelling-athlete competed last night. Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette showed the world why she is an Olympic athlete as she performed brilliantly in the midst of an emotionally difficult time.
Canada's men's Olympic hockey roster came out today at noon ET. I was thrilled to see the names of some players that I'd hoped would make the final cut (including, Shea Weber and Duncan Keith - both former Kelowna Rockets players - as well as Brent Seabrook and Scott Niedermayer, all four from BC). I was less enthusiastic about some other names, but it seems like the coaches and executive director put a lot of thought and planning into making the final roster. I think there is a good blend of experienced older players and energetic younger ones and hopefully the team is a recipe for success. I'd love to see a repeat of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics where both our men's and women's hockey teams won gold!
Some team stats: Captain - Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks) Youngest player - Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), 20 Oldest player - Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), 37 Most experience - Scott Niedermayer is the only player to win all six of the major North American and International championships (Olympic gold, World Championship gold, World Junior Championship gold, World Cup, Stanely Cup, Memorial Cup) Most Olympic experience - Martin Brodeur and Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers) will be competing in their fourth Olympics while Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) will play in his third Olympics Province most represented - Ontario with eight players
According to CBCSports.ca, "Canada will go for the country's seventh gold and 13th medal overall in men's hockey since 1924. In addition to the likes of Russia, Sweden, Finland and the United States, Canada is going up against recent history — the last team from a host country to win the men's tournament was the United States at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y."
The roster for Team Canada at the upcoming world junior ice hockey championship was finalized today. When I first read the headline I thought it was the men's Olympic roster so I was searching through the defence section trying to see if Shea Weber made the cut. Words cannot convey my disappointment when I didn't see his name, but then I reread the headline and all was made clear. When I gave it more thought, the middle of December is rather early to be making the roster for the Olympics in February. In any case, I went back over the list to see if any Kelowna Rockets players made the Canadian world junior team and was pleased to see one representative, forward Brandon McMillan. Yay, for Kelowna having at least one player make the team in the past six years! Ever since the 2002 world juniors when Weber represented my hometown, the Rockets have had a player on the Canadian roster. That was also the first year the Canadian's won gold for the first time since a five-year run from 1993-1997. If the U20 boys can manage to win the gold this year it will break the record. I'm willing to bet that the teams that will try to keep us from that record will probably be Sweden, Russia and the United States. I can't wait to get home and watch some great hockey once again!
Yes, another hockey blog. I'm too excited about my hockey teams to not blog about them. My NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks, just played their last regular season game this afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche. Last night the Calgary Flames (my very least favourite team and huge rivals of the Canucks) and the Canucks were neck and neck in the Northwest Division standings. Each team had 98 points and the Flames had one more win (which means that in the case of a tie, the Flames would win the division). The Flames also had one game in hand over the Canucks. But the Edmonton Oilers did the Canucks had huge favour by beating Calgary 5-1. The fate of the championship was left up to the Canucks in their game with the Avs today. If they lost, the Calgary Flames had a chance to win their last game and take the NW Division lead. But the Canucks prevailed and beat the Avs (now officially the lowest ranked team in the Western Conference this season) by a score of 1-0 in overtime. So the Canucks earned the big two points giving them a 3rd place finish in the standings, ensuring home ice advantage as well as a becoming the NW Division Champions! I can't wait for the playoffs to start! With the current standings tonight, it looks like Vancouver will be playing the first round of the playoffs against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should be an interesting post-season...
GM Place complete with Canucks playoff towels
(For more info, click here to see what Canuck fans use the towels for)
Now to my WHL team, the Kelowna Rockets. They are my hometown team in a junior-rank league. It's sometimes more exciting to watch juniors because the players are the future stars of the NHL. They don't play for money, but for the love of the game and to try and make it to the big league. They are all heart and that makes the games all the more intense. The Rockets won enough games down the regular season stretch that they came in 3rd in the WHL Western Conference standings. They swept the Kamloops Blazers in four games and moved on to the second round. They are currently up three games to two on the Tri City Americans (a team based only an hour north of WWC...I went to a lot of their games when I was in school there). If the Rockets can beat the Ams in tomorrow's game, they will move on to the Western Conference Championships against the winner of the other Western Conference playoff series between the Vancouver Giants (2007 CHL champions) and the Spokane Chiefs (2008 WHL and CHL champions).
All in all, it's looking to be a good post-season for both my teams and I can't wait to get home and be able to watch some of it unfold. Who knows how far they'll go?! Perhaps all the way to the Cup!
Today our prime minister, Stephen Harper, visited the Team Canada dressing room at Scotiabank Place, the site of the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship going on right now in Ottawa, ON. The PM and his son, Ben, wished Team Canada's players well in their upcoming game against Team USA (at 7:30 p.m. EST on New Year's Eve). Surely no one can dispute that Canada is Hockey Nation when our country's leader takes time out of his day to meet with junior players and wish them good luck in this important international competition game.
