Jack Poole Plaza to see Olympic Flame

On October 22nd the Olympic Cauldron will be lit during the dedication of Jack Poole Plaza. While the flames have been ignited since the Games for Canada Day and a few other occasions, this celebration will commemorate the memory of Jack Poole, architect of Vancouver 2010, as the plaza has finally been completed.

The ceremony will take place at 7:30pm and everyone is encouraged to bust out their red mittens for the occasion.

Even though it’s been eight months since we hosted the world, and plush toy mascots are now in the clearance bins of local stores, many who were unable to see the cauldron during the Game will now have a chance. If the event also manages to rekindle a bit of the spirit that was around town in February, be prepared for a sea of red shirts, maple leafs, and a whole lot of high-fives.

Jack Poole Plaza is located at the North end of Thurlow at Burrard Place (just North of Cordova).
In related news, the Canadian Paralympic Committee will host its first Awards Ceremony the following night to celebrate the accomplishments of those who made an impact at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

http://www.miss604.com

Little to Love in 2012 Olympics Logo

By Alice Rawsthorn, New York Times

Call me a softie, but whenever I used to spot one of those lovely old UPS trucks whizzing by on the street, I’d swoon. They were gorgeous. Great shape. Great colors. Great logo.

That logo dated back to 1961 when the great American graphic designer, Paul Rand, drew it as a parcel topping a simple shield framing the letters u, p and s. Seven years ago, it “retired” when UPS replaced it with a new one. It isn’t the worst logo I’ve seen (tragically there’s tough competition for that slot) but it’s so bland that one blogger dubbed it the “golden combover.” Every other element of UPS’s visual identity became blander too, so much so that I winced when I first saw the new trucks.

If only I was still wincing, because these days I fume. Another symbol has been added alongside the “golden combover” to UPS’s (no longer quite so) new British trucks — a sponsor’s logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

It isn’t unusual for design nuts like me to seethe whenever a dodgy new design appears, or a great one disappears. But it’s very rare for “civilians” — as designers call almost everyone else — to do so too. The London 2012 logo caused such a storm at its launch in 2007, that it became an exception.

Garish colors, aggressive shapes and dodgy typography were just a few of its design crimes. Some thought it looked like a swastika. Others spotted Lisa Simpson doing something unmentionable. The animated version caused seizures among some people with a particular type of epilepsy. Fly posters appeared across East London featuring an unofficial version of the logo in which the numbers 2, 0, 1 and 2 were replaced by the letters of an off-color word.

The London 2012 organizers and their designers, Wolff Olins, responded by claiming that the logo was intentionally brave, bold and ahead of its time but that we would learn to love it. That was nearly three years ago, plenty of time to win us over. Were they right?

There was every chance that they would be. Tastes do change, often because it takes time to appreciate the subtleties of something that, like the 2012 logo, seems odd at first sight. Take Google’s logo. I used to loathe its happy-clappy gaucheness, but now I quite like it, despite knowing that there’s nothing gauche about its indomitable owner. Also the British love to mock ambitious, expensive flops, only to fall for them once there’s a hint of redemption. Think of the London Eye and Millennium Bridge. Once pilloried as technical debacles, they’re now popular London landmarks.

Plus, it’s in everyone’s interest for London 2012 to have a great logo. (It’s not just Londoners, like me, who’ll find it impossible to ignore.) Some people disagree. They argue that design doesn’t matter to this or any other Olympics, because the only thing that does is sport. They’re wrong. Of course, sport is the most important element, but not to the exclusion of everything else.

Firstly, what’s the point of designing anything that isn’t as good as it can possibly be, especially if it will: a) be as visible as an Olympic logo; and b) cost a fortune to commission, develop and execute? A well-designed logo isn’t necessarily more expensive than a bad one, and promises to “earn” much more over the years, in this case by selling more London 2012 souvenirs, and persuading more people to visit the city, or do business there.

Secondly, this is London, which boasts a great graphic design heritage: from 18th-century typeface designers like William Caslon to contemporary figures such as Peter Saville and Graphic Thought Facility. Blessed with so much talent, London has no excuse not to produce vintage Olympic graphics for 2012 like Lance Wyman’s for the Mexico City Games in 1968 and (my favorite) Otl Aicher’s for the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Will it? I wish I could say that the London 2012 logo has grown on me, as the organizers predicted, but it hasn’t. Everyone else I’ve asked feels the same — designers and “civilians” alike. Far from being “ahead of its time,” it looks increasingly like the graphic equivalent of what we Brits scathingly call “dad dancing,” namely a middle-aged man who tries so hard to be cool on the dance floor that he fails.

There has been some progress. The customized logo that celebrated the 2008 handing over of the Games from Beijing to London benefited from replacing the garish colors of the original with the Union Jack flag. Better still is the logo for the education program, which was unveiled last fall as the winner of a student design competition. As well as adding cheerfully colored pencils in place of the garish shades, Reiss Evans, the winning student, cleaned up the shape by erasing the messy “shadows” around the numbers in the original.

