Canada Hockey Place
After a week of wandering the city and checking out the free parts of the Olympics, it was time to get down to business, and start attending some Olympic Hockey games. Now that the Round Robins are done, I finally get to find out what teams I get to see.
Monday, February 22nd
We have 2 games on Monday, the night before our first taste of the games we learn that our Semi-Final Women's hockey tickets would be for USA vs Sweden, and Canada vs Finland. Winners play for the Gold Medal, Losers play for Bronze.
VANOC and the media had been warning everyone that with their security, we should arrive at least an hour early for our events. Getting through security was much like an airport security, going through tents with scanners and wands, removing metal objects and having your bags searched. Their is lots of lines, and they are short... we arrive in plenty of time for the warmup.
It's interesting to see how GM Place has been transformed into Canada Hockey Place. The Vancouver 2010 Greens and Blues decorate the boards and the building, and almost the entire Club section is now a Press section. Sadly, above the press section in an area designated for Olympians and IOC officials there is nothing but empty seats.
The Swedish girls get ready for the game 
American Cheese-heads cheer on their team
The sad Swedes shake hands with the Americans after a 9-2 trouncing.
A clean sheet of ice is prepped, and after waiting outside in a holding pen for about an hour, we are let back in for the next game.
After a dominant display of hockey with the Canadian girls beating the Fins 5-0, they acknowledge the fans and shake hands.
For the Women skaters, next up is Canada vs USA for the Gold medal on Thursday.
For us, we wandered over to Robson square after the game, we watched the laser and fire show, and then with thousands of other people watched our Canadian Ice Dancers Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue win Gold on the screens of Robson Street. Watching grown men proclaim how beautiful the moves were, was only topped by the crowd breaking into our national anthem.
Wednesday, February 24th
After a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Americans on Sunday, it was great to see our Canadian boys come back and beat the Germans 8-2.
I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to find out that the Quarter-Final tickets I had purchased a year ago, turned out to be for the epic Team Canada vs Team Russia game... Ovechkin vs Crosby! Oh this was going to be good, no... great!
After making our way through security again, we pass Quatchi and Miga and make our way into a sea of red.
Proof I was there Oh yeah, it's game time!
Gretzky happily signs autograph after autograph
The TSN guys drone on about how big a game this is
I have been to Stanley Cup playoff games, but I have never experienced anything like this. GM Place, errr... Canada Hockey Place was absolutely electric. Before, during, and after the game the crowd was as loud as I had ever heard, chanting and singing. After Canada goes up 3-0 Russia calls a time out... it didn't help. Whoop there it is 7-3 drubbing!! Chants of "We want Sweden" rolling through the crowd.
The Canadians simply dominated every aspect of the game from the opening face off. They built a 3-0 lead within the first 13 minutes, which kept the volume loud inside Canada Hockey Place. Most importantly, when the Russians got on the board, the Canadians responded immediately. After Canada made it 4-1, Canada never had less than a three-goal lead again. Six different players scored for Canada which chased Russian goaltender Evgeni Nabokov from the net with the score 6-1 just over four minutes into the second period. Russia's big line of Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin counted one point, an assist for Malkin on the third Russian goal.
Luongo is congratulated at the end of the game The Russians will have to try again during Sochi 2014
It may sound strange to say about a 7-3 dominant win, but that was the best game I have ever attended. It was the game, and it was being there with 18,000 crazy Canadian fans, even the press and IOC areas were full... what a night!!!
We had to wait in the outside holding pen area again, before heading back in for the other matchup of Slovakia and Sweden. Which Canucks do we cheer for, the Sedin twins, or Pavol Demitra? I just hope it's a good game.
Seeing a pile of pucks behind the goalies during the warmup seemed like a good omen, then the infamous Olympia Ice resurfacing machine cleaned the ice for the big event. The same machine that broke down at the Richmond Oval.
The Slovaks get ready for another big gameHenrik Sedin faces off against Demitra to start the game
The only thing better than listening to the announcer mispronounce every Swedish players name was the "where's Quatchi" game.
After a close fought game, Slovakia Celebrated a well earned 4-3 win... their prize, a date with Canada!
"With Glowing Hearts" perfectly described Wednesday, a huge win against Russia, and 4 more medals for Canada.
Thursday night was our students graduation event, with a mixture of Canadian and American students and their families, we kept getting updates on the Canada-USA Woman's Gold Medal game. Wearing my shiny new Canadian flag tie, I shouted "GOLD!" right in the middle of the proceedings after our girls hung on for a 2-0 win. We then let the Americans know they had just "won" a Silver medal.
After having some dinner and drinks with the newest members of our VFS Alumni at a local sushi restaurant, a group of us wandered over to see the Fireworks at Livecity Yaletown
Innukshuk on Burrard St. Paul's Lights of Hope
The Christmas lights that are on display at St. Paul's hospital were left up for the Olympics, creating a glimmering centerpiece in the city.
