WHOSE Game Is It? All doubt has been removed, Hockey is CANADA’s Game!
(D2N) – To borrow a line from what has become my favourite Coke commercial, our Olympic hockey teams have let the whole world know just “who’s game they’re playing”; with a Gold medal as proof, there is no doubt…….hockey is officially Canada’s game!
The 2010 Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team won gold last Thursday when they defeated the US 2-0. And after a thrilling, but nerve-wracking game on Sunday night, the Canadian men’s team also soared to victory, winning the Gold medal and securing a place in Olympic history. It was the eighth Gold medal ever for Canadian men’s Olympic hockey, and it was the first Gold medal for the men since the Canadians defeated the US on American soil at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. But better still; it was the very first time a Canadian Gold medal was won on Canadian soil in the entire history of Olympic men’s hockey.
I have a confession to make, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games were really the first hockey games I had ever watched and actually tried to understand. But as I sat in front of the television with my husband and my eleven year old son as the puck dropped, I quickly felt myself getting drawn into the competitiveness of the sport. It wasn’t long before I found myself stomping my feet and hollering at the top of my lungs, cheering for “my” team players as they raced up the ice with the puck and tried to score each important goal. Like a junkie who gets addicted to their first “hit”, I was hooked on hockey with the very first game I watched.
And I am sure I was only one among many who found themselves up on their feet and screaming on Sunday night, sure of victory as the men’s Canadian team played out the last minute of the regular game. Like most fans, I was certain the victory and a gold medal were only seconds away for the Canadian boys. The shock hit me hard as the Americans scored the game-tying goal with only mere seconds left in the last period. When that happened, I stopped short, looked at my husband, and said bluntly, “well now, that definitely sucks doesn’t’ it?” I could not believe what had happened! As the clock counted down the last minute, I had been so sure it was a done deal and that a Gold medal was only seconds away – when the Americans scored that last goal, I am sure I stood looking at the television screen for a full ten seconds, trying to wrap my brain around what had just taken place. Not only had I quickly learned how exciting and thrilling the game of hockey can be, but in that instant, I also got a fast lesson about the letdown that can accompany the game of hockey as well.
As the game went into overtime, with officials allotting a full 20 minutes for the teams to break the 2-2 tie, I thought back to the first time I had ever seen Sidney Crosby. His mom, Trina, had brought him into the office where I worked with his dad, Troy; Sidney couldn’t have been more than three years old at the time. It didn’t take long back then to see how incredibly proud Troy was of his little boy; with his dark hair and infectious smile, Sidney was absolutely adorable. I can still picture the coffee cup Troy had at his desk with Sidney’s picture on it – if my memory serves me correctly; the little guy was posing in his hockey gear! So it was equally exciting for me to watch the Olympic hockey games simply because Sidney was part of them.
My own sons, twins, are only a few years older than Sidney, and so when they outgrew their first pairs of skates, Troy bought one pair for Sidney; I brought a pair into the office for him to take home and try on his son. The following day Troy approached me and asked if I wouldn’t mind bringing in the other pair of skates I had at home. No, there was nothing wrong with the skates, ……the problem was, that I had brought Troy two skates for the same foot! That may have explained why my twins had never taken to skating with much success. Unfortunately, and as bad as it may sound, I had not realized that there was a right and a left foot when it came to boy’s hockey skates! That has been nearly twenty years ago, but it’s one of those little things I’ll never forget – it’s a memory that I chuckle over every time it crosses my mind.
When Sidney shot the puck between US Goalie Ryan Miller’s legs and scored the winning goal for Canada on Sunday night, seeing his reaction and the look on his face as he realized what he had just done, well, for an instant the young hockey hero looked exactly like the cute little boy I remembered as he threw off his gloves and leaped up and down with glee. His excitement was contagious, and once again I found myself up on my feet and hollering right along with all of the spectators at Canada’s Hockey Place who witnessed live, the goal that will be remembered for years to come.
How many people have wished “hindsight was foresight”? Me for one. I remember Troy always telling me I should put my sons into hockey, and I remember just as clearly my response; I told him there was “no amount of money in the world” that could ever make me sit my behind in a cold rink at five o’clock in the morning, just so my children could chase a little piece of rubber up and down a sheet of ice. Boy oh boy, if ever there were words I’d like to eat, those are them. Yup, admittedly, Troy got the last laugh there, in fact it’s probably more like a few million laughs!
Seriously, it’s really nice to see Sidney succeed on the level he has; I have no doubt that his dad should be commended for doing such a great job in guiding his son and supporting him as Sidney pursued his passion for the sport of hockey. It’s no secret, hockey is in Sidney’s blood, and Troy and Trina were definitely supportive and encouraging of their child’s interest in the sport, even at such a young age. It truly warms my heart to know how it all turned out in the end.
I confess, Sidney’s success has been a valuable “lesson learned” for me – I was very quick to put my youngest son into football as soon as he showed an interest last year. I think it’s a good deal; at least there are no cold rinks to get to at 5a.m.! The frequent rainstorms were a bit of a nuisance, but nothing a rain-suit and rubber boots didn’t handle, as I sat cheering from the bleachers with water running down my face. No, I may not have a Wayne Gretzky or a Sidney Crosby living under my roof, but that’s okay, I’d settle nicely for an Emmitt Smith or a Jerry Rice….yup, that would suit me just fine for sure.