Sweden gets the gold

Well, my family went dark on the internet for a week. It was also a week that had the best hockey I've seen in so short a period. Because of the wedding of Wolfkeeper and Holly, I've had the chance to meet so many of the posters on Wolfkeeper.org face to face. I watched great Olympic hockey, what did you guys watch?

On Sunday morning, during the great gold medal match, the three NBC guys were discussing hockey. Which is better NHL, or the Olympic/ World championships? They all agreed it was the NHL.

I had to think about this. The Olympics are a different animal than the Stanley Cup competition: a sprint versus a marathon. Wide-open play versus the compression of the North American rink. I lov this game, played both international style and North American style. Those differences are rubbing the right parts. There is an intensity to the play I've seen these past weeks that is not present in the Stanley Cup or Calder Cup races. I like the race to the finish in the NHL and AHL, but when you strip it all away, it's really about money. There is elan' in the Olympic tournament that is unmatched in the NHL.

For me, as a fan, I loved to watch Italy, even knowing it had no chance, in this tournament. Although I had no stake, I felt the intense emotions of the Finns as they lost this morning to the Swedes.

One of the reasons I followed the Finns was that Antero Nittymaki was in the goal. Of all the people on the ice against the Wolves last season, he is the person I was most deeply impressed by. I've never met the man, yet, he has continued to be short-changed by the Philadephia fans and the AHL media despite his key roll in defeating the Wolves Calder Cup campaign in 2005. And, I've identified with him as a result of the backhanded treatment he's received by Philadelphia fans and the AHL East Coast media.

If I hadn't followed the Wolves, a minor league team, Nittymaki wouldn't have shown up on my radar. I understand that hockey is Canada's real national sport. I hope the International Olympic Committee continues to support hockey and offer improvements. I'm so happy it has become my personal sports interest.