32 Olympic Hours in Canada - Part 3

In February 2010, I spent 32 hours in Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. I will remember it forever, but incase the details get fuzzy, I thought I better document it. Team Canada beat the USA in the gold medal game on a overtime goal but Sidney Crosby and the country went crazy. I went to watch a hockey game, but ended up with an experience that meant much much more.

Here is Part 3 of my story.

Post game party

As I exit the Arena, I can hear the street party in the distance. Many start to turn towards it anxious to join the revelry. But I am not 25 anymore and I seek a different plan. I head to Molson Canadian House - a massive tent that Molson has put up for privileged guests and the hockey elite. It was $1500 to get in to watch the game there, but I figure i must give it a shot.

When I get here security is tight. I try to sneak in with a large crowd , but passes are being checked carefully and I am turned away. I try to scalp a ticket, but someone wants $2000 another guy wants $1500. Thats too much! I can find a street party for less. But the whole thing looks very cool and I regroup to come up with a plan to get in. I start to case the building. 15 minutes later, I become discouraged, the permitter is pretty air tight. Just then, an opportunity jumps right at me. A side door is opened and a guy in a Scott Niedermayer jersey props the door to get a better cell signal.  This is my pass from Ignila. I know I must shoot immediately. I head confidently to the door, skip over a hedge and eyeball the guy at the door. I stride straight in and he gives me a fist pump as I enter the inner sanctum. He pats me on the back and I simply say "Go Canada Go".

I'm in huge white tent. 50 large screen TVS, gourmet buffet, white clothed circular tables, and a huge Molson Canadian bar. I feel a little sheepish like security is going to grab me, but I put on my inner Vic Burt and act like I own the place. Straight to the bar, I go. I am slapping people on their back and high fiving. The game has been over for more than an hour, but the euphoria has not died down, I grab the bartender's attention and see that many people are drinking Bloody Marys. I decide to go with the flow and order one. Extra spicy. But as I ordered it I realize I have almost blown my cover.. There are no Bloody Marys in Canada, its Bloody Caesars with clamato juice. I cringe and the bartender corrects me, but no one moves to seize my passport or hail me a a faux Canadian...so the crisis passes.

I turn to my right and see a familiar face, but I can't quite place it. Could it be? I think it is...Paul freaking Coffey. I am almost sure, I see others gawking and realize that I am right, I introduce myself and we have a chat. He looks like he could play today. Sh*t, if Chelios is coming back, I tell him he should lace them up again.

Man, could this be more perfect? Olympic games. Row 23 in the corner where Crosby scores from. An overtime win. The national anthem. Now free drinks with Paul Coffey. I am in hockey heaven.

I hang in the inner sanctum for an hour or so tossing back Caesars and meeting happy Canadians. I realize I am in the friends and family section of the Molson Canadian house. There are many celebrities in here. It is used as quiet area to eat and drink away from the big party. The big party is in the adjacent tent and I can hear the rock music emanating from he entrance door. But they are checking badges there and I am sadly without one. The inner sanctum is nice, but its pretty calm and genteel and I need to move to the big tent. I befriend some passholders and while we revel in the game recap, I rope them into my plan to get into the party tent. When Paul Coffey enters the big tent, it creates a diversion and I sneak in. I hear someone calling for my pass, but I do not stop. I hit the crowd and there are 5000 or so people screaming and singing to rock music.

The place is wild. Its like a red and white volcano erupted. Everyone is dancing and singing and drinking. Men are high fiving, women are hugging, the dance floor is jammed, the bar is lined up five deep. Beers are $10 but no one cares. People are buying trays full of them. I  try to get to bar, but someone just hands me a beer and thumps on the chest where the Henderson autograph adorns my jersey.

There are huge 100 foot screens showing Olympic highlights. They appear to be rolling a loop of every Canadian gold medal winner and as each appears on screen, the crowd goes crazy. When they show Crosby's goal, the crowd cheers like they saw it for the first time. The Molson Canadian hostesses in tight dresses are there to help anyone and there is a a line of drunken guys swarming over them to get pictures. 

The atmosphere is electric. Its the best party of my life. Every time I go to bar, someone hands me a beer. I meet new friends, I tell them my story and they tell me theirs. We talk hockey, Canada, Vancouver and the Olympics. Its like a family reunion with Team Canada as the theme. Chants frequently breakout. My favorite is "14 gold, 14 gold". Canada wins the gold medal count. A country with with just 35 million people! Its pretty amazing. All the crap about how unCanadian this "Own the Podium" is forgotten now. We have won the most gold medals. The USA wins the total medal count and that in and of itself is pretty impressive. North America has dominated these games.

Later they project the closing ceremony on the big screen and we are all able to watch the ceremony from the comfort of the giant party room. It looks cool, but I am only half interested. The interpretive dance numbers are not really fitting the mood at Molson Canadian house.