The London 2012 organizers say that they always intended Wolff Olins’s design to “evolve over time.” Any future changes will be the responsibility of the McCann Group, which was appointed last year to handle all of 2012’s marketing, including design. Whether design should be entrusted to a corporate marketing machine like McCann or bundled into marketing at all is debatable. Though I bet the outcome would be better if it was not. That said, the education logo was selected under McCann’s watch, and it is an improvement.

But that isn’t enough for something so important. The London 2012 organizers have already squandered their opportunity to commission great architecture by replacing some of the original designs, except Zaha Hadid’s aquatic center, with inferior ones. It’s too late to redress that, just as it’s too late to do what they should have done three years ago and commission a new logo, not least as 2012’s sponsors like UPS have now adopted the original. But it isn’t too late to make the design much, much better, and they could start by dumping that dodgy typeface.

www.newyorktimes.com

John Furlong travels to Georgia for memorial of luger killed in Whistler

Invited by Nodar Kumaritashvili's family to his hometown of Bakuriani--a few hours drive away from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Furlong was among a number of dignitaries amidst hundreds of people gathered for a four hour traditional Greek Orthdox service early this morning.

Furlong says attending was simply the right thing to do. "It would be impossible to continue to reflect on the Games...I don't care how long it goes on...without remembering the fact this is something that happened."

He says there's serious talk of building a luge track in Kumaritashvili's hometown, and he adds VANOC wants to help make sure his family get the insurance money that is entitled to them. The 21-year-old died February 12th during a training run in Whistler.

Even after the 2010 Games came to an end, there was one thing left for VANOC CEO John Furlong to do. Furlong attended a memorial service for the Georgian luger who died just hours before the Opening Ceremony.

2010 Winter Olympics Montage - Stephen Brunt Video Essay

Joannie Rochetee exemplifies Olympic spirit

Apologies for the sap-filled headline, but there's really no way to talk about the performance of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette on Tuesday night without delving into emotive prose. If you have a heart, Rochette's performance surely tugged its strings.

The back story: Rochette, Canada's best hope for a medal in Vancouver and runner up at the World Championships last year, not only came to the Olympics with the pressure of the host nation on her shoulders, but went out there last night just two days after her mother died of a heart attack. Obviously an extremely emotional time – Scott Hamilton mentioned on NBC's coverage how close Rochette was to her mother – but the 24-year old skater decided to continue with the competition, falling into what is certainly the emotional safety net of "routine" in an effort to parse the emotions of the situation.

And parse she did. Holding back tears before her short program, Rochette gave an inspired performance, skating herself into third place heading into Thursday's free skate. Emotions overwhelmed her after the skate as well, as she doubled over in tears as soon as her program came to a close.

Praise continues to roll in for Vancouver's Games

The accolades are starting to pour in for the 21st Winter Games, as the Olympics near their halfway point.

Despite an especially troubled beginning, that included the death of Georgian luger Nordar Kumaritashvili just hours before the opening ceremonies, Gilbert Felli, executive director of the Games for the International Olympic Committee, said Saturday that "everyone is rating the Games very highly.

"We are very pleased with the smooth running of the Games, so far, and there's no reason to believe the next eight days won't run just as smoothly," Mr. Felli told a special news conference to mark the approximate half-way point of the 17-day event.

"We have been working for nine years with VANOC, and we are extremely satisfied. Our expectations have been met."

He said Olympic athletes, whom he described as "the heart of the Games", have been impressed by both the quality of the venues and the "very high level" of services provided.

Mr. Felli's praise is the first high-level reaction from the IOC to the 2010 Winter Games, which were plagued by numerous glitches and snafus over its first few days. One British correspondent labelled them "the worst Games ever".

VANOC deputy CEO Dave Cobb echoed Mr. Felli's remarks, saying athletes and team officials have been "extremely complimentary" about the way the Games have unfolded so far.

Mr. Cobb seemed most proud of the way transportation to Games venue - a traditional Olympic headache - has worked to date.

He reported that one unidentified chef de mission, who had had been at seven previous Olympics, told him that this was the best Games transportation system he had seen.

"Transportation is definitely one of the biggest challenges at any Winter Games, and we had some growing pains at the beginning," Mr. Cobb said.
"But people have been very pleased at the way it is working now."
Mr. Felli said he has been particularly impressed with how quickly VANOC has reacted to fix problems as they have arisen.

"Most of the issues have been solved in 24 hours, and that has been a positive surprise."

The IOC executive said, like many, he has been astonished at the outpouring of residents into the streets of the city to celebrate the Olympics and the boisterous atmosphere at all Games venues.

"I believe people are really enjoying the Games, and the Canadian people are behind the Games," Mr. Felli said.

He said long-standing IOC concerns about the difficulties in transporting thousands of spectators all the way to Whistler for alpine events are no longer an issue.

"Personally, I was very concerned about this before the Games, so I have been surprised at the smooth-running of transportation."

On budgetary matters, Mr. Cobb said VANOC has contingency funds to make up for the added cost of transporting massive amounts of snow to the rain-drenched slopes of Cypress Mountain and the cancellation of $1.5-million worth of tickets.

