Football is officially in its offseason and as much as I genuinely want to talk about international hockey, I’m afraid of what’s coming.
Not so much regarding the U.S.A. women’s hockey team. As I write this, they are scheduled to take on team Canada tomorrow. By the time you read miss, the game has already happened and the gold medal has been awarded to one of those two teams.
It’s not that I don’t think team Canada can’t beat our women’s team, but I like our odds. The women representing U.S.A. Hockey have done a tremendous job and have represented us well.
I like the way our men’s hockey team is playing as well and, like the women’s team, they are also on a trajectory to face team Canada for a gold medal should the two teams continue to win. This is what I’m afraid of.
It was just over a year ago when the U.S.A. and Canada faced off in the first of their two matchups during the NHL’s Four Nations tournament. It was the greatest moment in United States hockey since the miracle on ice.
There were multiple fights within seconds of the game starting and zero doubt that everyone was emotionally invested. It was epic and remains worthy of a YouTube watch if you haven’t seen it recently. The first few minutes at least.
The second matchup of the tournament was entertaining, but the result wasn’t favorable to fans of team U.S.A. I fear if our team faces Canada for a gold medal in these Winter Olympics, that game will be neither entertaining nor favorable for us here in the United States.
Canada’s team has four players whose names I know and that’s a big deal. I enjoy hockey and watch the Carolina Hurricanes when I can but I’m not a traditional hockey fan.
Despite this, even I’ve heard of players like Sidney “the kid” Crosby, Connor “McOverrated” McDavid, Sam Reinhardt and Brad Marchand.
I referenced the miracle on ice earlier and I’ve seen that movie Miracle with Kurt Russell no less than two dozen times. I still don’t think I could name four players from that team or any other hockey team in history.
I hope I’m wrong. I hope I could name four players from that 1980 Olympic Hockey team and I hope the United States men do face team Canada for a gold medal and win.
They are our biggest rival and it would make victory over them so much sweeter. I simply wish I wasn’t so confident that they aren’t thinking the same thing.
On an unrelated note, congratulations to my Godson, his mother and a few other Wolfpack fans on N.C. State men’s basketball win over UNC. It was the largest win by State over Carolina in my lifetime. My column regarding the basketball program in Chapel Hill is coming soon.
David Friedman is a long time sports writer and mensch based in Wilmington. David can be reached via e-mail at fourthandlongcolumn@gmail.com
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