They interrupt the closing ceremonies to bring on a special guest. Roberto Luongo comes on stage and does an interview. The crowd goes crazy. Alot of Vancouver people are here and on top of being a hero today, he is their Canuck and while he is taking you can barely hear because the crowd is chanting Lou.

When Luongo leaves, they cut back to the closing ceremony and they are into the speeches. I take a break from the bar to shuffle close to a speaker and listen.

Next time I look up on screen, the CEO of the games is on. Usually this is a boring speech that no one cares about, but I hear something of interest.

He says: "The time has come to say goodbye, to say thank you. And to perhaps compare for a moment the Canada that was, with the Canada that now is. I believe we Canadians tonight are stronger, more united, more in love with our country and more connected with each other than ever before. These Olympic Games have lifted us up. "

"The Canada that was, with the Canada that now is"?! The speech brings a tear to my eye. I wonder whether he is right. I have been in country less than 24 hours, but it certainly seems a different country. Proud, patriotic and at times brash. It has thrown an incredible games and the city and region has shown well. Canadians seems comfortable in their role as hosts, but also winners. The few mistakes are shoved aside and the positive has been focused on. I wonder if the CEO is right, I wonder if these games could help change Canada.  I think that a single event is not likely to make a permanent change, but I think its  a step and it is a positive one. I mean that “Own the Podium thing is something that  I just freaking love. I believe in setting goals high and shooting to reach them. One need not be ashamed  or be viewed as negatively simply because they aspire to the best. Indeed its the opposite, I don't want my kids thinking that they should not strive to be the best. No one is the USA would accept anything else, and I think it is a big step forward for Canada. I hope they double the funding for it.

Michael J. Fox comes on the screen "My name is Mike and I am Canadian. Now I have lived in the States for 30 years but I will always think of Team Canada as my home team....if I am watching the US and Canada play hockey, I am sorry I am wearing the Maple Leaf on my sweater". He says some other stuff, but  I don't hear because the tears are flowing freely from me now. Michael J. Fox has captured my feelings and the feelings of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who live in the USA. We love  our adopted country, but not at the expense of  our native land. We love both countries and we don't want to choose one over another. Canada and the USA are countries of shared values and we are rarely in competition or in dispute. Our similarities, vastly outnumber our differences and as such we don't have to choose. But when it comes to hockey we are competitors and we will always choose Canada, no matter how long we lives stateside. I am not sure why these words touch me so much, but they do. Its been along time since I felt this way about Canada, but I realize now as I stand in party room of 5000 that while you can take the boy out of Canada, but you can't take the Canada out of the boy.

I miss my family badly right now. This had ended up being more than a hockey game. Its been an experience that I want to share with them and I am  suddenly very sad that they didn't come. When Beverly decided not to come, it seemed to makes sense. Given her general hockey interest, the dollar tradeoff seemed an easy one. But now I realize what  a big mistake it was for me to come alone. I didn't come to a hockey game, I  came to a celebration of Canada. This experience has been awesome, but I realize it would have been 100 times better with her. I check my phones. I brought two, but was having serious battery issues. The Nexus One’s battery is dead, too many photos. I didn't fully charge the Blackberry last night, but I turn it on and see that I have enough battery to call home. I call and talk to everyone. They watched the game and are excited. We talk, but I can't convey the experience over the phone. Nonetheless, its good to talk to them. I stop crying, but the emotions and/or the beer are starting to be overwhelming.

By the time I head back inside, the closing ceremonies are over and the band is on stage. It’s a local band called the Odds. Apparently they are very big and the crowd goes crazy. I join in the craziness, but its a little like a News Years Eve party after midnight. Maybe I am too old to party all night long, so I step back and enjoy it. People have hockey sticks on the dance floor and signs are passed around that say "Hockey is Canada's game!."

The band winds down and its time for me to get out of here. Its around midnight and I need to be up at 4am to get to the airport.  People are spilling out on every street. The games are over, but these people don't want to let it end. I roam the streets, grab a slice of pizza and a Big Gulp sized soda. People are offering me beer or drinks, but I just want to talk hockey and Canada.

About 2 am, I check into the hotel. Its a like a travel lodge and the two star rating is clearly generous. There is not much staff at the hotel, but as I slide in the front door, I see a man of Indian descent at the front desk. He flashes me a smile and says "Go Canada Go".

Two hours later, I grab a cab and head back to San Francisco, secure in the knowledge that I have two homes.

32 Olympic Hours in Canada - Part 2.

In February 2010, I spent 32 hours in Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. I will remember it forever, but incase the details get fuzzy, I thought I better document it. Team Canada beat the USA in the gold medal game on a overtime goal but Sidney Crosby and the country went crazy. I went to watch a hockey game, but ended up with an experience that meant much much more.

Here is Part 2 of my story.

The Game

12:15 The puck drops. Canada has the better of the play in the opening minutes , but  the game is pretty even and despite the frenzied crowd, there is no opening punch landed by the home team.