At the same time, overall ticket sales have exceeded expectations and the sales of Olympic merchandise have soared far beyond expectations.

There are huge line-ups lasting to midnight outside the HBC's downtown so-called "Olympic superstore" where Games-related products are sold.

www.globeandmail.com

Ski Jeans Turning Heads at Olympics

Seth Wescott of the USA, beats Mike Robertson of Canada, left over the finish line to win the snowboard cross final at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,

The U.S. Snowboarding Team has been turning heads on Cypress Mountain, and not just with its ability to get on the medal stand.

The blue Ski jeans the team unveiled for the games have been turning heads given the sometimes stodgy Olympics — OK, except for maybe you Johnny Weir — a hip makeover.

"Snowboarding is the cool factor; that's what the sport is all about, so why not embellish it to its limit," said U.S. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner. "To wear jeans in the Olympics? I don't think you can get any cooler than that."

The jeans were given to the team on the eve of the games and were meant just for practice. Turns out, however, they don't just look good, they're fast, too.

Burton, who provides the gear for the U.S. team, also brought along more traditional race pants. The team told Burton to keep them in a box.

"We told 'em 'We're wearing these jeans, and there's nothing you can say about it,'" Baumgartner said.

And they were in no hurry to take 'em off. The team sat together — still in uniform — as Seth Wescott collected his second gold medal in snowboardcross.

Of course, everything looks good at the winner's podium.

Pearl Jam & Hot Wax

Jeffrey Sadis is a World Cup and Olympic ski tech. One of the best. And at Vancouver's Winter Olympics he's lending his talents - not to his native USA, but New Zealand.

For the next 16 days, Jeffrey's home is Cypress Mountain, site of Vancouver's Snowboard, Freestyle Skiing and Aerials competitions. From a perfectly organized private wax cabin complimented with the smell of hot wax and Pearl Jam in the air - Jeffrey is busy preparing ski and snowboards for New Zealand's best medal prospects.

New Zealand has prepared a young and passionate group of athletes for Vancouver. They include: Juliane Bray, Snowboard; Kendall Brown, Snowboard; Mitch Brown, Snowboard; Mitchey Greig, Freestyle Skiing; James Hamilton, Snowboard; and Rebecca Sinclair, Snowboard.

Best of luck to Jeffrey and his crew. For more information on New Zealand's Winter Olympic team visit www.winterolympics.co.nz

Olympic smile of the day - Kali & Bree

Warm winter smiles from Bree & Kali at Cypress Mountain. This dynamic duo, based at Alberta's Castle Mountain, are part of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association.

Canada's Olympic Moment - Michael Ignatieff

After the Super Bowl, the next sports spectacular to take over television screens will be the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Super Bowl Sunday is imperial Rome, all armor and battle formations, while the Olympics are still classical Greece: all torches, wreaths and moral uplift. The Super Bowl is a unique display of American exuberance. The Olympics have a more solemn function: to channel the lethal energies of modern nationalism into a peaceful competition for gold medals.

The Olympics have done their part in replacing war with sport as the way nations earn respect. Modern nations compete by branding their identities, and hosting the Olympic Games is the biggest branding opportunity a nation ever gets. The Beijing Games unveiled China as a global power. The Rio Games in 2016 will do the same for Brazil. The Sochi Winter Games in 2014 will showcase the raw power of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

If you’re not trying to demonstrate raw power or announce your arrival on the global stage, however, hosting the Games presents a challenge. We Canadians are immensely proud of our country, but we try to be soft-spoken about it, so we aren’t looking for the Vancouver Games to be a grandiose exercise in self-promotion. Instead, we want to demonstrate that we’re a people the world can count on. We’re proud that we brought in the Games on time and on budget. The venues are ready. Apart from some nail-biting about whether there will be enough real snow for the low-altitude venues, there have been no last-minute panics. The Olympics let us tell the world: Ask us to do a job, and we get it done right.

Instead of giving rein to Olympic grandiosity, the Vancouver organizers have tried to rein it in. Many of the venues are deliberately modest in scale and have been grouped together to minimize their environmental footprint. Visitors will take the Canada Line, Vancouver’s spiffy new light rail system, instead of taxis. Buses will replace cars as the way up to Whistler, site of the big downhill events. Offsets have been purchased to pay for the Games’ carbon emissions. We hope visitors will come away thinking Canada ran the greenest Games.

The Games will also mark Vancouver’s emergence as a global city. Canadians hope that visitors arriving in Vancouver for the first time will be awed by the city’s sublime mountain and ocean setting, its diverse yet integrated population and its status as a multicultural metropolis facing out to Asia.

The Olympics are branding Canada to the world, but they are also branding Canada to Canadians. At first we grumbled about the cost and did not take ownership of the whole expensive spectacle. But as soon as the Olympic torch relays began this fall, Canadians started lining the route by the thousands to see Olympians and other local heroes carrying the torch aloft through their communities. From Alert, the northernmost community on earth, to the American border and from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, the torch relay has brought the country alive and brought it together.

