Go Canada....

Quote: AZDuffman

I think it was in the mid 1980s that like 98% of the NHL were Canadians. That boggles the mind.

You would think that Russia with 26 times the population of Finland would beat them just because they have so many more people from which to choose their teammates.

Of course, Canada has beaten USA in both Men's and Women's hockey and the population ratio is about 9:1.

Stories circulating about Warroad, Minnesota (six miles from Canadian border), Population 1,700 people, with an ice skating arena that seats 1,800. GiGi Marvin is a forward on the U.S. women's team. She won a silver medal at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics . Eight U.S. Olympic hockey players have come from Warroad. Seven have brought home medals.

It's a total cultural thing. Hockey is life in the Great White North. You can't get away from it. No matter whether you're in Ottawa, Quebec or Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, you're gonna find a place that people are playing it.

It's kind of like the Fins and rally racing. Barring that freak show Frenchy Loeb, the Fins dominate WRC. Because from the day they first take the wheel, they are trained to drive in Finnish conditions. Crests, rises, blind corners, poor weather. They all do it from the moment they first sit behind the wheel. It is then no wonder that they dominate a sport that directly involves just that, regardless if their entire population is only 5/8ths that of NYC.

That said, gratz to Kanada!

Exactly. The more importance a culture places on an activity, the more people do it, practice it and the better they get at it over all. There's probably -less- die hard hockey fans (and Mums and Dads and sons and daughters playing) in the US than in Canada. The general level of fervour is much higher here. Just watch the various youtubes of Canadian losing their minds over yesterdays Gold medal game. You just won't see that as widespread in the US. Or probably any other country.

It really is important up here. Like Brazil winning the World Cup or cricket in India or Rugby in New Zealand. With the addition is a much more niche sport than any of the previous sports.

Quote: TheCesspit

It really is important up here. Like Brazil winning the World Cup or cricket in India or Rugby in New Zealand. With the addition is a much more niche sport than any of the previous sports.

Judging from the medals table, all of the winter sports are really important in Canada.
Summer Olympics 2012 1 gold, 5 silver, 12 bronze = 18 total (rank 36/85)
Winter Olympics 2014 9 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze = 24 total (rank 3/88) (after 88 of 98 completed events)

Quote: Pacomartin

Judging from the medals table, all of the winter sports are really important in Canada.
Summer Olympics 2012 1 gold, 5 silver, 12 bronze = 18 total (rank 36/85)
Winter Olympics 2014 9 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze = 24 total (rank 3/88) (after 88 of 98 completed events)

Almost certainly, but not quite to the passion that they have for Ice Hockey.

Quote: TheCesspit

Almost certainly, but not quite to the passion that they have for Ice Hockey.

If the hockey team beats Sweden, then Canada actually has a chance to win the entire Olympics.

Last 10 events
Alpine: Men's Slalom
Biathalon: Men's Relay
X-Country: Women's 30 km
Snow Boarding: Men's parallel slalom
Snow Boarding: Women's parallel slalom
Speed Skate: Men's Team pursuit
Speed Skate: Women's Team pursuit

Final Day
X-Country: Men's 50 km
Bob-Sleigh: Four Man
Ice Hockey: Men's Finals

Canada stalled today. It looks like it will be between Russia and Norway, probably Russia as they are leading the 4 man bobsleigh. Norway has a good shot at Cross Country. Still, third is a great showing. But given that 5 of Canada's medals are from new events, they are actually worse than Vancouver 2010.

Quote: boymimbo

Canada stalled today.
But given that 5 of Canada's medals are from new events, they are actually worse than Vancouver 2010.

A third place finish with double gold in hockey is still worth a massive celebration tonight. Canada was 5th in 2006 and 3rd in 2002.

Russia moved up from 11th in Vancouver to 1st in Sochi which is their first win since Lillehammer in 1994.

With USA being completely shut out of six of fifteen disciplines, and only scoring 1 medal in the other three there will be some serious investigations. Particularly in speed skating and short track there will be a huge study about those suits.

USA missed these disciplines entirely
Biathlon 11
Curling 2
Nordic combined 3
Ski jumping 4
Cross-country skiing 12
Speed skating 12

Short track 8 (1 silver)
Luge 4 (1 bronze)
Ice hockey 2 (1 silver)

Skeleton
Figure skating
Bobsleigh
Freestyle skiing
Snowboarding
Alpine skiing

The really amazing thing was the complete lack of multiple medal winners in North America

Denny MORRISON Canada - Speed Skating - Silver and Bronze
Meryl DAVIS & Charlie WHITE United States - Figure Skating - Gold and Bronze

Quote: Pacomartin

USA missed these disciplines entirely
Biathlon 11
Curling 2
Nordic combined 3
Ski jumping 4
Cross-country skiing 12
Speed skating 12

To be fair we've NEVER won a medal of any stripe in Biathlon and only one medal (Silver) in x-country so it's going to be tough to break into either of those sports.

Biathlon looks like a fun sports. I enjoying watching it the most at the Games. But it's just not available in America.

Quote: theodores

To be fair we've NEVER won a medal of any stripe in Biathlon and only one medal (Silver) in x-country so it's going to be tough to break into either of those sports.

USA won 1 Curling bronze, 1 Ski Jumping bronze, 2 silver and 3 bronze out of 120 luge, and 1 gold and 3 bronze out of 102 Nordic combined medals.

But USA is first ranked in skeleton, second ranked in speed skating, and fourth ranked in short track speed skating. So these sports will probably receive the greatest attention before South Korea.