Ice hockey

Canada’s cocky streak in Vancouver is not becoming

Published

2 months ago

13 de February de 2025

James Cartwright

Posted: Saturday 27th February 2010 | 9:13

CANADA are starting to get cocky here in Vancouver.

PRESUMPTIOUS: There were thousands of celebratory golden cans of Coca-Cola at the Canada Hockey Place – what if they had lost (Getty Images)

Not content with what was their eight gold medal – they decided to distribute thousands more off their own accord following their women ice hockey players triumphing over archrivals USA.

Moments after the clock struck zero at Canada Hockey Place volunteers hurriedly ran around awarding congratulatory Canadian gold Coca-Cola cans to those in the press tribune – a touch presumptuous perhaps? What if it had not gone their way?

I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t have rolled out an American equivalent had the USA edged what was a close encounter – Canada had 29 shots to the USA’s 28.

For me it’s like engraving Manchester United’s name on the Carling Cup now ahead of their final with Aston Villa on Sunday.

Were they expecting their women to repeat their heroics of four years ago or did they distribute them to avoid a backlog should their men not repeat the trick?

Looking at the can my bet is on the latter – ‘Congratulations Canadian Olympic ice hockey team on winning gold!’ it reads – hardly coherent stuff.

But no-one wants thousands of unopened Coca-Cola cans lying around – especially if they are soon to remind an expectant and passionate hockey nation of failure.

The way Canada demolished Germany and Russia suggests the organisers’ risk may well pay off on Sunday but that is no excuse to get cocky, they even began handing them out to public outside the arena after the medal ceremony.

After Slovakia’s late flurry will have the USA licking their lips.

I was under the impression Canadians were uniquely polite and gracious with success but their ‘Own the Podium’ programme has begged me to differ.

Some might be wondering as a British reporter what I was doing there in the first place – but I’ll leave that to BOA chief Andy Hunt and the rest of the 52-strong team to explain – excluding Amy Williams of course.

Ice hockey

USA see off plucky Japan to secure sledge ice hockey gold

Published

2 months ago

13 de February de 2025

James Cartwright

THE USA became the first nation to win Paralympic sledge ice hockey gold for the second time with victory over Japan in Vancouver.

GOLDEN BOYS: Taylor Chace celebrates with Alexi Salamone whose goal puts the USA on the way to gold in Vancouver (Getty Images)

Goals from Alexi Salamone and Taylor Lipsett wrapped up a 2-0 win for the 2002 champions, against a plucky Japan side, who had upstaged hosts Canada to reach the final.

In the semi-finals, Japan ensured that Canada could not complete a Vancouver clean sweep, having collected gold in both the men’s and women’s Olympic competitions.

But the USA proved too strong for their Asian counterparts at the UBC Thunderbird Arena while Japan collected their first sledge ice hockey medal since the sports’ inception into the Paralympics in 1994.

The U.S. had never trailed in this tournament and had out-scored opponents 17-0 before play started Saturday but they came under early pressure with Steve Cash the busier of the two goaltenders.

But it was Salamone who handed the USA the impetus and while Japan pressed all the way and almost levelled proceedings in the third period when Daisuke Uehara’s shot went off Cash’s glove and then off the left goalpost, Lipsett wrapped up victory for the USA.