EDIT: 12/31/08
The PM's visit must have worked because Team Canada won the game 7-4! In all fairness, Team USA came out strong at the start of the game going up 3-0 on Canada, but the Canadians came back to tie the game at 3-3 before the end of the 1st period. The goals went back and forth in the 2nd period with Canada leading 5-4 going into the 3rd. The score stayed the same in the 3rd period until the US coach pulled his goalie to put an extra player on the ice in the hopes of getting the equalizing goal. The Canadians took advantage and potted two empty net goals, winning the last game in Pool A's round robin. With the win, the Canadians move straight into a semi-final game on Saturday. They will play the winner of tomorrow's quarter-final game between Russia or the Czech Republic. The US has to play a quarter-final game against Slovakia tomorrow. The winner will play in a semi-final game against Sweden on Saturday. The winners of the semi-final games will play Monday in the gold medal game, while the losers play earlier in the bronze medal game. Tournament schedule
If only I was done my finals right now. I could be boarding a plane this very minute, bound for home. Canada, the true north, cold and free! I can't wait to go home and experience some really cold weather. The West is in the middle of a ferocious cold spell at the moment and I hope that it waits around until I get home. But, snow and cold aside, the real reason that I wish I was flying home tonight, is because Trevor Linden's No. 16 is going to be retired at the Vancouver Canucks home arena, GM Place, tomorrow night. I would give almost anything to be at that game, but, even if I were back in BC by the 7 p.m. start time, I know I would never be able to see the game live. Tickets to Canucks games are in such high demand that the whole season sells out within 10 minutes of going on sale in September. And I know that tickets for Dec. 17 were the first to go. The next best option would be to curl up in our comfy, pink rocking chair and turn on the game to watch the pre-game show and see Linden's number retire. The last time the Canucks retired a jersey was Nov. 3, 1991, more than 18 years ago, when former Canucks captain, Stan Smyl's No. 12 was raised to the roof! Tomorrow marks the end of the 16 Days of Linden and another former captain, one of Vancouver's best loved players, will get his time to shine. I just can't believe that I'll miss it.
Linden's tribute video from the number retirement ceremony
At 11 a.m. today, legend Vancouver Canucks forward, Trevor Linden, officially announced his retirement from the NHL, exactly 20 years after being drafted 2nd by the Canucks as an 18-year-old. I knew as well as any other Canucks/Linden fan that this day would be coming soon, but the news still managed to send a wave of shock through the province. Like most Vancouver fans, Linden has always been my favourite player, not only on the Canucks, but in the entire league and the thought of all the Vancouver players arriving at training camp in the fall without Linden there doesn't seem quite right.
With Trevor Linden now newly retired, there is a second hole in the Canucks lineup. Two weeks ago tomorrow, rookie Vancouver Canucks defenseman, Luc Bourdon, was killed instantly near his hometown of Shippagan, NB in a head-on collision involving his motorbike and a transport truck. Hockey fans across the country and North America were shocked and saddened by the 21-year-old's sudden death and, with Canucks fans still coming to terms with the fact that they will never get to see Bourdon become a star NHL defenseman, the news of Trevor Linden's retirement was disheartening for many. Linden has been a fan-favourite NHLer, not only for his effort on the ice, but also for his hard work in the community. Since relocating from Medicine Hat, AB to Vancouver, he has whole-heartedly dedicated his life to helping others, from reading to kids at local elementary schools, to visiting the Vancouver Children's Hospital, to raising money for Canucks Place hospice. The Canucks website was ready this morning with articles and features to publish as soon a Linden officially told the media of his decision at a press conference. One feature portrays the 16 (his jersey number) most memorable Linden moments throughout his 16 season with Vancouver, while another tells of his achievements off the ice. Numerous videos, much like the one below, were also uploaded to Canucks.com.
A highly controversial news story, published early this afternoon by CBC.ca, revealed to hockey fans across the country CBC's intentions not to renew licensing for the much-loved Hockey Night in Canada theme song. This shock came a day after the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Thousands of Canadians watched what turned out to be the last broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada for this season and, apparently, the last time the popular theme song could air with the program. As of right now, the online story has 415 comments, almost all of them very negative about CBC's decision to drop the current theme that, for so many Canadians, is considered to be a second national anthem. Only hours after the first story, CBC.ca published a contradictory article to the first one, reporting that a new deal with the theme's composer is still possible. It will be interesting to see whether next season's first HNIC broadcast will use the traditional theme or feature a new, and highly unwanted, one. I, of course, can't imagine tuning in to watch HNIC on a Saturday night without hearing the old, familiar tune.
Watch a HNIC intro that first interviews star Canadian players from the six Canadian teams and then goes into the highly-revered song.
This afternoon, Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie was granted a conditional placement on the Olympic team. Later, Canadian gymnast Kyle Shewfelt was also conditionally placed on the team. In honour of their almost assured spots on Team Canada for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, here are the clips of both athletes starring on the Rick Mercer Report. Laugh along as Rick learns to dive and tries on an Olympic gold medal!
For more wonderfully entertaining Rick Mercer videos, click here. The 5th season starts June 10!
If you haven't done so already, check out the video on Bryn's May 26 post. We both were watching Sunday's Memorial Cup final on TV when the unfortunate accident occurred and, after about 15 seconds of complete shock, we found it exceedingly amusing. Monday evening after work, I turned on CBC to watch the start of the Stanley Cup final around a minute before the scene in the following video took place. This time there was no shock, only utter glee! See for yourself.
