GDT: Women's | Gold Medal Game | Canada Vs USA | February 21st | 11:10 PM ET

[Dr Pepper]

No one tossed anything. She allowed the presenter to put it around her neck and then she immediately took it off and held it in her hand. She then received a stern talking to from some IOC/IIHF official to put it back on .. not sure if she complied. But she kept it.

Ah, I see.

Well, again, I've no problem at all with her refusing to wear it.

I hope she didn't comply, I bet it would've felt like an anchor.

 

[HasbeenHallzy]

She took it off because this feels like a last place finish to them. Women's hockey is a two horse race (other than one miracle by the Finn's). Anything but playing in the final would have been an absolute disaster. They lost the only game that mattered to them, in their hearts they won a bunch of exhibition games and lost the big show

 

[snopro31]

As a canuck I'm happy Canada lost the gold medal game.
Now they will have a goal in 4 years when the next winter olympics come around.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Let's not make excuses for poor behavior.
Shaun White won gold and still got blasted for dragging the flag on the ground.
It's setting a bad example.

When athletes act disrespectfully or with poor sportsmanship it's absolutely right for them to be judged on it, especially when millions of people (including kids who look up to them) are watching.
The criticism is the proper way to say "you shouldn't do this" no matter how excited or disappointed you are. You're representing your country, act like it.

 

[Peggy]

A game needs to end at one point. It's the same for everyone.

shoot outs are for draws in the regular season since there are many games you couldn't keep doing continuous OT

there's a reason why you get a loser points for tying in regular time

this a championship game were talking about..not a regular season game

if you want a winner then keep the game going

 

[Gnashville]

When people agree to deciding the Super Bowl on who can kick the longest field goal or the World Series by a home run contest.... then I will agree and say that deciding hockey championships with a shootout is a good thing.

Just hope Bettman didn't watch this and think how exciting it would be to award the Stanley Cup with a shootout.

I know you hate Bettman but he’s not that powerful and the shootout will never be in playoff hockey. I worry about the 3on3 though.

Canada played to get the game to the shootout they kept 2 defenders back the entire OT and usually only sent one forechecker. They got what they deserved playing that way without any type of attack. It was frustrating watching the US bring it up the ice with 2 players just stationed in front of the goalie.

 

[HLLYWD99]

The greatest rivalry in all of sports, period!

 

[albator71]

To me its a 2-2 tie with the Americans winning a skill competition 3-2. Both team deserve to win this game equally. There's nothing separating these two teams. when they face each other it can go either way.

 

[Pouchkine]

USA won all the latest tournaments wake up.

 

[Baxterman]

USA won all the latest tournaments wake up.

Isn't this their first Gold since 1998?

 

[Kyndig]

You don't understand why a display of poor sportsmanship is criticized?

Poor sportsmanship would be refusing to shake USA's hands after, not taking a medal off. It's hers, she can do whatever she wants with it.

 

[PSUPEN]

To me its a 2-2 tie with the Americans winning a skill competition 3-2. Both team deserve to win this game equally. There's nothing separating these two teams. when they face each other it can go either way.

The rules are a shootout determines the winner. We may not like it but make no mistake the winner this time around was team USA. If the outcome was the opposite my answer would be the same. Meh

 

[Canuck21t]

I agree. The constant *****ing about the refs is ridiculous. I don't think the refs favoured one team over the other. But I guess it's human nature to whine when you're being outplayed.

Canadian here. From my point of view, the refs favoured the Canadians. We should have been penalized even more, especially on Poulin's head hit. I always root for Canada, but I must say it didn't bother me that much that the Canadian women lost this time around; the Americans deserved their win, they dominated the OT.

I thought it was disgraceful when practically the whole Russian team back at the 2010 World Championships (or was it 2014?) took off their silver medal right after receiving them and it's the same here, shame on Jocelyne Larocque for such unsportsmanlike attitude. I hope she was the only one doing that.

Last night was the first time I watched a women's game from start to finish and I have to say, I'm not impressed. It wasn't boring because the gold medal was on the line so there was tension, but the gameplay and the skill level was abysmal. Sorry, not a fan.

 

[Claypool]

What'd I miss, did one of the Canadian players toss her silver medal, like that Swedish kid at the WJC's?

He was summarily tarred and feathered by the Canadian hockey media for being a "sore loser". I wonder if she got the same treatment.

For what it's worth I don't have a problem with it at all; silver's just the colour of heartbreak when it comes to team sports and losing in a championship game.

Difference between a teenager doing something stupid and an adult at the highest level of international hockey. If you're going to revel in being a role-model for children and accept all the glory that comes with it (especially a representative of women's hockey in Canada) you don't get avoid criticism when you're a poor sport, especially when the world is watching you.

 

[PSUPEN]

Last night was the first time I watched a women's game from start to finish and I have to say, I'm not impressed. It wasn't boring because the gold medal was on the line so there was tension, but the gameplay and the skill level was abysmal. Sorry, not a fan.

I respect your opinion,but having only watched one women's game how can you judge level of skill. They are not men who have definative physical advantages and the rules of engagement also differ. I thought differently but thats my opinion. I have watched my fair share of womens hockey and saw some pretty decent skill.​

 

[Dr Pepper]

Isn't this their first Gold since 1998?

