Make no mistake about it. With Canada's recent gold medal at the WJHC, this ushers in a new golden age for Canadian hockey. At this moment, Canada are the reigning men's and women's Olympic Champions, the men's and women's World Champions, the World Cup title holders and now the World Junior Champions.
It was like watching polar bears against mice. That's how good they were. It's not like the opponents were weak. Hockey is one of the most competitive international sports where 6 or 7 nations can beat anybody on any given night. However, not this time. Nobody was going to beat this team.
Canada is a land where hockey finds its ultimate expression. No country supports grass roots hockey like Canada. Every sport has its crucible of passionate fans. Soccer, as an example, is the sport of the people and finds ultimate support in places like England, Brazil and Italy. In Canada, hockey is the only thing that really matters. It is the one thing Canadians excel in.
The 2005 edition will possibly and arguably go down as the greatest hockey team Canada has ever assembled. Certainly the best Junior team ever. Not even our pros have dominated as they did. They were the perfect balance of skill and power. They represent everything Canada can be and should strive for. Indeed, Canadians should demand such excellence from every facets of Canadian life.
Hockey Canada and its organizers move forward with a sense of purpose. It has all the leadership qualities a country needs. Maybe this is why Canadians call for hockey summits when we feel our dominance is slipping. It seems it's the only thing we've got amidst all the corruption, inefficiencies and mismanagement of our government.
This victory is made even more special given the present insidious predicament the NHL is in. Most Canadians, if not all, would take the sheer pureness of Junior hockey any day. What a great victory. Next year in British Columbia, Canada will try to make it two in a row. Don't bet against them. They know how to succeed. .
great post ...
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