The Games have also changed Canadian attitudes toward competition itself. We’ve always had talented athletes, but we let other countries give theirs more support. A while back, the government initiated a multimillion-dollar program to invest in Olympic gold. Now Canadian athletes have world-class sports psychologists, coaches and training facilities. The snowboarders have aerodynamic experts to work on their boards. The curling team can model their shots in a wind tunnel. Canada has hosted the Winter Games before — in Calgary in 1988 — but has never won gold at home. Nothing less than a top-three finish in gold medals will satisfy the Canadian Olympic team this time.

Canadians’ newfound competitiveness has caught the eye of Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central’s master of faux outrage. He blasted “the syrup suckers” up north for denying American speed skaters practice time on the Olympic skating oval. “Canada is cheating!” Colbert thundered. Canadians thundered faux outrage right back. Of course, all chauvinism aside, we Canadians think American speed skaters will need all the help that Stephen Colbert can give them.

The Games will showcase a more competitive Canada. Now Canada waits to see whether the new spirit will pay off, especially in hockey, the national game and ruling obsession. Canada will have the home advantage in the Games, and every player takes the ice knowing that only victory will do.

The question is how individual athletes in the Canadian men’s, women’s and Paralympic teams manage the pressure of all our pent-up national expectation. That is finally what makes the Games uniquely compelling. The real drama is not the battle between countries as much as each individual competitor’s battle with himself or herself. Nations can pitch the Olympics as a battle between nations, but the spectators know this is a very human, very individual drama. Some competitors will draw inspiration from the crowds, and some will be crushed by the pressure. Canadians will be watching, because we are proud of our country’s best, but also because we know that what is so great about sport, what lifts it above just a branding exercise for nations, is that it is ultimately about human beings battling with their limitations and finding their own unique and mysterious way to win.

By MICHAEL IGNATIEFF

Michael Ignatieff is leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He is a former contributing writer for the magazine. His latest book is “True Patriot Love.”

www.newyorktimes.com

Brilliant blue skies... and helicopters!

With a week to go before Vancouver's Winter Olympic Games launch, crews are full speed ahead at Cypress Mountain. Cypress is home to Freestyle Skiing, Aerials, Snowboarding, Parallel Giant Slalom and Ski/Board Cross. Only a short drive from Vancouver, and overlooking beautiful English Bay, Cypress has been a visible target of Vancouver's unseasonably mild winter. And while the city has enjoyed early spring-like conditions, Cypress - and more importantly it's crews, have been challenged with keeping the snow - on the ground.

From our accounts on the ground today, the hundreds of workforce and volunteers are doing an incredible job. The snow is there, and fields of play will be in keeping with creating the world's best. Less than a week to go... the excitement is building.

Vice President Joe Biden to head US delegation in Vancouver

Vice President Joe Biden will be heading American delegation to the in Vancouver, Canada, according to a press release on Tuesday.

Biden will travel to Vancouver from Feb. 12 to Feb. 15 and would meet U.S. athletes, dignitaries, and world leaders.

President Barack Obama will skip the Winter Games this time. An official at the U.S. consulate in Vancouver said, “The president was in Ottawa last February and this year it's the vice-president's turn.”

The Winter Olympic Games will be officially opened by Governor General Michaelle Jean.

Biden will accompany wife Jill, close friend Valerie Jarrett, and U.S. ambassador to Canada David Jacobson to Vancouver. Gold medalists Mike Eruzione, Peggy Fleming, and Vonetta Flowers will also be present.

Here is a great clip of Biden earlier this year.


Biden Criticized For Appearing In Hennessy Ads

Enter to win to great Olympic contests

Win* tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Closing Ceremony and enter BC's Great Mountain Giveaway

Tourism BC is running two contests that will allow some lucky Canadians and United States residents to discover British Columbia (BC) at its best.

Two tickets to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Closing Ceremony

Your chance to win* two tickets to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Closing Ceremony in Vancouver, BC, Canada on February 28, 2010. The Closing Ceremony is a unique, large-scale celebration, featuring major music acts and capturing the spirit and personality of our city, province and country — a celebration of the world’s greatest athletes.

This contest closes on February 12, 2010.
Click here to enter now.
*Click here for official rules.

Win a Mountain in BC's Great Mountain Giveaway

Here is a chance for you to win your very own mountain (for five days) and make yourself popular with 19 of your closest friends. Enter Tourism BC’s Great Mountain Giveaway and your group of 20 family and friends could be heading out for the ultimate five-day, four-night VIP skiing experience at one of BC's top mountain resorts. Not only can you win the accommodation, lift tickets, rentals and return airfare for the whole group; in most cases, you’ll get exclusive access to some of the best runs on the slopes.

This contest ends March 1, 2010.
Click here to enter and choose from 13 of the top ski resorts in BC
*Click here for official rules

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Free Events

When the Olympic ticket pricing was announced many citizens felt left out as they were unable to afford the hefty price tag for most events. However, fear not Vancouverites, the city has a lot of free events going on around the 2010 Winter Olympic games. Check out the list for yourself...

Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay
As the torch makes its way around BC and soon enters the Lower Mainland, the excitement is intensifying. Check to see information on the lead-up to the Games and the progress of the flame. For more info:
Complete Schedule and Route
Celebration Communities
Live Webcam
Twitter
Athletes carrying torch


Canadian and Cultural Pavilions
The Olympics are not just about sports these days. Nowadays they are just as much about partying, mingling and wining and dining the right people in hopes of some sort of economic gain. That is what the various Provincial and Territory Houses will showcase during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Here we have provided a comprehensive list of all the Canadian Pavilions.

International Pavilions
Whether you're looking to indulge in great International cultural flavour by day, or looking to score with that hot Swedish babe or Italian stallion by night, the International pavilions offer it all. Heineken House and Sochi House will be packed. Then there's also the French Quarter at Granville Island and much much more!

LiveCity Vancouver 2010
These are the mother of all FREE events happening during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Both Yaletown and Downtown will be packed well into the night.

• LiveCity Downtown: features a large screen to view Olympic games
• LiveCity Yaletown: features acts such as DeadMau5 and Sam Roberts

Richmond O-Zone
Island city Richmond is throwing the biggest party of all. The O-Zone is massive at 60 acres, located next to City Hall into Minoru Park. A ten minute walk from the Skytrain station makes it convenient, and transportation is convenient.



Suburban Live Sites
While the world will be in the city of Vancouver partying it up, the suburbs will be recreating the excitement in their domains as well. Here is a guide of free events occurring in the suburbs of Metro Vancouver.


Robson Square Ice rink @ GE Plaza
Strap on your skates and head downtown to Robson Square. If you don't have skates, no worries, you can rent a pair for just $3 (free for anyone 12 and under). While skating you'll be at the centre of it all, as media, tourists and avid zipline adventurers mill about at this city's revived public square. Open daily from 12-9pm.

Lululemon and YYoga Free Yoga Campaign
YYoga and lululemon have teamed up to provide free yoga during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic games (Feb 12 to 18). For those interested click on the link above for more detailed information.





LunarFest 2010
Part of the Cultural Olympiad, LunarFest is going on right now with some great displays on Granville Street (between Robson and Georgia). Vancouver's very own Lantern Forest, 40 steel trees with thousands of lanterns decorated by school children, are about to be erected right on the 700 block of Granville Street.


Vancouver 2010 Chinese New Year Parade
This year many feared that the 36th annual Vancouver Chinese New Year parade would be postponed due to...what else the Olympics. However, don't fret the parade will march on with a slight time and route adjustment. Basically the parade must be finished before hordes of people pile into Canada Place for a hockey game. Chinese New Year is Feb 14.


The 2010 Olympic Line Street Car
Although not really an event, the Bombardier Street Car (aptly named the Olympic Line) is FREE and thus it makes it on our list. Besides connecting the Olympic Village to Granville Island, a street car ride can be quite romantic.



Vectorial Elevation at English Bay
Get set for an amazing light show scheduled every night during the Olympics over English Bay. Legend has it these lights can be seen from as far south as South Vancouver.





The Olympic Zipline at Robson Square
We were the first to tell you about this and we have saved the best for last. The Olympic Ziptrek line down Robson Square is going to be packed with urban thrillseekers. Enjoy a thrilling zipline ride over a part of Downtown Vancouver! It operates from 10:00am to 9pm daily during the Olympics. Click the above link for more information.


http://vancitybuzz.blogspot.com

Shaun White's 1.8 seconds of brilliance

Shaun White... the king of snowboarding will no doubt be a star attraction in Vancouver. The U.S. snowboarder's patented style, charismatic attitude and mop of red hair - only topped with his amazing determination. Take a closer look at the science behind his amazing trick...

NBC expects 200M to watch Vancouver Olympics

With the Vancouver Olympics two weeks away, the pressure is on for broadcast partner NBC Universal, just coming off the embarrassment of their feuding late-night hosts and admissions that the company will lose money on the Games, which start Feb. 12.

“I’m very confident we’ll do well from a ratings standpoint,” NBC research guru Alan Wurtzel told reporters Thursday. He said he expects 200 million people to watch at least parts of the Vancouver Games over the 17-day telecast. That number would be fewer than the 215 million who tuned in for the Beijing Olympics, but more than the 184 million from the prior winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Mr. Wurtzel said “American Idol” and other popular TV shows may eat into Olympics viewership, but he said, “The Olympics is the ultimate reality show.”

Mr. Wurtzel, NBC Universal’s president of research, said measurements of consumers’ awareness of the Games and intent to view them are “huge,” but it might take another week or so for people to throw themselves fully into Olympic fever. “We’ve always found America has to get past the Super Bowl,” before they turn full attention to the Olympics, he said. (TV watchers: the Super Bowl is Feb. 7.)