Yeah, Canada won the last four Olympics, but I think the US has dominated the World Championships in recent years.

Well, by "dominated" I mean "beat Canada in the finals by a goal or two", as is often the case when these two meet, with one side just barely eking out victory over the other after laying waste to the rest of the field.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Difference between a teenager doing something stupid and an adult at the highest level of international hockey. If you're going to revel in being a role-model for children and accept all the glory that comes with it (especially a representative of women's hockey in Canada) you don't get avoid criticism when you're a poor sport, especially when the world is watching you.

Meh, I don't see it as her being a poor sport.

Poor sportsmanship would've been her whacking the leg of an American after the final horn, or flipping them off or something. A disrespectful act towards her opponent.

But taking off her own silver medal shouldn't mean a whole heck of a lot to the Americans; they won gold.

 

[Canuck21t]

I respect your opinion,but having only watched one women's game how can you judge level of skill. They are not men who have definative physical advantages and the rules of engagement also differ. I thought differently but thats my opinion. I have watched my fair share of womens hockey and saw some pretty decent skill.​

It's the first time I watched a FULL game, but I have watched multiple periods through the years and I think I have a pretty good idea about women's hockey and IMO it sucks. Of course they are not men and their physical disadvantage shows on the ice. It's much weaker and much slower and that to me is not nearly as interesting to watch.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Eh, I don't see it as poor sportsmanship at all. Essentially a two horse competition, making silver feel like nothing more then a participation trophy.

Call it entitled if you want, but it's Gold or bust up here when it comes to hockey.

States were the better team when it mattered, congrats.

 

[New User Name]

I know you hate Bettman but he’s not that powerful and the shootout will never be in playoff hockey. I worry about the 3on3 though.

Canada played to get the game to the shootout they kept 2 defenders back the entire OT and usually only sent one forechecker. They got what they deserved playing that way without any type of attack. It was frustrating watching the US bring it up the ice with 2 players just stationed in front of the goalie.

I agree. As a Canadian it was something I've never seen before from any Canadian team.
Sure, we've seen it in the odd NHL game (in the last few minutes) and that I can understand but in a gold medal game it's not the smartest strategy.

The US were the faster and IMO the more skilled team but Canada did have their share of decent chances in the first 3 periods. To go into overtime and play the way they did was just asking for trouble. Canada was lucky the US didn't score in OT.

In hockey you exert more energy defending as you're constantly chasing the other team and Canada proved that last night. Horrible coaching by Canada.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

They got what they deserved playing that way without any type of attack.

They deserved to get blown out by the superior US team but their goalie kept them in it and almost cheesed another gold.

 

[New User Name]

Let's not make excuses for poor behavior.
Shaun White won gold and still got blasted for dragging the flag on the ground.
It's setting a bad example.

When athletes act disrespectfully or with poor sportsmanship it's absolutely right for them to be judged on it, especially when millions of people (including kids who look up to them) are watching.
The criticism is the proper way to say "you shouldn't do this" no matter how excited or disappointed you are. You're representing your country, act like it.

I don't think it's really poor sportsmanship (or to be politically correct poor sportswomanship) just complete disappointment in the result.

I'm sure she regrets it today but it's not like ripping it off and tossing the medal. Or storming off the ice refusing to shake hands.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Speaking sportsmanship, did Hockey Canada ever apologize for the false allegations Team USA players stepped on the Canadian flag in their dressing room?

 

[canuck2010]

Speaking sportsmanship, did Hockey Canada ever apologize for the false allegations Team USA players stepped on the Canadian flag in their dressing room?

Hey you crawled out of your whole after the U20 at Christmas time. Hey while you're at it perhaps USA Hockey can apologize for the American ref that worked the women's final In Salt Lake.

 

[New User Name]

Speaking sportsmanship, did Hockey Canada ever apologize for the false allegations Team USA players stepped on the Canadian flag in their dressing room?

No idea but are we really going there?

From an interview in 2014..........

Walk me through your most famous interview, after the gold medal win in Salt Lake City, when you growled on national television: “The Americans had our flag on their floor in the dressing room, and now I want to know if they want us to sign it.”
HW: Walk you through that? OK, well, it actually came up in a conversation I had with my teammate, Thérèse Brisson. Because the flag had been in the dressing room, or the staff in the arena had told us the U.S. had a flag in their room as sort of a source for motivation. Not that it was necessarily on the floor, or anything like that. So Thérèse and I were walking out of the rink, and she turned and said, ‘if anybody ever asks you, ask them if they wanted us to sign it.’ I remembered that. And so right after the game, I was so emotional and so happy we won, and so wound up all at the same time, I had an interview with Don Cherry and said, ‘I have something to say.’ And I said it.

How do you feel when you see the clip now?
HW: I feel like, you know, in the moment, it is what it is. I don’t regret it. But I don’t watch it. It’s embarrassing to watch it now, so many years removed.

Several American players will swear on a Bible they didn’t have it on the floor.
HW: Yeah, and I mean, we went by the information that we got, which was from people in the rink. At the end of the day, it sort of helped us. It motivated us. It was a bit of a rallying point, at different times, for the room. You use the information you have in the moment to make those types of decisions. I’m not going to dispute whether they had it or if they didn’t, but at the time, that’s what we knew.