Assuming everything goes to your liking: Would you prefer a final with...

[BobDobolina]

Well #68 didn't have problems going and earning a mountain of rubles in the evil empire so looks like he moved on. Maybe you guys should too.

 

[Acallabeth]

This is not a political board guys. Visit that garbage forum if you want to have a good laugh.

I would pick Russia - Czechia. At least we would stand a chnce in that matchup...

 

[m4tt145]

I hope for a Czech vs Russia final where Jagr scores the overtime winner.

 

[eyetest is useless]

czechs vs the ruskies

 

[chauron]

The best champion would be underdog USA.

Pragmatically thinking, it'd be best if Canada destroyed Russia in finals, 5-0 or even more.

 

[Scotty B]

First dont even try to judge Jagr......He was wise and proud enough to choose that number as he grow up in occupied country. You better delete this comment.....This exactly the reason why you guys are not so popular here even if your TV is probably telling you diff. story....

A tad reminiscent of the US/ Canada relationship over the decades. Mainstream media and politico's paint one picture, which many cable news subscribers doubtless gobble up, hook line n sinker...Then some are mystified when they learn of bad feelings on our side of the border. They're like Whatzup EH? Why don't you love us, ur Anglo-American cousins ( shades of Slavic Brothers )? We love you...

Sure you do. When you think of us at all. When ur not busy telling us how irrelevant we are, that the only thing we have is hockey, and when ur not using the Elephant in bed with mouse metaphor (Shades of Ivan Drago/ Ann Coulter, We Could l ROLL OVER & Crush you), yadda yadda

Victories may be few and far between for the smaller weaker country, and merely metaphorical in the case of sport, but that doesn't mean they're not meaningful to an oft times fragile national psyche, and that tends to be no less true when traditional 'mouse' role is reversed, as they are in the North American Hockey world, and as they were , rather magically, during an incredibly unlikely convergence of events in Lake Placid in 1980.

Suddenly, and again against great odds, everything Old is New Again...A Group of fresh faced US Davids, straight outa the junior/college ranks, are pitted against a much hated Goliath, with a gold medal still up for grabs. How good is that? And , looking back, what made Lake Placid , so good? What made it, far and away, America's greatest sporting triumph?

Clearly, it was those geopolitical overtones which added spice, or if you prefer , high octane fuel to the mix!

Many Old time Canucks, comme moi, still call team Russia by their Soviet era monicker ( with a mix of Animosity and grudging Admiration mind u ). Similarly, many Russians still refer to their team as the Big Red Machine, and they still play that old Soviet era anthem and what a stirring piece she is ! ( shades of Anna Kournikova, oh to be S. Fedorov

***

To pretend that politics isn't an integral part of sport ( as oh so politically correct types are want to do ) is NOT only naive, it does a disservice to the likes of Henderson, Kharlamov, Eruzione, Jagr et al....aka Yesterday/ Today's Heroes

Again we ALL evoke those mythic warrior, good vs Evil, metaphors, for a reason...Cause they're timeless OLDIES BUT GOODIES!

So even if it may seem a tad unfair to some Yank or Russian HOCKEY Fans to be tacitly ( I REPEAT TACITLY! ) reminded of their respective Evil Empire status. So long as this doesn't stray over the lines of decorum, I say fair Game...

GAME ON /GLOVES OFF...BRING IT...






















CCCP!!!

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Canada-USA