1st period; 4 minute mark

Team USA tries jamming the puck in the side and Luongo get knocked off the post. The puck flips over his pad and lays on goal line. But it does not go in. I start thinking about how important first goal will be.

1st period: 13 minute mark

Goal!!!!! Canada. Toews bangs a rebound into an open net. The crowd goes wild. Its  good feeling, First goal. Miller is not invincible. Lets keep pressing.

The period ends 1-0 for Canada. Solid period . One goal, it could have had more. Luongo was a little shaky with puck handling, but made some solid saves. I grab another beer, mix with the rockus crowd and back to my seat.

Period 2:

Two Canadian penalties early and one American, but the penalty killing s better than powerplays. No damage to either side.

8 minute marks into Period 2:

Canada scores another. 2-0!!!!! Corey Perry grabs a loose puck and sends a powerful wrist shot past Miller. Canada is in control now.

There are US scoring chances , but nothing great. Canadian momentum starts to build. If we can get one more, this could be over.

A few minutes after its 2-0. Shea Weber drills a slapshot from  the point that is labeled for the corner. Its a high enough off the ice to avoid the pads, but low enough that is hard to catch, but Miller has perfect position. I noted that he keeps the gloves low and his perfect position saves the game here as he snags the puck that most goalies miss. Its still 2-0. It makes me nervous. We can put the game away now, but Miller won’t let us.

2nd Period; 13 mins in.

USA scores. A bit of  cheap one. I watch on replay and see it was deflected. Tough play for Luongo, but its a strange goal and it looked close to offside. (Later we find out the play was offside.) But the game is back on. It is a one goal difference and while we have had a distinct advantage in 2nd period, we are back where started.

USA uses the momentum of the goal to create even more. They buzz the Canadian end and Luongo makes the best saves of the game for him. The can't get the equalizer and Canada gets back on its feet in final three minutes. Stall get two great chances in final couple of minutes, but Miller stones him. Sh*t. A goal in the final minutes would certainly help.

End of 2nd period

Despite being up 2-1, you have to feeling like the period was a lost opportunity. We had many more chances, but still lead by only one. On the other hand, the USA scoring chances have been limited and one goal lead seems decent, if not safe.

The crowd is edgy in between periods. The game is closer than we would like and despite being 20 minutes from gold, there are more nervous smiles in the beer line than there are fist pumps.

Period 3:

I hope we don't try to sit on this lead. I hope we come out firing. I think we need at least one more to claim gold.

Canada comes out firing. Pronger hits the right post and Weber the left post. Damn! Miller had no chance on either, but it won’t go in. Canada buzzes the Americans for first five minutes, but can't light the lamp.

The Americans weather the storm and soon Babcock changes the strategy

We are going to try an and win 2-1. One forechecker only, two men in the neutral zone. Play the trap. Dump the puck in if opposed, avoid turnovers and play very short shifts.

It is working. No one really likes it, but they are playing it well. No breakdowns, no glorious scoring opportunities for USA. But we have no chance to score. We won’t carry the puck into their zone and we won't cycle low in their offensive zone for fear we will get caught up ice.

Time goes faster than I thought, but at five minutes, it starts to slow down. We freeze the puck at every opportunity and change lines. We try to win the draw and hang on. Before long there are two minutes left and then 1:17. Miller goes to the bench and its six versus five.  The dynamic changes right away. The Americans with the extra attacker are playing with the fear of silver. They move with an urgency we haven’t yet seen. They are getting to the loose pucks first. Preventing the Canadians from getting clean possessions and they start to win the battle . With 40 seconds left a shot comes from the point that is too high. Luongo goes to catch it, but he drops it . Amazing. It was a easy catch. The puck drops harmlessly to the ice and while the mistake is not initially fatal, the Canadian defence compound the error by failing to get the puck out of the zone. The Americans keep it it in and send it back deep in the zone. They struggle behind the net and then get it out front. A shot on goal, a rebound and then boom Zach Parise whacks it home. Oh, the horror!!!! 24 seconds left and the Americans tie it up. Parise is jumping like a mad man and it pisses me off. Its just tied! Take it easy.

For the first time I see the American fans truly stand and cheer. The Vince Vaughn booth is going crazy. A whole section of Americans is going crazy. The damn Russians beside me are cheering too. Damn, Damn!!! 24 freaking seconds.. The Canadian fans are in shock. Moments ago we shared nervous smiles and counted the minutes down. Now, we can't look at one another. We stare at our feet and then the clock. 24 seconds from gold. Now we are tied! We watch the replay. All I can think of is: how did Luongo not catch that puck? Damn! This is scary.

