Congratulations to Canada, 3-2 winners last night in the final of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. And thanks to the Finns, who showed more grit than anyone ever anticipated in battling their way to the final.
Oddly enough, it was an uneven effort from goalie Miikka Kiprusoff that helped end the dream for the Finns -- something that was never more in evidence than in the second period when he let in the softest of goals on a wrist shot by Scott Niedermayer.
Once again, the Frank Gehry-designed trophy stinks, and Team Canada looked ridiculous skating it around the ice -- and the bemused look on the faces of the players as they lifted it above their heads betrayed the fact that they thought it looked ridiculous too.
On the ESPN broadcast last night, former Team USA member Jeremy Roenick mentioned that the original trophy was replaced, in part, because many of the players on Team USA (winners of the inaugural World Cup) said it was too heavy to lug around the ice. Well, last night that didn't seem to be a problem. Heck, I wouldn't have been surprised if Team Canada captain Mario Lemieux (who had a slick assist on Joe Sakic's goal to open up the scoring) had started juggling the thing.
(Once nice touch: having Borje Salming present the trophy. Next time, they should have Vlad Tretiak present it. And in 20 years, if they have any guts, they should invite Brett Hull.)
The good news is the NHL has another four years to figure out a way to retire this trophy, and find a way to get it right next time (if there is a next time). And job one ought to be to change the name of this tournament back to the Canada Cup. Yes, it's a point I've made before, but it bears repeating.
At bottom, Joe Canadian is right: Canada is the first nation of hockey, and if you want to claim the title of champions of the sport, it's only right and proper that you have to travel to Canada and win it before a raucous and hostile crowd.
Looking back, I think I might not have given the American team that won the title in 1996 enough credit. After losing Game One of the three-game final that year, Team USA had to win twice in Montreal. That's right, twice. In light of this year's tournament, where Canada went undefeated, it's almost impossible to believe that Team USA played Canada four times in that World Cup, and beat them three times, with their only setback a 4-3 OT loss.
One other odd moment: just as the ESPN broadcasting team was making the point that Martin Brodeur had demonstrated his greatness away from the New Jersey Devils once again, it was announced that Vincent Lecavalier (who was only on Team Canada as a replacement for Steve Yzerman) had been named the MVP of the tournament.
Sure, it was more than a defensible choice, but considering the fact that the only game of the tournament that was ever in doubt for Canada was the semifinal against the Czechs where Brodeur was sidelined, I think the case could be made to name him MVP as well.
But as exciting as the tournament was at times, the hard reality is setting in that we've seen the last of NHL-quality hockey for a long, long time. The lockout most likely won't get settled until January at the earliest, and if it goes any longer than that, we're most likely staring down a cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season.
The last time the Stanley Cup wasn't awarded was 1919, when an influenza outbreak caused the cancellation of the final between Seattle and Montreal.
To think, it's only taken 85 years to find a man-made equivalent to possibly kill a season.
Truth be told, I won't be hurting until after the Super Bowl, but the pain will be felt dearly across Canada. If and when the league returns, fans North of the border will as well. But here in the U.S., where the game's financial future will be decided, things look a little more problematic. If the lockout lasts longer than a season, as some have predicted, there are a number of franchises that will essentially have to start over when it comes to developing their fan base -- with many of the most vulnerable inhabiting smaller U.S. markets.
Teams like Carolina, Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix and Anaheim will have to start all over again. Life without hockey is a condition of the recent past in most American markets. These fans lived without hockey before, and I fear they'll learn to live without it again if it stays away too long.
What it means for the future of the game I can't say for sure, but disappearing for a year or more isn't part of a sound strategy, unless it comes part and parcel with a long-term labor solution. Off all the major sports (and how long hockey remains one, if it still is one, is an open question), the NHL is the one that can least afford a labor stoppage.
So, if and when the NHL returns from its self-imposed hiatus, it better expect to do some extra work in order to win back the fans -- or perhaps I should say customers. That means more affordable tickets, and some especially creative marketing just for starters -- the sort of creativity that I'm afraid the league hasn't demonstrated all too often (remember, this is the league that went on strike during the first Fall without Major League Baseball in recent North American memory).
As for Off Wing, I'll keep on keeping on, as I've always supplemented the ice hockey diet with plenty of other sports commentary (besides, there are advertisers to worry about now). But as to how long the hockey puck remains part of the logo, I just can't say.
Re: Lockout.
The Caps have 24 hours to contact me regarding my season tix before I get mad (again) about their season ticket policy. They have my deposit — with the owners taking this action, why should they keep it?
There seems to be an assumption that this lockout will follow the same pattern as 94/95 with play resuming in January in a shortened rushed season of lackluster hockey. I think the lockout will last the entire season with a cage full of unintended consequences involving failed franchises,unsold merchandise,Eueropean stars not returning to North America,and a nosedive in USA media coverage of hockey.The grand design of spreading NHL interest across the sunbelt will totally collapse.This will cost Gary Betman his job and will bring hockey back closer to its Canadian roots. This entire scenario leaves puckheads with a hole in the heart.
Recent rumour is that Bettman will push for a judge to declare a legal labour impasse forcing the NHLPA to declare a strike and opening the door for replacement players. In other words the NHL is going to bust the union. Cost certainty will salvage the sunbelt owners and Bettman will be hailed the new Caesar. It also opens opportunities for European clubs, whose local stars may prefer to play in Europe, if there is no earnings advantage in coming to NA. Following that logic the NHL talent pool will be further diluted, meaning goal per game averages more like those found in the 80s which so many have held to be the halcyon days of hockey.
The era of the Original Six was the halcyon days of hockey.