In a wide-ranging discussion of NBC’s plans to track how people follow the Games on TV, online, on mobile devices and anywhere else (acronyms like TAMi and iMMi were tossed around liberally), Mr. Wurtzel outlined new research methods to better understand how much Olympics people catch online or on smartphones, and why: is it to re-watch their favorite snowboarder taking a nasty tumble, or is it to skip TV entirely?

Mr. Wurtzel said it was “absurd” to think online video viewing erodes TV viewing—practically an axiom among some TV-industry watchers, but an idea the TV companies dispute. “It used to be that media was a zero-sum game,” he said, but now people will watch Michael Phelps swimming on TV, and surf the Web at the same time to read up on his Subway sandwich sponsorship or watch his prior races. “It’s not that people will forsake one medium for another.”

“What I want us to be is the smartest media company on the planet,” Mr. Wurtzel said of all the research methods.

www.wsj.com

Clara Hughes to Carry Canada's Flag

Five-time Olympic medalist Clara Hughes will carry Canada's flag at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics on Feb. 12.

The speedskater was introduced at a ceremony that also included the official announcement of Canada's full Olympic team for the Games.

Hughes is the only Canadian athlete to have won medals at both the Summer and Winter Games.

"This is without a doubt the greatest honor of my sporting life," Hughes said. "For 20 years I've had the privilege of representing Canada around the globe in the world of sports, first on my bike and then on my blades. The experiences have shaped me into who I am today.

"I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been," Hughes said.

Vancouver will be Hughes' fifth Olympics. She won two bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games in cycling and competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She qualified as a speedskater for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City and won bronze in the 5,000 meters there before competing in Torino in 2006.

Russian tall ship to sail into Vancouver for games

Vancouver is in for a rare treat when the Russian tall ship, the Krusenstern, is expected to arrive in the city, carrying the flag and delegates of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games organizing committee. The ship is expected to arrive at Vancouver’s Burrard Drydock (under low tide) on February 10th.

The ship will be open for public tours a few days a week and they are hoping to obtain a permit to offer short cruises to the public for a fee.

The ship’s intent is to promote the next Winter Games in Sochi, Russia in 2014. The Russians will be using the Telus World of Science, in False Creek, as their cultural house during the upcoming Games.

The Kruzenstern is a four-masted Russian barque and tall ship, built in 1926 in Germany. She was given to the USSR in 1946 as war reparation and renamed after the early 19th century Baltic German explorer in Russian service, Adam Johann Krusenstern.

If you have the opportunity to check out the ship while she is moored in Vancouver. She is one of the tallest sailing ships in the world with a height of over 51 meters, requiring the captain to bring her into the inner harbour at low tide, in order to clear the Lions Gate Bridge with a 10 meter clearance.

www.vancouveraccess2010.com

VANOC to provide media update on Cypress Mountain

With Vancouver awash in spring-like conditions including sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures, VANOC will go to the media on Thursday fpr an update on the ongoing snow harvesting and overall venue preparations at Cypress Mountain. Cypress Mountain is home of freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

On January 13, VANOC and Cypress Mountain management agreed to close the ski resort's alpine runs to the public in order to undertake the significant preparation required to ready the mountain for Olympic competition, especially in light of the unseasonably warm and wet weather.

The media briefing will be held at VANOC headquarters, see below for additional details. At this time, it is not possible to access the venue as it is closed for Games-time preparations.
Current plans for the briefing include the provision of recent still photos and video to the media. As Cypress is an official Olympic venue, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s "Television News Access Rules Applicable to Non-rights holding Broadcast Organizations at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games" is in effect. These rules are attached for review in advance of the media briefing and will also be provided in hard copy on Thursday.

Today, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and VANOC CEO John Furlong viewed the venue and ongoing round the clock preparations for the Games during a helicopter tour. "It's impressive to see how hard the venue team is working at Cypress Mountain to ensure the world's best winter athletes have great courses to compete on. They're experts in their field and are putting everything they have into this. I know they'll do us proud when the Games open in just 17 days," said Campbell after the venue tour. "We also saw impressive amounts of snow at the higher elevations, which the team is carefully moving into place, always conscious of the balance between weather and the time needed to prepare for the arrival of the athletes. It's all coming together nicely, despite the recent temperate conditions."

Olympic Rings Grace Vancouver - 17 days...

An impressive set of 14-metre tall Olympic rings are lit on Coal Harbour, in the harbour of Vancouver. The lights are visible from North and West Vancouver, and Cyprss Mountain, home of the Freestyle Skiing & Snowboarding events.

The rings were designed and built by B.C. firms and comprise thousands of individual programmable LED lights, which will be visible from around the harbour.

The rings will be moored at Brockton Point and moved into the harbour for light-show events, including a show each time a Canadian athlete wins a medal.

There is another set of LED Olympic ring lights near the entrance to the Vancouver International Airport.

Sedins to lead Sweden's Olympic Men's Hockey

The NHL's #1 brother act will lead Sweden men's hockey team next month at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. During the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Vancouver Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik were utilitarian parts in a Swedish machine that won its first Winter Games gold since 1994. But in 2010 things will be different for the young men from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.