We get to the end of the period. Its time to regroup. No one is exactly sure of the rules. 5 minute overtime? 10? 20? What is it? Is there a intermission? Yes, they make an announcement 20 minute overtime, but a regular 15 minute intermission first. We stumble toward the concession and bathrooms. We mumble to one another, but no one hears each other. We get out there and the concessions are closed. Not just the beer, everything! There is nothing to do. No solace in a beer, not even a Coke. Everyone lines up at the bathroom, but I shuffle over to the souvenir store. The girl running the store has two boxes on the counter. I ask her what's in them? She says one box of red shirts that says Team Canada gold medal hockey winner; the other blue shirts that says Team USA gold medal hockey winner. I  laugh and tell her, she can put the blue box away, it won't be needed. But as I say it I wonder why I am so confident. I mean I know we can lose, a bad bounce could kill our dreams and yet I think we will win. It’s a bit irrational. Most things are going their way. The underdog has hung with the favorite. They scored late, so late that the podiums were almost on the ice. Canada has been playing defense for the last ten minutes and will now need to flip the switch. Plus they have Miller. While Luongo has been better than solid, he has to be in there wondering about an easy catch that he did not make! The American have every reason to be optimistic and hell they may be the favorites now. So why am I feeling so confident. I settle on two reasons. First, my eyes tell me we are the better team. I have watched these two teams pay 120 minutes and while we lost game 1 and are tied here, we have had many more scoring opportunities than them. Our defense has been solid and we have not allowed that many scoring chances. Secondly, I think I am confident because of our history in international play. The truth is we have won the close ones, 1972, 1984, 1987, 2002.  When we lose we have lost badly 2006, 1998, or even  in 1974 with those WHA guys. We have won the close ones and I think we will win another.

Overtime

The crowd seems to agree with me. They are loud and Canada comes out strong. No more of that neutral zone trap stuff. Its 4 on 4 hockey and we are going for it. We get some early chances , but nothing too spectacular and the nerves start to build. Its called sudden death for a reason. One mistake and its over, Sudden death is the right name. Some politically correct idiots wanted to change it to sudden victory, but for those who have experienced it, they know that sudden death is the right phrase. Losing in OT hurts more than anything. One minute you can win and the next second it is over and you have lost. No second chance, no redo. The refs just skate off the ice and it is over. I remember losing once in minor hockey. I was beaten on freak deflection and the other team went wild right in front of me. I remember the kids creating a huge pile in front of me as they cheered and more players poured over the bench to jump on. Then their damn coaches jumped on the pile too and some parents came out and took some damn pictures. Man that was bad! The bile rises in my throat just thinking about that experience. We can't let that happen here. I mean Vince Vaughn will be on the damn ice taking pictures with his smartphone.

The game goes on and the atmosphere is incredibly tense  No fan is sitting in my section. Overtime in hockey is the best in any sport. Every time you have the puck you can win or lose. If you create a scoring opportunity and convert you are hero. But if you are too greedy and create a turnover, then they race the other way and you can be a goat. Its not like that in any other sport. In football they shuffle down the field until they are close enough for a  field goal and then anticlimactically boot it. It basketball there is no sudden death, In baseball, even if the visitors score, they have to defend. When the home team is at bat, they can only win. They cannot lose while at the plate. Its another thing that makes hockey great. With the gold medal on the line, it is really too tense to breathe.

Just as I think that, Canada turns it over in its own end and Pavelski has the puck in the clear. He fires a hard shot at Luongo. Luongo handles it easily and the threat is averted. Thank god, we don't want to lose on a bad turnover.

Shortly after that, Crosby comes to the ice with Iginla. With 4 on 4, this is our best duo by far. Crosby gathers the puck in his own zone and mounts an attack. The Americans lay back in the neutral zone, but he is too fast. He averts one, then a second defender. He is half way around the third , when the fourth knocks the puck off his stick and the Americans breathe a sigh of relief. But they make a crucial error. They leave Crosby unguarded and Iginla fights for the puck and is able to slip a pass back to Crosby. He is open and clear at the face off circle. This is happening in milliseconds but I see that the pass will connect with him and figure that he will head to the goal all alone.  But he surprises me and apparently Miller too. He shoots immediately, even before the puck gets completely to him. It’s so fast I can't see it. But before I see the puck in the net, I see Miller’s shoulders slump and then Crosby raises his arms and stick. "It's in!, Its in!, Its in". I am screaming and jumping! The crowd goes crazy! People are leaping all over one another. I try to concentrate on the aftermath. Crosby throws his stick and gloves off and the Canadian team barrels on top of them just like the ten year kids I talked about earlier. I check on Miller and see he is skating slowly to the bench. His head is down, he is not looking back at the pile of Canadians. I can't help but feel bad for him. He carried a team and a nation on his back for two weeks and it is over in a millisecond.

Post Game

I scan the crows and people are insane. Flags are emerging in the hundreds, shouts and screams and tears are frequent. It is indeed OUR GAME and while it was close, it is OUR GOLD.

