When Sunday’s Olympic Hockey Gold Medal match came to an end, North America’s most prominent nation’s had been zoned in on hockey for a full three hours on one day. That is more hockey than most Americans watch in a month.
Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal sealed the fate for the United States and saved face for Canada. After the “own the podium” disaster, the Canadian athletes responded with several clutch performances on home soil, capped off by the dramatic hockey final in Canada Hockey Place.
New Jersey Devil forward and team USA star Zach Parise tied the score at two apiece with a goal coming with under half a minute in the game, and an empty net for the Americans. For those who believe in destiny, Parise’s rebound goal served as a definite sign that the Americans were destined to take home their first gold medal in hockey since the “Miracle on Ice.”
While the United States entered the locker room after the third period full of momentum, Canada was forced to regain composure, with a medal on the line in front of home fans. The four-on-four play in overtime certainly favored the speedy and more athletic Canadian squad, but it wasn’t as if this advantage had not been present for the rest of the game.
Roughly a quarter of the way into overtime, forward Jarome Iginla threw a centering pass finding a streaking Sidney Crosby, who flat-out beat Ryan Miller. For the first time all tournament, Miller was simply beat by a shot, and not a deflection of sorts.
As the Canadians celebrated, Miller fell to the ice, clearly disappointed by the outcome despite being the MVP of the tournament and the sole reason the United States had an opportunity for gold. Hockey was finally on the same level as football, baseball, and basketball in the United States, even if it was for a mere three hours.
Now, the NHL has a rare opportunity to snatch the national spotlight. With Spring Training taking place in Florida and Arizona, baseball isn’t quite in full swing. Tiger Woods’ leave of absence certainly lessens the draw of golf. Unless you are a draft junkie, the NFL won’t draw too much attention. This leaves basketball. The NBA and March Madness are the only major competition for hockey right now.
Gary Bettman should take note, and quickly find a way to allow NHL players to perform in the 2014 Winter Games in Russia. Last Sunday’s Gold Medal Final provided a large television audience the rare opportunity to see the greatness that hockey can offer. Only time will tell if this momentum will carry beyond the next week.
