Disappointment and medals

This is the face of disappointment. Andrej Sekera of the Slovak team (and also press box extraordinaire in Buffalo) sits on the ice after their game with Finland and wondered where it all went wrong. How heartbreaking it must be. To come all that way to finish 4th.

Now, mind you, he's got more athletic talent in his pinkie toe nail than I have in my whole body but 4th place in the Olympics is where you just don't want to be.

Then again, apparently neither is silver.

A friend of mine at work the other day summed it up like this: You get a bronze medal, you are grateful (you aren't the 4th place team); Gold, you are over the moon as you are world fracking champion. Silver....get you disappointment? Really?

A silver medal in the Olympics will be handed out in mens hockey today. Either Canada or the US will be disappointed by not winning the gold medal in the sport they center their lives around.

Having never been a runner up (please note, I've never been CLOSE to anything that resembles a runner up because I don't ever make it to the dance to begin with), I'm sure it's a huge bummer not having the pretty gold around your neck. But hopefully in a few days the silver medal team will be able to look back on today and realized they accomplished something only a handful of people in the world get to say they've done.

That being said, I don't know who I'm rooting for today. A part of me would LOVE to see the US team win - and really, it wouldn't be a miracle because they've been playing amazing hockey and the Cruchynater in net has been nothing short of breathtaking (And hot. No lie. Even if MSNBC can't tell him from a fake). I think, despite not being a huge fan of his, Brian Burke could use some good news away from his personal and professional life.

On the other hand, rare does the home team win gold in hockey. Bobby Lu could cement his do-no-wrong standing for LIFE if he backs his team to victory. plus I have a HUGE crush on Sidney Crosby and would sorta like to see him too

So, I'm rooting for both teams today. I want a good tight nail biting game for 60 minutes (but please no shootout - I hate the shootout). And no disappointment for silver!

Well this just isn't fair

Ok, I was supposed to be in bed like an hour ago (shut up, I have PT at o'dark thirty tomorrow) but I came across this little tidbit from Team Canada's camp:

Crosby playing centre on a line with Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla at Canadian Olympic camp.

The hockey fan side of me drools at the chance to see that line in action. You have speed, grit, edge, skill....all of it.

The bunny side of me just drools.

Ok, going to bed. For real. After I walk Max.

Oooooooh say can you see?

It's a busy day here at Chuck a Puck and it's not even Free Agent day. Speaking of FA Day, if you want to keep up with all the signings, TSN has provided a handy dandy page for us.

Also today Brian Burke and the USA Hockey brain trust announced the roster for their Olympic training camp. There are a few guys on the list that make me go BUH?; but most of them I think deserve to be there as well as there are also a few guys that didn't make the cut and should have.

Goaltenders: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas

Defencemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Ryan Whitney

Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.

Today is also the CHL Import Draft and with the 17th-overall pick Everett selected defenseman Rasmus Rissanen from Finland. He's listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, and was a fifth-round selection in this year's draft by the Hurricanes. Rissanen is the first Scandinavian player as the others have been from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia. With the 20th-overall pick, they took Radko Gudas from the Czech Republic,listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds; and was not selected in either of the past two NHL drafts. With the pick of two defensemen, I wonder what's going on with our d-corps, especially with losing our two top guys to graduation.

I know there is more, but it's escaping me at the moment. So without further delay, I give you the boy of the day who is probably one of the most adorable invitees to the USA Olympic camp, Zach Parise.