The players start to line up for the medal ceremony. Carpets, podiums are rolled out. The crowd is still going crazy. No one has had a drink in the last hour, but you would not know it. On the ice, they start the medal ceremony and the Americans get the silver first. I know how they feel, they don't want a silver medal now. Everyone of them has competed at the highest  levels for the entire life. Many will say this team overachieved and will only get better, but they came to win and silver will only be solace when they have grandchildren. When Miller gets his medal. the crowd roars its approval. Every Canadian cheers loudly for him and again I am proud. Its not that we are just polite and kind, its that we recognize hockey greatness when we see it. Miller was it.

The medals start for the Canada. They are lined up by number and thus Roberto Luongo is first. The crowd gives it traditional "Lou" chant and he smiles to crowd with the biggest grin you could ever imagine. The pressure is over for him. He withstood it and played very well. He made one bad mistake, but it did not cost the gold and  given the crushing presure he was under, I am happy for him. His name will go down with some great Canadian goaltenders of international hockey fame: Esposito, Dryden, Parent, Roy, Broduer....its a pretty good list to be on.

The rest of the Canadians get their medals and as it comes towards the end, we can see the crescendo building. Crosby wears 87, the highest number on the team and thus he will be last to get the gold. They are placing the medals on the players and then announcing their names, but when the get to Crosby, the cheer is so loud and so sustained that the announcer cannot be heard. They pause and don't put the medal on his neck. Canada's newest legend acknowledges the crowd with the grace and humility of those that have walked before him. He reminds of young Gretzky now. He is raising his stick to acknowledge the crowd and smiling like no one else. The goal enters him into the pantheon of Canadian hockey greats. With a cup last year and now this. He can't be Sid the Kid any longer, he has made it. This goal with rank either second or third on all time Canadian history. Henderson's goal will always be first.  Lemieux in 1987 was  thing a beauty and importance that you thought would always be second. But with this one coming in overtime to claim Canada’s 14th gold on home ice....well, it might just be second.

I also think of how he must be feeling. It is the dream of every Canadian boy to do what he just did. It has played out hundreds of thousands of times all across Canada every year. In the rink, on the pond ,in street hockey, and in basements where your Mom tells you not to use hockey sticks. We all dream that dream: score tied, the puck comes free to you. He shoots, He scores. Four words that every Canadian child knows. HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES!

So for Sidney Crosby, the mega dream comes true. He Shoots, He scores!  Crosby scores for Canada!!!! If most American boys grow up dreaming of the walk off home run or the winning touchdown, then its certain that every Canadian boy dreams of the moment that Crosby just had. Wow...its almost too much.

And now the Canadian national anthem. The flag is raised and the crowd is singing loud and strong. At Maple Leaf or BlueJay games, you might have 25% of the audience singing the national anthem in a quiet voice. But not now. We are arm in arm, draped in flags singing the anthem loud and proud. " O' Canada, our home and native land..."

The anthem finishes and the crowd continues to go crazy. No one has left. Except those Russians beside me. The players grab a big flag and skate on the ice with it. Its awesome! They take some pictures and acknowledge the crowd and they linger, not wanting to leave. The crowd is the same. And while we all know we have a party to go make happen, we can't leave ours seats. We know they we are some of the privileged few to see this live and we like the players want to make it last forever.

NEXT UP: Post Game Party

32 Olympic Hours in Canada - Part 1

In February 2010, I spent 32 hours in Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. I will remember it forever, but incase the details get fuzzy, I thought I better document it. Team Canada beat the USA in the gold medal hockey game on a overtime goal by Sidney Crosby and the country went crazy. I went to watch a hockey game, but ended up with an experience that meant much much more.

Pre-Trip

I wanted to take the family up to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, but I just didn’t get my act together. Jason was freshman baseball player at SI, Rachel was busy at school, Steven was just 6, so we just didn’t make it happen. But I still harbored the idea that I could make it up there. If the Canadians could make a run in hockey, I will try to talk Bev into going with me.

Team Canada started slowly, lost to the US in the preliminary round and did not even get a bye into the qualifying round. But the team rounded into shape, beat Germany easily in the qualification round and then hammered a very good Russian Team 7-3 to make it to the semifinals. At the same time Sweden was upset by Slovakia, so Canada would be huge favorites to make it to the gold medal game.

I made a plan. I checked the flights from SFO to YVR and started to scope tickets. I had a buddy staying in Vancouver, who had offered his living room floor as accommodations, so there was a chance I could pull this off.

I checked with Bev and while she was initially game for this epic adventure, there were hurdles. We would have to find some place for three kids; we would have to belly up for about $8K for tickets and she didn’t share my enthusiasm for sleeping on someone’s floor. In the end Bev felt those hurdles were too high, but she says “You can go by yourself”. Really?!!! Going with Bev would be way better, but a solo effort would also work. I thought about it for 2 minutes and then made the decision. A solo mission, it would be. If Team Canada would win on Friday night, I would jump a plane on Saturday and see them play for the gold on Sunday.

