The Official Olympics Hockey Thread

[CJ]

The Sweden's line up seems so much better than Finland's. Not that it comes as a surprise - Sweden has as many defs as have have players in the NHL - but still, people in Finland think we stand somewhat equal chances against our neighbours.

I call bullsh*t.

Note: Mad because of a Liiga game.

But we always manage to get a medal that's why!

Haha, SaiPa lost, that's why?

[jesterx7769]

Finland was my underdog team this year but losing 3 centers is going to hurt. Or Barkov will be the tournament MVP.

[Primis]

What if he was not actually offered anything to stay at home and play college? Or not offered any role of significance. When you go back and look at rosters of the Michigan schools at the time..who are their centres? What was thought of them compared to Kes at the time? MAybe he had no choice but to go to OSU with Umberger to get some ice time.

But still...point is there maybe Sertich, Berenson and the other guy did not like Kesler as a player and he was not given what he felt was his just offer to play there??? I dunno.

Kesler played at the US National Team Development Program (the best of the best U18's and U17's are asked to play for it in the USHL, though then I believe it may have still been in the NAHL), which is based in... Ann Arbor, MI, just a few miles away from U. Michigan's campus. He was very much a known quantity at the time. Their U18 actually beat Ohio State (the NTDP teams regularly play NCAA teams) in a matchup the year before Kesler went to Ohio State.

http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/1076844.html

He could have gone anywhere, but he committed to Ohio State after the NTDP downed the Buckeyes in Columbus during October 2001.

“To make a decision like that not to go to Michigan when he’s from Michigan, that’s a big decision – to go to Ohio State and take on that burden, you know what I mean?” Markell said. “How he came about that decision I never knew nor did I care when he said, ‘I’m coming to Ohio State.’ Somehow he came to that decision, and that was great for us.”

There's very little to be found online about recruiting him though (understandable considering how long ago it was). Being in Ann Arbor though, the US NTDP tends to send a ton of kids to Michigan to play for Red Berenson. MSU struggled under Rick Comley to get NTDP kids, Berenson got most of them for a while. My understanding is that Tom Anastos at MSU now has got THREE commits coming in from there, which is a bit of a turn-around. Hockey recruiting is black magic compared to even football and hoops recruiting though.

At any rate... that's the Kesler story. Like I said, I'm an MSU fan, so to me personally I don't have the same level for him as UM fans would.

US sports is complicated though. And you're right batdad, there is a Michigan hockey culture that doesn't get talked about like Minnesota's does. There are magazines like MI Hockey Now that send reporters throughout the state to catch and cover games from high school on up to NHL. Hockey is not an afterthought here by any stretch, especially in the bigger cities that can support teams and rinks. And of course about half the state has access to a CBC affiliate and grew up watching HNiC and such (and curling.... which is how I came to like curling after watching it on CBC eons ago).

[batdad]

CUrling? You know what is good about curling? The Russian Olympic Women's team.

[Primis]

CUrling? You know what is good about curling? The Russian Olympic Women's team.

I actually went to the US Curling Nationals the year prior to Vancouver, I remember the Men's Final ended in one of the worst routs I've seen, the losing team conceded before the 8th end even IIRC. Seriously, I find it incredibly interesting. It's one of the few competitions that has actual strategy. I know it's not everyone's cup o' tea and I'm fine with that. I enjoyed watching thew Swiss women nearly blow it to the USA up by 3 in the last end yesterday.

That's why I like the Winter Games -- hockey and curling. I have yet to find equivalent compelling Summer Games events.


Anyhow, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

This period with no NHL *and* no men's hockey is fairly awful.

[philou21]

Curling is really interesting but only in the Olympics for me. The guy we had for Canada in the pass years, Martin I think, was a freaking machine. He's not there this year because he lost in a Canadian tournament or something. Those qualifications for doing the Olympics are stupid, he is way better than the guy we have at the moment.

[CJ]

It's my second favorite sport to watch after hockey in the Olympics.

[ForNever]

The Sweden's line up seems so much better than Finland's. Not that it comes as a surprise - Sweden has as many defs as have have players in the NHL - but still, people in Finland think we stand somewhat equal chances against our neighbours.

I call bullsh*t.

Note: Mad because of a Liiga game.

But we always manage to get a medal that's why!

Haha, SaiPa lost, that's why?

Yeah, our scoring sucks so bad and the players are just squeezing their sticks too hard... The shots tell everything about yesterday's game. But enough off topic.

[jesterx7769]

Dang Sweeden is looking good against a weak Czech team. My Gold medal pick is looking good so far That Dline of Karlson and OEL is nasty offensively.

[Kopi]

Guys, we have today our 1st game ever in olympics! We are huge underdogs but still very proud of our guys...just to let you know we have 150 registered hockey player of wich only 20 are full professionals. Not to mantion we have two rinks only...

[CJ]

Lol what a game. Finland - Austria 8-4. Some Finnish D-men didn't know what they were doing. And Rask didn't have a good game at all...

Good luck Kopi with your Slovenia.

[Peter_Doherty]

Just saw a couple of minutes of the first period in USA-SVK, is Orpik benched? if so, how is the pairings?

[Peter_Doherty]

Murica is looking super strong, kinda scary.

