Monday, February 25, 2002
A great Games finale
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Ottawa Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- As the clock ticked down yesterday at the E Center, the fans started singing O Canada, hitting the final line as the clock struck zero.
It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
A country erupted in euphoria yesterday and you could feel the excitement all the way to Salt Lake City as Team Canada knocked off the arch-rival Americans in front of a packed house at the E Center.
"It's a terrific feeling," said Team Canada centre Eric Lindros. "We took a different path to get here, but we got better each game. I'm sure they're excited back home."
Actually, that's the understatement of the year, Canadians are going crazy and why not. For 50 years, the country has been chasing Olympic gold and finally the dream turned to reality in front of a shocked American crowd.
You don't find Canadians waving their flags very much, but they did a lot of it at the Olympics that ended yesterday. These are moments you never forget in your life because they don't come along that often.
Had Team Canada not brought home gold, GM Wayne Gretzky and coach Pat Quinn would have been raked over the coals today, but they came here with a group of 23 players committed to getting the job done.
Nobody is sure if NHL players are going to be back at the Olympics, but everybody involved hopes Canada gets a chance to defend its title in 2006 in Turin, Italy.
But if the league decides it can't afford to come back and that this was the final chapter, then Team Canada's win was a storybook ending.
THE MEDAL PLAZA: It was the hottest ticket in the free world. Outside the arena yesterday, guys holding signs were looking for tickets to resell. As reported, scalping is not illegal here, which means the prices were outrageous. A man holding two seats was looking for $2,000 each at game time and he expected to get it. Once the Canada-U.S. final was decided, people started flocking here. Ticket brokers have been making a bundle. Even the players couldn't get enough. Team Canada C Joe Nieuwendyk had 12 tickets throughout the Games and suddenly needed 16 because friends started calling. Oddly enough, you could get tickets for the Belarus-Canada game Friday for $20. Hockey isn't a game, it's a passion ... The Tragically Hip concert was the highlight of the Games outside of the gold-medal final. There were more than 1,300 Canadian athletes, friends and media on hand for the show Saturday night at the University of Utah. It was great to see the Hip in a small venue because they don't play them very often. On hand were the likes of curlers Kelley Law and Kevin Martin, who both looked to have put disappointing losses behind them. It was a who's who of Canadian sports.
THE CLOSING CEREMONIES: Speaking of the Hip, a couple of writers found their way home in the back of the Labatt's rig which was brought in for the event. Because transportation wasn't provided and getting a cab here is impossible, the two smart Canadians sat in the back and got the driver to blow the horn. That will be an Olympic memory ... Team Canada assistant GM Steve Tambellini is expected to join the Leafs as GM at the end of the season ... The lineups at security were long going into the game, but the stupidity didn't stop on the final day. CBC's Kelly Hrudey had a small can of shaving cream, which he'd apparently gotten through security every day for 16 days, seized and thrown away ... It's hard to believe that after 27 days on the road, the plane back to Ottawa will finally leave tomorrow. The people of Salt Lake should be proud of the job they've done during these Games. The organization has been excellent, the people have been friendly the buses have run on time, the beer has been cold and the memories will last a lifetime. Those who have been to the Games will always tell you they wouldn't trade it in for any experience in the world.
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2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