Friday night - February 26

We are huge favorites. I am making my plans, but I don’t want to jinx anything, so I do not book any travel or buy the ticket.

Canada takes 3-0 lead over Slovakia! There is no way we can lose a three goal lead to them, is there? So I book a plane ticket to Vancouver and I begin perusing the online marketplaces to get the gold medal game ticket. But then the unthinkable happens, Slovakia scores once; then twice; the game is close. Team Canada goes into a defensive shell and the Slovaks buzz the Canadian net. I can’t believe it, we are about to blow this lead. The trip is imperiled!!!  But somehow we hold on, Canada wins 3-2. We are going for gold and I am heading to Vancouver.

Saturday - February 27

I awake early to finalize the Olympic plan. I try to enlist a few others to join, but they are faint of heart or wallet...so this trip is back to a solo effort. 

My friends Scott Goodhew and Vic Burt give me G2 on the Vancouver situation and point the way to the ticket. VANOC Fan to fan exchange is the best source for tickets.  Twenty three rows up in the corner behind  Canadian Goal- $3000. Pricey, but its a once in a life time opportunity and I don’t hesitate to hit “Buy”.

I am on a 8pm flight, I will get there about midnight, connect with my buddy Scott and be ready for the game.

Jason had baseball, Rachel had basketball on Saturday. I do my fatherly duties, but my heart is not in it, I can only think Team Canada.

I pack the bags. I don't need much for a 32 hour trip.  I have a lot of the requisite red and white - shirts, hats, sweatshirts. They all get packed. I pause and look at my Team Canada ‘72 Paul Henderson replica jersey. Its autographed and a collectors item. It’s not something you wear, but then I figure that its been gathering dust for 10 years in the closet and the decision is easy. Ryan Miller is one tough nut and we need any "Henderson karma" that the jersey may bring.

I go to the United Airlines website at about 3pm and it won’t let me check in. I start to sweat. Wait, I have made a huge mistake! Somehow I booked the 8am flight and not the 8pm flight! Yikes, the trip is again in peril.  I check the websites I can still make the 8pm flight, but here are only first class seats left and they are $1600. This is not a good sign.

I call United. I am on hold forever and have a full sweat going!

United airlines comes through with a solution! Unbelievably, United airlines takes pity on my stupidity. Not sure how it happened, but we are back on. Financial damage is limited to a re-booking fee. I am happy, but a little shaken up. A surgical solo mission to a gold medal hockey game needs more focus. I can't afford any more mistakes, there is no margin for error. 

I head to airport early because I am freaked out about the booking mistake. I have checked the confirmation and flight time about 100 times, then I jump in cab and I am off. 

Traffic jam and accident on the 101 and we are stopped!! I can't believe this, I have time, but my fears are not rational. I start issuing instructions to the cab driver to drive on the shoulder. I offer him the money to pay for ticket if we get caught. He looks at me like I am a madman, but just as we get into it, we see the accident and realize it not too bad. We proceed as planned. I make the flight and settle into the seat. Plane ride is smooth and I land in Vancouver at 11:00pm. Airport has had a huge facelift and looks great.

I go to customs and get the usual dour and serious agent. Here is the exchange:

Customs Agent: "Canadian Citizen?"

Me: "Yes"

Customs Agent: "US Resident?"

Me: "Yes"

Customs Agent: How long will you be in Canada?

Me: "Just one day. Just for the game."

Customs Agent: ( Does not look up.) "Who you cheering for?"

Me: "Canada, sir. No question about that!"

Agent: "I will let you in then...Go Canada Go!" (He even cracks a smile)

Me: "Go Canada Go"

I remember why I love Canada. The smile is a great omen. These agents never smile or make small talk, but this is Canada and THIS IS HOCKEY.  Everyone knows how big this is. There are no rules. Go Canada Go. It's the first time I hear it on the trip and I will hear it another million times. On this day, if you meet a stranger on the street, you don't say "hello". You don't say “how are you.” You say “Go Canada Go.”

12:00 Midnight February 27

Cabbie gets me downtown to Yaletown where I will meet Scott. Something is happening out there. I expected the city to be a party, but not this big. Every bar is lined up and a lot of people are just drinking in the streets. Everyone is in red and white and Canadian flags are everywhere. I roll down the back window of the cab and hear: “Go Canada Go.” Its a chant. The game is still 13 hours away, but the city is clearly ready.

I meet Scott at his rented apartment and he has a Molson Canadian ready for me. Nice touch. Scott’s wife Beth who I haven’t really seen to in 20 years and always considered me a bad influence, surprises me and suggests we hit the bars.

12:30 We get a beer at a local bar/restaurant. The real bars are too jammed to get in. We watch curling highlights (not kidding) and Kevin Martin from Canada gets the gold. Most everyone else in the place seems to have been there all night or maybe all day and all night. Amazing how drunk people look when you are on your second beer.

