Swiss, Swiss Baby!

Good morning from the Northwest corner of the country! We here at CaP are watching the progress of the NHL playoffs as well as the AHL and the ECHL; but we're both also big fans of the IIHF. As sad as it is when some of the teams don't get to make the playoffs or are dismissed early in the first round, it's always fun to see those boys who are chosen to play for their countries and a shiny medal instead of that big shiny cup.

The tournament is in the lovely country of Switzerland this year with round robin play in the two cities of Bern and Zurich, then from the quarter-finals on they will stay in Bern.

I personally love this tournament because we get to see hockey on that big sheet of ice and how much pride not only the players have; but how wonderfully crazy the fans get for their country. It's also cool how every year how hockey seems to be growing within Europe and how some of the old powers are getting caught up to by countries like Norway and Denmark and Hungary.

It's also nice to see some of the boys who used to be in the NHL as well as discover some new favorites who may some day cross the pond. It's like a mini Olympics in a way; but without all the pressure of the games to get in the way.

The IIHF tournament page is a wealth of information not only with the teams, the games and the locations.

The US squad won again today, 6-1, against Buffalo Sabre Thomas Vanek and the Austrians; and I leave you with a picture from this morning's game.