All around the city are uniquely decorated cars, they are the fleet of vehicles for the Russian contingent.
Every night at 10:45 an impressive display of fireworks are let loose at Livecity Yaletown.
After the fireworks were over, we walked past the Burrard St bridge to English Bay to see the Vectorial Elevation display. Twenty 10,000-watt robotic searchlights create a pattern of light in the night sky above and on the sparkling surface of English Bay below with designs created by people around the world and delivered via the Internet. Every 10 seconds the pattern changes to another user created design.
Friday, February 26th
The final game I had tickets for is the Semi-Final game between the US and Finland, the scheduling gods didn't lineup so we could see the Canada-Slovakia game. Oh well, winner get's to play for Gold against Canada (or Slovakia), loser plays for Bronze
Kesler settles in for the opening faceoff The Finnish Fanatics nervously get ready
Kiprusoff feels shame after the first goal Backstrom comes in to turn it around
Kipper is sent to the showers and Backstrom takes over after 4 easy goals by the US, Backstrom only lets in 2 more.
The ice was tilted in Team USA's favour Ryan Kesler gets ready to win another faceoff
Team USA counts down the last seconds of a 6-1 win, before congratulating Ryan Miller on another great game
After a decisive win, Team USA just has to wait to see who they play for Gold, and Finland gets ready for a Bronze Medal game.
After the game, the lineups at Livecity Vancouver and the Canada Pavilion are too long, so we head down to False Creek to take a look at the Molson Canadian Hockey House before checking out Sochi World and heading home to watch the Canada-Slovakia game.
Watching at home was just as nerve-racking, the Canadians take a 3-0 lead in the second period, but the Slovaks storm back in the third. With Slovakia only down by 1 goal with 5 minutes remaining, Roberto Luongo makes a huge point-blank save on Pavol Demitra to steal a 3-2 win. Team Canada has just secured a space at the big dance, and Slovakia gets Finland for the Bronze Medal game.
Saturday, February 27th
Out of the blue I get a text message, one of my friends has an extra ticket for the Bronze Medal game,
"Do you want to go?", does a bear $#!& in the woods? Back down to Canada Hockey Place I go.
The Rick Hansen 'Man in Motion' Statue at GM Place The Metal Hockey guy statue at Canada Hockey Place
OK, it's game time, Finland vs Slovakia, winner gets bronze, loser goes to the bar.
Kiprusoff gets ready to make up for his last gameHalak stretches out to get ready... ouch!
The Finnish Fans wave their flags to try and motivate their teamThe Slovak fans in anticipation, chanting "Slovensko, got a ho"
After scoring first and then falling behind 3-1 to the Slovaks, Finland comes back and scores 4 straight goals to win 5-3.
Canucks Demitra and Salo shake hands after the game, one is happy, one is sad
After the game we get to watch the Medal Ceremony, well at least the Bronze portion of the Medal Ceremony.
Team Finland does great winning bronze in both Women's and Men's hockey.
After the game is over we decide to head back to Livecity Yaletown to watch the fireworks on the last Saturday of the Olympics. Bill Good and Pamela Martin get ready for the news one more time in the middle of Robson.
The Bell Ice cube, some boy band is playing inside
The Olympic rings are projected onto a mist of waterCultural Olympiad paper lantern art on Granville Street
Robson and Granville Streets are madness on the final night
Giant Skaters and Hockey players are projected onto the downtown buildings
Robson Square continues to be the hot spot for the gathering celebrating masses
Another crazy CanadianHey, where's Muk-Muk?
After fighting our way through the crowds and ending the night with a classic Tim Horton stop of Hot Chocolate and Maple donuts,
it's time to head home and rest up for the Gold Medal game that goes the next day at Noon.
Sunday, February 28th
On February 28th, 2010 the world stopped for about 3 hours (well Canada stopped)...
It all started well with a great back and forth game, Canada went up 2-0 in the second with goals by Toews and Perry, but Kesler got the Americans within one before the end of the second. Luongo and Miller both made amazing saves, creating an opportunity for a last minute push by Team USA which resulted in a Parise goal with only 25 seconds remaining to send it to overtime. It is a nail-biter, Luongo makes a huge save to a chorus of "Luuuuuuuuu" and then Sidney Crosby scores the winning goal 7:40 into the overtime period, taking a pass from Jarome Iginla and sliding a shot under the pads of US goaltender Ryan Miller.
The city goes nuts, the country goes nuts! It was the most-watched television broadcast ever in Canadian history, with an average audience of 16.6 million viewers, peaking out at 26.5 million viewers. "That's one of the greatest sports events I have ever seen," NBC Olympic host Bob Costas said of USA-Canada on Sunday. "A script so classic that if it were a movie, they would send it back because it was unrealistic."
Time to make February 28th a national holiday!
Now that the game is finally over, we can pack up and head downtown for the Closing Ceremonies.