But the 2010 Vancouver Olympics almost certainly won't be an identical performance for the Canucks' identical twins. Coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson will be relying on Henrik and Daniel to stoke up that Swedish firepower. The Sedins were unavailable for comment on Sunday morning -- the Canucks cancelled their morning skate in advance of Sunday night's game against the Calgary Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledome -- but Daniel spoke recently of the anticipated changes in the brothers' Olympic roles.

"We played a smaller role (in Torino), I guess, but the good thing was that they made everyone feel important. We played a lot on the penalty kill in a third- and fourth-line role, but it was still fun because we were a big part of the team," Daniel told the Vancouver Canucks' website just before Christmas.

"We don't know what kind of role to expect this year, because there's a lot of good Swedish players, but you always want to have a big role on the team, and hopefully we get that."

Former NHL stalwart Peter Forsberg, Detroit Red Wings' duo Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom, Washington Capitals sniper Nicklas Backstrom, Columbus Blue Jackets veteran Fredrik Modin, and Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who's currently out of action with a separated shoulder, are among the potent Swedish forwards named to the provisional roster Sunday.

But the 29-year-old Sedins, who've become the face of the Canucks in the past year or two, have been two of the NHL's most prominent, consistent and dynamic scorers since the lockout. In 591 regular-season games with Vancouver since the 2006 Olympics, the Sedins have a combined 179 goals among 592 points.

Henrik, who leads all Swedish-born NHL point producers with 49 -- that's tied for second-best across the league -- likes his team's chances at becoming the first repeat Olympic champions since the Soviets won in 1984 at Sarajevo and 1988 at Calgary.

"Looking back, we were really fortunate just to be a part of the Olympic experience and then to win, it was crazy. It's something I'll always remember for sure," Henrik told the Canucks' site.

"Everything went right for us. We won the right games; we lost to the Slovaks in the round robin, which gave us a little bit of an easier route to the finals; and all of the guys who were having great years over here came over and really kept playing at their peak.

"We've always won with defensive kind of hockey where you need all five guys on the ice to be on the same page," added Henrik. "We've never had the best team in any tournament and we've had to win by playing good team hockey and really coming together quickly."

Vancouver teammate Mikael Samuelsson, 33, who was a linemate of the Sedin twins throughout most of the Torino tournament, was left off Sweden's provisional 2010 roster. Samuelsson entered Sunday night's game without a goal in 13 games.

Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler, 23, had been considered a long shot to crack the Swedish roster, and did not make the country's eight-man defense corps.

Five other Canucks are believed to have a chance to be playing at GM Place in February. Goaltender Roberto Luongo is considered a shoo-in as one of Canada's top two goaltenders, while it's a mere formality for Finland's Sami Salo and Germany's Christian Ehrhoff to be named to their respective countries' corps of defensemen.

Selke Trophy winner Ryan Kesler, 25, of Livonia, Mich., is similarly considered to be a lock for the U.S. team. "I might get a couple of cheers, but mostly boos," he's quoted as saying on NBC.com's website. "It's going to be special for me."

If right winger Pavol Demitra recovers in time from shoulder surgery, he'd be a hands-down, front-line forward for Slovakia.

www.nhl.com

Intrawest lenders to auction off Whistler resort during games

Financiers are expected to put Intrawest's Whistler Blackcomb resort up for auction next month while the facility is hosting 2010 Winter Olympic Games events.

Intrawest's owner, Fortress Investment Group, lost control of the company after missing a large debt payment. Creditors who loaned $1.4 billion to Fortress have now seized control of the company and are attempting to sell off its assets.

A notice of public auction to be held Feb. 19 was published in multiple newspapers in Canada and the United States Wednesday.

Among the assets listed were "partnership interests in two resort properties located in Canada (Whistler and Blackcomb)."

Intrawest is a unit of the Fortress Group LLC, which paid $1.8 billion for the resort firm and its 10 North American mountain resorts two years ago.

As a vacation resort operator and developer of real estate at its resorts and at other locations across North America and in Europe, the company was widely seen as being vulnerable during the global financial downturn.

Publish Post

Vancouver welcomes Leonardo da Vinci

Vancouver will celebrate the body in sport, as well as art, during the 2010 Winter Olympics next month.

A rare collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of the human body will be on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery from Feb. 6 to May 2. Admission is free during the 17 days of the Games (Feb. 12 to 28).

The exhibition marks the first time that the artist’s anatomical drawings, “Anatomical Manuscript A,” will be on view in their entirety since they were drawn in the early 1500s, said Ian M. Thom, a senior curator at the museum.

The drawings, which feature da Vinci’s unique mirror-image script, are on loan from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.

The museum is offering other free exhibits during the Games, including a show of contemporary art based on the human form and a survey of art from British Columbia. The gallery has also produced three major public art installations in downtown Vancouver.

www.nytimes.com

"I belive in what were doing." ~ John Furlong

An insightful and personal interview with the charismatic and tireless leader of the Vancouver Olympic Committee - John Furlong.