[Primis]

Murica is looking super strong, kinda scary.

I wish I'd known it was on early, I would have gotten up early to watch. USA does this once every tourney, they demolish someone. No big deal. It happens, I don't think it means they're a powerhouse necessarily.

Did anyone catch the game? I heard from a bunch of non-Wings-fan sources that Tomas Tatar was awfully good and one of the few bright spots for Slovakia.

[philou21]

just to let you know we have 150 registered hockey player of wich only 20 are full professionals. Not to mantion we have two rinks only...

Wow really?!? Kopitar is really a huge exception then.

Edit: I've made on search on Slovenia because I was curious about how a country could have only 2 hockey rinks even when it's small. For 2 millions of people two hockey rinks is not much! What's the problem there!?

[nino33]

I wish I'd known it was on early, I would have gotten up early to watch.

I had the schedule written out days ago and have seen more than a period of all the games so far

I heard from a bunch of non-Wings-fan sources that Tomas Tatar was awfully good and one of the few bright spots for Slovakia.

He scored a goal, but when I was watching most of what I saw was the US scoring (6 goals in 16 minutes!)

[jesterx7769]

Murica is looking super strong, kinda scary.

I wish I'd known it was on early, I would have gotten up early to watch. USA does this once every tourney, they demolish someone. No big deal. It happens, I don't think it means they're a powerhouse necessarily.

Did anyone catch the game? I heard from a bunch of non-Wings-fan sources that Tomas Tatar was awfully good and one of the few bright spots for Slovakia.

Tatar got the goal, but he was offsides and it wasn't called so kind of a lame goal. Hossa even slowed up for the whistle then never came.

And yeah, the early games for USA suck. I am on Pacific time so that is a 4:30am start time today and Russia on Saturday I may get up early for the Russia game then go back to bed. I am able to watch the "Afternoon" games at work though (9am)

I also apparently jinxed Sweeden by posting how good they were doing as they then gave up two goals

Russia highlights and box score are kind of interesting. They drastically outshot Slovenia but almost lost, it was 3-2 in the third. Russia gave up 2 goals on only 14 shots. I think that is what a lot of people were worried about, the Russia defense (not just defenseman but forwards), if everyone is pushing forward what happens when the puck goes the other way?

[jesterx7769]

As for USA, its not surprising to see them scoring lots but I like the strategy to go out there and let it rip and score a bunch (like Russia tried to do). In such a short tournament I think its important to let the guys build confidence and have fun, if you play to conservatively I think it hurts you since its only a short tournament. The potentially scary thing for US is how all the lines scored, as I think that is their key this year if they want to medal. However I still think Sweeden and Canada are ahead of them but the gap isn't as large as it was in '10 and '06.

[nino33]

just to let you know we have 150 registered hockey player of wich only 20 are full professionals. Not to mantion we have two rinks only...

Wow really?!? Kopitar is really a huge exception then.

Edit: I've made on search on Slovenia because I was curious about how a country could have only 2 hockey rinks even when it's small. For 2 millions of people two hockey rinks is not much! What's the problem there!?

Wiki says "Slovenia has only 943 players (the second lowest after Lithuania in the top 25 world rankings)"

Two rinks...wow!
I grew up in small Canadian cities like Kamloops (population less than 100,000 now...less 35+ years ago when I was a kid), and I remember at least 4 arenas in Kamloops!

[ForNever]

just to let you know we have 150 registered hockey player of wich only 20 are full professionals. Not to mantion we have two rinks only...

Wow really?!? Kopitar is really a huge exception then.

Edit: I've made on search on Slovenia because I was curious about how a country could have only 2 hockey rinks even when it's small. For 2 millions of people two hockey rinks is not much! What's the problem there!?

Wiki says "Slovenia has only 943 players (the second lowest after Lithuania in the top 25 world rankings)"

Two rinks...wow!
I grew up in small Canadian cities like Kamloops (population less than 100,000 now...less 35+ years ago when I was a kid), and I remember at least 4 arenas in Kamloops!

You call a city of 100 000 people small? You seriously need to come to Finland some day... I've lived my whole life in a city with 20 000 people and 1 arena. (but ofc there are more rinks outdoors during Winter)

[batdad]

ANd Kamloops now has like 12 rinks.

[batdad]

ANd what the hell? Bouwmeester wearing 19? Are you kidding me? How stupid is that? Cough Toews cough. I hate the seniority gets you your choice of number rubbish.

[batdad]

And here come the commentator excuses. Nerves, defend the Stanley Cup x100, hesitate, chemistry (lack of). All kinds of them. Sheesh. It is 9 minutes into the game.

[nino33]

You call a city of 100 000 people small? You seriously need to come to Finland some day...

I've lived in many places in Western Canada, with varying populations, from hundreds of people (Hedley) to a million or more (Vancouver, Edmonton)...

Compared to a million people 100,000 is a small city

[jesterx7769]

rabble rabble rabble Canadian excuses, work in progress, Norway is more excited, chemistry issues, not even done with first period come on.

edit: To Norways credit they look to be doing well so far. Good job on the PK, they've been keeping Canada playing wide, and had a few solid shots on Price who looked a little shaky early on.