The U.S. has bounced back to tie the gold-medal final 2-2 at Canada Hockey Place on a goal by Zach Parise with 25 seconds left in the third period. Watch overtime NOW LIVE HERE and on NBC.
Canada had a Games-leading 13 golds entering Sunday’s hockey final. But the 14th gold is the host nation’s most precious medal of all. Canada won the Olympic hockey title with a 3-2 OT victory over the U.S. in a thrilling Vancouver finale.
The U.S. has bounced back to tie the gold-medal final 2-2 at Canada Hockey Place on a goal by Zach Parise with 25 seconds left in the third period. Watch overtime NOW LIVE HERE and on NBC.
Which figure skating moment in Vancouver will stay with you for years to come? Is it Evan Lysacek winning Olympic gold? Kim Yu-Na’s brilliant performance under the weight of her homeland’s expectations? Davis and White? Vote here then tell us why.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge says figure skating judging at the Vancouver Games was “absolutely impeccable.”
Don’t miss a minute of the action! What spectators need to know before going downtown to celebrate the final day of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Whether you are sitting in a seat at Canada Hockey Place or watching from a one of the celebration sites, know before you go and travel smart:
Today there will be very large numbers of pedestrians and crowds traveling into and out of Downtown for the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey Game and the Closing Ceremony, so vehicle travel will be challenging. Come Downtown to celebrate, but don’t bring your car- take transit, walk or cycle, and plan ahead for extra travel time.
Beatty Street (between Smithe and Dunsmuir) and Robson Street (between Cambie and Beatty) will temporarily close to vehicles and have limited access for pedestrians on February 28 from 8:00 am to midnight. Additionally, Olympic Lanes and temporary parking restrictions extend through to the morning of March 2 to support large volumes of traffic traveling to and from Downtown Vancouver, and to the Vancouver International Airport.
Use dedicated pedestrian routes: Pedestrian corridors on streets such as Granville and Robson will continue to operate on February 28. At noon, some or all of the road space will become pedestrian only areas until midnight. Watch out for bus traffic as approximately 600 to 700 motorcoaches and hundreds of transit buses will travel and/or park on many downtown streets between 8:00 am and midnight.
Companies to provide highly prized tickets to Closing Ceremony of 2010 Olympic Winter Games
Vancouver, BC ― Two hundred and fifty volunteers who worked tirelessly to help make the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games a success will be able to attend the spectacular Closing Ceremony tonight, thanks to a generous donation of tickets by Jet Set Sports and its affiliate company CoSport.
The companies, which are Official Supporters of the 2010 Winter Games, made the announcement this morning with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) at the Main Press Centre (MPC) in downtown Vancouver.
“We’re so pleased to help recognize the outstanding efforts of some of the more than 18,500 volunteers from across Canada and more than 50 countries at the Olympic Winter Games who have helped make this an international sporting event watched by millionsof spectators here and billions around the globe,” said Jet Set Sports company founder and CEO Sead Dizdarevic. “The volunteers have been great ambassadors for the city of Vancouver and all of Canada in helping to host these great Games.”
Jet Set Sports has donated more than 12,000 complimentary event tickets to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games for use by local school children, volunteers, security personnel, athlete families and numerous other non-profit organizations. In addition, Jet Set Sports stepped in at the last minute to provide complimentary hotel rooms to 11 Make-a-Wish families from around the world.
The 250 tickets were awarded to volunteers through a random draw. The lucky volunteers will be contacted by VANOC later this morning with details on when and where to collect their tickets for the ceremony, which will feature a special tribute to the volunteers of the Games.
“This is an amazing opportunity for these volunteers to participate in the Olympic Closing Ceremony and we are thrilled to reward them with this very generous gift from Jet Set and CoSport,” said VANOC CEO John Furlong. “Our volunteers have come in every day and given their all to make Canada’s Games something every resident from coast to coast to coast could stand up and be proud of. Without their support, these Games quite simply would not have been possible. They are our greatest ambassadors and helped make the athletes, the country and the Games shine with glowing hearts.”
About Jet Set Sports
Jet Set Sports and its sister company CoSport are leading providers of Olympic Games hospitality packages and Olympic Games event tickets to corporate clientele and the general public. Since 1984, Jet Set Sports has provided clients with unparalleled hospitality experiences at Olympic Games through its VIP Hospitality Programs and Hospitality Management Services. The company is an official sponsor of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the US Olympic Committee and various other National Olympic Committees throughout the world. Most recently, the company was an Official Sponsor of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, visit www.jetsetsports.com and www.cosport.com.
About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.
Whistler (AFP) – Norway’s Petter Northug won the men’s 50km cross country gold on Sunday, beating Germany’s Axel Teichmann in a two-up sprint.
Teichmann won the silver and Johan Olsson of Sweden took the bronze.
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Canada and the United States play for North American bragging rights, national pride and an Olympic gold medal. Watch the men’s hockey gold-medal final from Canada Hockey Place NOW LIVE HERE and on NBC.
Vancouver (AFP) – Bringing home the Olympic hockey gold is not a sprint to the finish but an exercise in managing nerves and overcoming hardships, says Canada associate general manager Ken Holland.
“People want us to win in six straight games but teams that win the Olympics are the ones that handle the adversity the best,” Holland told AFP while watching the Canadian players practice at Canada Hockey Place arena ahead of Sunday’s gold medal clash against the United States.
“When we first got here we expected bumps in the road. We had a huge emotional game against Russia. We survived a big scare from Slovakia. All these experiences prepare you for future ones.”
Canada will attempt to become the first team to win Olympic hockey gold on home ice in 30 years when they meet the USA.
As GM of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, Holland guided his club to a Stanley Cup championship in 2008.
He said the NHL playoffs are intense but for a short tournament nothing compares to the Olympics.
“We have been to the Stanley Cup finals two years in a row and we have got just seven players in this tournament. You have got all the top players from all the top NHL lines here. Everybody is so good,” Holland said.
“The checkers on these Olympics teams are 30-goal scorers in the NHL. The speed of these games is another notch above the NHL game.”
Holland said it hasn’t been difficult for management to get the Canadian players to buy into what they are trying to achieve at the Vancouver Olympics.
Forwards like Dany Heatley are counted on for scoring with the San Jose Sharks but he has been a physical force for Canada throughout this tournament.
“We told the guys if you don’t play on the power-play here then you have to contribute in another way. Maybe take a defensive role, block shots, throw checks,” Holland said.
It can work the other way too. Forward Brenden Morrow has never been a big scorer in the NHL but he scored a key goal in Canada’s 3-2 win over Slovakia in the semi-finals.
“The goals are a bonus and come from the law of averages,” said Morrow. “If you work hard enough then you get some bounces. My goals are never pretty but they come from winning the battles.”
That’s exactly the kind of thinking that Holland and coach Mike Babcock, who also coaches the Red Wings, are looking for in their players.
“We told the players at the start of the tournament that when it is over no one is going to remember what you did. They will remember what the team did. It is about the team and the country,” Holland said.
Holland, who played goal in the NHL for the Red Wings and Hartford Whalers, said he’s not worried about Canada’s goaltending in these Olympics.
“Roberto Luongo in the last five minutes against Slovakia made some key saves and a gigantic one on Pavol Demitra,” Holland said of Luongo, who was under seige in the last eight minutes of the third period in Canada’s 3-2 semi-final win over Slovakia.
“We haven’t been outplayed yet so our goalie hasn’t had to steal a game for us.
“I am sure Roberto would like to have the first goal against Slovakia back. But at the same time he made huge saves when the game was on the line.”
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