3:00am: Back at the apartment, I need to get some rest, but the anticipation of the game and its implications keep me awake. I replay the big moments in Canadian International hockey and reflect on its importance to the country. The 1972 Summit Series is 38 years ago, but it is still vivid in the country’s memory. I recall the Gretzky -Lemiuex goal at Copps Coliseum in 1987.  I  make a list of the great hockey legends of all time: The Rocket, Howe, Hull, Beliveau, Orr, Esposito, Lafleur, Bossy, Gretzky. Lemiuex. I settle for those as my top ten. I know there are Russians that belong on this list too…Kharlamov, Fetisov, Tretiak, Federov, maybe or maybe not? Should Jagr make the list…Stasny? Fosberg? I conclude that they should not…I mean I don’t have Messier of Coffey on my great Canadian list. I think about Americans that should be on the list and settle that Mike Modano would be the only one who could come close. And lets face it, he couldn’t carry Gretzky’s jockstrap.

 GAME DAY

7:00 am Awake and ready to go. I grab the maps and plot the morning: Canadian Breakfast, a locak newspaper and a Canadian beer. I need someplace with the right feel, then get down towards Hockey Canada Place and maybe a few more beer before game time. Scott says security is tight and lines long, so get there early.

8:00 am The city is awake and jammed already. Every bar is lined up 500 people long, Every guy is wearing a team Canada jersey. Every woman is in red and there are enough people with face and body paint to approximate a Monday Night Football game in Green Bay. On Granville street, a group of guys have an awesome game of street hockey going. Real nets, goalies with pads and masks…every one in red or white. Nothing looks more fun than that.

8:30 Breakfast spots are limited since every place is jammed, but I find a place and order the eggs and bacon. 
I devour the newspaper which has about 20 pages of game analysis. Every table is full with people wearing Team Canada jerseys. Most are replicas from this year, but there are lots of older versions too. My 1972 Henderson jersey is clearly the throwback style and with the autograph...it is certainly drawing many envious glances.  I am not sure  if the younger ones get it, but if they are over 45 they meet my eye, tap their chest or nod….they all know that the 1972 series can never be beat. As important as today is, it can never carry the import of Game 8 of the Summit Series.

9:30 Head to Arena. No sense looking for a bar, every one is lined up for blocks Just head down there and drink in the pre-game atmosphere. Security is tight and you need to circumnavigate the globe to get to the entrance, but when I get there I see that I am not alone. If you have a ticket, you are there early. Its too important to miss even a second of pre-game experience.

10:15 A bigger street hockey game is going just outside the entrance. This one is different. The police are playing with the pick up guys. Its cops versus guys in Team Canada jerseys. Not sure if they are on duty, but what the hell…its hilarious.

10:20 The ticket scalpers are out, but they are trying to buy them and not sell. I don’t think there will be many available today. Beside the scalpers, I see a man holding a sign above his head. It reads…” Our Game, Our Gold”.

It’s preprinted and it seems that his message is consistent with the mood in Canada today. Its not reserved or polite, it’s confident, and cocky. Perhaps its more than that, its entitled. It is our right to this game. And while it may be an entitled message, I don’t take this is a negative thing. It a right we have earned. A right earned by cradling and loving the game for so long. A right earned by fathers making ice rinks in the backyard. A right earned by mothers making hot chocolate for the boys so that they can stay outside and skate a little longer. A right earned by hundreds of 5 am practices. It’s a right earned because hockey is our predominate sport. Our best athletes don’t decide between football, baseball, basketball and hockey. They play hockey first and foremost. Sure we produce the occasional Jason Bay, Justin Morneau or  Steve Nash, but they are the needles in our haystacks of hockey players.  I think about the sign: ”Our Game, Our gold”  and think that it is "Our Game"...He is right about that and if there is any justice in the world today then it will also “Our Gold”.

10:30 – Head to gates. Looks like the Super Bowl. Perimeter security is about ½ mile from arena. Lines, frisks and scanners. I guess it has come to this. There were no scanners in 1972. The girl taking the tickets looks very young. I ask her how old she is and she tells me 19. She doesn't look  that old, but I do the mental math. That means she was born in 1991. Not only was she not alive for the epic Russian battles of the 70's, she wasn't even alive when Gretzky and Lemiuex combined on that masterpiece in 1987.

10:45 In arena now. They are selling 50/50 tickets just like they were raising money at a peewee hockey tournament. Only in Canada. Not sure who gets the money, but they are promising that the prize will likely be $50K to the winner. No one cares, they buy the tickets because its fun and reminds of their days in cold rinks as boys. No one wants $50K today. We want a win.

11:00 I check out the seat location. Its going to be good. In the corner just to right of the south end goal. I look up at the level 300 and am glad I spring for the extra cash to be lower. Quality is important today.

