The 2013 World Championship Runner-Up is on the verge of competing with the big dogs annually. Team Switzerland hockey is looking to medal for the first time since 1948 when they took home bronze. The 2006 and 2010 Olympic teams have been thorns in the Canadians thighs, scoring an upset in 2006 and pushing them to a shootout in 2010. The Swiss are not in the same preliminary … [Read more...] about Team Switzerland hockey preview: Getting closer
NHL
Team Sweden hockey preview: Lying in the weeds
There is an awful lot of talk about who will win gold in Olympic hockey. What is surprising is that the Team Sweden hockey club is not getting enough love compared to Canada and host country Russia. The 2006 gold medal winners may have been upset in 2010, but are looking like a solid choice to regain their title as the best in the world. Tre Kronor has depth at every … [Read more...] about Team Sweden hockey preview: Lying in the weeds
Team Czech Republic hockey preview: Too many veterans
Looking up and down the Team Czech Republic roster reveals plenty of notable players. The problem with those names is that the majority of them are on the back end of their careers. Patrik Elias, Jaromir Jagr, Milan Michalek, Petr Nedved, Tomas Kaberle, Michal Rozsival, and Marek Zidlicky have all seen better days. Players such as Jagr and Elias are still playing at a premium … [Read more...] about Team Czech Republic hockey preview: Too many veterans
Team Slovenia hockey preview: Looking up
Anza Kopitar will be lucky to play more than four games for Team Slovenia Hockey in the Winter Olympics. Slovenia defied all odds by qualifying for the games with Kopitar and Detroit Red Wings prospect Jan Mursak as the only players most hockey fans would know. Kopitar’s father Matjaz coaches Team Slovenia. Forwards … [Read more...] about Team Slovenia hockey preview: Looking up
Team USA hockey preview: Prove 2010 was no fluke
Taking home the gold in 2010 on Canadian soil would have been sweet for Team USA. Doing so against the hometown Canadians would have been that much sweeter. A silver medal was not expected with the talent on the ice for Team USA hockey, but now is the time to show that 2010 was more legitimate than fluky. The core remains strong for the U.S., as Zach Parise, Patrick Kane, … [Read more...] about Team USA hockey preview: Prove 2010 was no fluke
Team Canada hockey preview: Repeat or bust
Winning gold on home ice was expected. Now is the time to show how dominant the Team Canada hockey program can be. Even with their 2010 gold, Hockey Canada has failed to medal in two of the previous four Winter Olympics. For pretty much any other team, that is acceptable. For Canada? An embarrassment. The Canadian talent pool is by far the deepest in the world. As Canada’s … [Read more...] about Team Canada hockey preview: Repeat or bust
Team Austria hockey preview: Thanks for playing
This is Austria’s first Winter Olympics hockey tournament since 2002, where they finished 12th. Needless to say, they’re just happy to be here. Surprisingly, the Eagles have at least notable and current NHL players. Thomas Vanek and Michael Grabner also play together for the New York Islanders. Forwards Vanek and Grabner are the only two forwards with NHL experience, as … [Read more...] about Team Austria hockey preview: Thanks for playing
Have Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk lost their magic?
Cue the voice of Pat Foley in your head. “He shoots, he scores!!!! Hawks win! Hawks win!” As a child of Chicago’s south suburbs I was raised to love and cherish that phrase as well as anything else that came from the voice of Pat Foley. For nearly 30 years, Foley has been calling Chicago Blackhawks games on television and for a number of years simulcasting on radio. … [Read more...] about Have Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk lost their magic?