11:10 I grab a beer and look around. Not much to see. Fans are streaming in. If the city was 90% dressed in red and white then the arena has taken it up to 95%. I see an occasional USA blue but not many. I get a t-shirt and a new Canada hat to kill some time. They are auctioning hockey memorabilia here..some good stuff…but one pieces stands out.  A picture of Howe, Gretzky and Lemiuex walking down a snow covered lane. Hockey Legends. Hockey Royalty. I think about what other troika is so revered and can only come up with Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt.

11:35  Back to the seats for warmups. Team USA is out first, a couple of boos, but not really. There is no animosity towards Team USA. They are not the villains. But in hockey, they are Robin to our Batman.

Team Canada hits the ice and the crowd goes wild. They come to the ice with strength, size and speed. You can’t help but be impressed, indeed awed. These are the best of the best that Canada has to offer. They are professionals, each of them are millionaires now and win or lose they will head back to mansions and a life of luxury. But none of that matters now, they are wearing the Maple Leaf today and defending one thing that every Canadian is taught from birth…"We are the best at hockey."

11:45. The warm up continues. I watch the goaltenders. It is the position I played since the age of 8. I know the position best and while I haven’t played in 15 years, it is in my soul and I know it well. I watch USA’s Ryan Miller and I know what he is feeling. He is the hot goalie. Confidence courses through his veins right now. He may be the best in the game right now and clearly he has been the best in this tournament. His hands and feet are very fast. His butterfly position perfect. He gets there quick and covers the entire bottom of the net. His hands, especially his glove hand are low and covers even more. His fundamentals are awesome. More importantly, he knows he is hot and the Canadians know it too. He may be in their heads already, they may try to make the shot too perfect and miss in the process. Teams playing a hot goalie often make the extra pass and are afraid to shoot until they have a clear cut advantage and in that quest they give up good scoring opportunities. Miller knows all this and he is ready as they come. 

On the other end, I watch Luongo. He is huge, tall with with incredibly long arms. He reminds me of Ken Dryden who was the first big and tall goalie. Luongo looks good in warm ups too. But something seems not right about him. When he exits the net to let Brodeur take some shots, he bends over and almost doubles over. He does this repeatedly, like he is going to throw up. I ask the guy next to me, who is a Canuck’s fan if this is normal and he doesn’t know. It's got to be the way he deals with the pressure and I am not sure if this is his normal routine or whether today’s monumental game is getting to him. I know a little of the pressure that he is under. Every goalie does. We know two things for sure. If a goalie plays poorly, his team will almost certainly lose. On the other hand Luongo and all goaltenders know that if he plays brilliantly, this team will almost certainly win; And therein lies the crushing pressure of this position. Take the normal pressure, add the fact that Miller has been playing great; add the expectations of a nation and I can certainly imagine why he is doubled over. I hope he is ok.  If he does not play well, it may still be our game, but is will be their gold.

12:00 . The warm ups are over and they resurface the ice. I talk to my neighbors in the seats next to me. To my right are three people who drove down from Kelowna. A husband, his pregnant wife and her father. She is eight months pregnant and they tell me that they are thinking of calling the child Lou, after Roberto Loungo. Geesh...I hope they are just kidding. They are Canucks' fans and learned hockey people. To my right are two guys in Russian hockey jerseys . They speak Russian to each other and do not return my attempts to engage them, They wear scowls on their faces when the Canadian fans cheer and I realize they will be pulling for the Americans. At first, I am taken back by this. Russians cheering for Americans? What about the cold war? People cheering against Canada.. the home of the polite? But then I start to feel good about it. It supports our case...Our Game, Our Gold. Americans aren't offended by the brashness of that statement because the USA will never claim hockey as their game, but I am sure that Russia does. We in the Americas know precious little about how Russians feel about their hockey, but I am pretty sure they have spent as many nights skating on outdoor rinks as Canadians and rising early to get some precious icetime. The Russians won't cheer for the Canadians because we are the alpa dog in hockey, not the USA. We drubbed them in the quarterfinals and I only have to think back to 2006 to remember how we felt when the tables were turned. So the surly Russians make me feel good. Its good to be the brash favorite, rather than the polite underdog. They could have sold their tickets for $10K, but they forgo that just to see Canada lose. Its our job to make them regret that decision.

12:10 The ice is resurfaced and the crowd quiets for what is surely the last time. When the players return to ice, it is Canada who comes first and the crowd goes crazy. The arena is blaring the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". It builds slowly, but by the time the lyrics hit, the crowd is in a frenzy and the Canadian players are whipping around their half of the ice. The Americans come out and whatever noise the Americans make is drowned out by a feverish Canada crowd. The American crowd is led by Vince Vaughn who in a box with about 20 guys wearing blue sweatshirts. They are a blue island in an ocean of red. I have got to  give Vince props - an American invested in hockey. Win or lose, 99% of all American sports fans will be engrossed in college basketball an hour after this game. I get the idea Vince won’t be. He will be pissed if USA loses. He must have some Canadian in him.

Up next : The Game