Holland's Heineken House ready to rock in Richmond

The Holland Heineken House is the official home of the Dutch Olympic Committee NOC*NSF and is facilitated by Heineken. The 5.000 square meters of the Minuro Arenas consists of two ice hockey rinks, which will be removed especially for this occasion. Minuro Arenas is only a 5-minute walk from Canada Line Skytrain Station Richmond-Brighouse and a 15-minute walk from the Richmond Olympic Oval, the location where the Dutch speed skaters will compete for the medals. The Holland Heineken House is in the beating heart of the special arranged Richmond Olympic Zone (O Zone) at Minuro Park.

Take a virtual tour of the Heineken House.

Medal Ceremony Hall
The highlight of the Holland Heineken House experience is the main hall featuring celebratory medal ceremonies for the successful Dutch athletes and nightly performances by Dutch renowned artists and DJ’s. It can host about 3,000 – 4,000 people every night. The uniquely close relationship that Dutch sport fans have with their heroes – coupled with their penchant for the national color orange – makes for a vibrant and unforgettable atmosphere during celebrations and performances. More than 100,000 people visited the Holland Heineken House during Winter Games in Turin and 95,000 at the Beijing Olympics. At the last Summer Games, supporters were able to celebrate a total of 16 medals for the Dutch Olympic Team.

Epic centre Dutch sporting world
Further features of the Holland Heineken House include a Lodge Restaurant and several food outlets, a Dutch Consulate information desk, ATP travel and ticketing desk, a special athletes’ room, VIP facilities for members of the Dutch royal family and government should they pay a visit, a business lounge for partners and suppliers of NOC*NSF and facilities for Dutch media. The organization expects more than 50.000 visitors during the Olympic Winter games in Richmond.
Sports fans can follow the progress of their heroes live on dozens of large screens throughout the Holland Heineken House, sharing in the achievements and emotions that are part and parcel of the Olympic experience. Should you be unable to obtain a ticket for your favorite event, there is no better way to enjoy the action than in the company of fellow fans.

Opening hours
Open daily from 9 a.m. until 2 a.m., the Holland Heineken House is an ideal place to catch up on the latest of the Olympics or simply relax with something to eat or drink. Everyone is welcome who comes to the Olympic Games from 11 until the 28th of February 2010, including international guests, and most of all those with a Dutch Passport.
The refreshments offer a range from fast food and healthy snacks to the best of modern cuisine, of course with a Dutch and Canadian hint. Combined -of course- with a fresh and cold Heineken draught beer. Table reservations for lunch and dinner at the Lodge Restaurant (capacity 150 pax) already can be made by sending an e-mail to hhh@atp.nl.

The Heineken House is locate next to the O Zone and the Richmond Oval Centre where the speed skating events will take place…
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Ovechkin leads Russia's Men's Hockey Team

Alexander Ovechkin and eight players who were part of back-to-back World Hockey Championship titles headline the 23-man Olympic men's squad proposed by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.

Ovechkin was one of three Washington Capitals players and among 14 NHL players named to the team, which will be looking for Russia's first gold in Olympic hockey since 1992.
However, head coach Vyacheslav Bykov - who was on that gold medal winning team in Albertville - and general manager Vladislav Tretiak also made news for the players he left off the team.

Among the most notable absentees are Ottawa Senators forward Alexei Kovalev. The fourth leading scorer on the Senators this season, Bykov has failed to select him for the national team since 2006.

Alexei Yashin and Nikolai Zherdev, who were not included on the 50-man provisional roster, were also left off the team along with Maxim Sushinsky and Sergei Mozyakin - two of the leading scorers in the Russian KHL this season.

Edmonton netminder Nikolai Khabibulin was also left off the list. He was not originally invited to the August training camp but was put on the 50-man provisional list in November. Khabibulin has not played for the national team since 2002.

The Russian team will rely heavily on stars such as Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk. They will anchor a forward unit that also includes the enigmatic Maxim Afinogenov, veteran Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov, Alexei Morozov, Alexander Radulov, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Zinoviev.

The defensive corps is led by veteran Sergei Gonchar, who will be making his fourth Olympic appearance. Edmonton's Denis Grebeshkov, Montreal's Andrei Markov, Fedor Tutin of Columbus and Anton Vonchenkov of Ottawa make up the remaining NHL contingent on the blue line. Dmitri Kalinin, Konstantin Korneyev and Ilya Nikulin round out the group.

While everyone will point to Russia's strength on offense, Bykov says it will be important to be strong defensively as well.

"With the way ice hockey has evolved, it is essential to excel not only in offensive but in defense as well," he tells CTVOlympics.ca. "We're trying to find a certain balance between the two. Even if we can rely on great forwards, we need to be able to count on that on both sides of the rink."
San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov is expected to be the starter for the Russians ahead of Ilya Brzygalov from Phoenix and Semyon Varlamov of Washington.

Russia, who will go into the Vancouver Olympics as Canada's biggest threat to a gold medal, begin play against February 16 against Latvia. They will then face Slovakia on February 18 before completing round robin play February 21 against the Czech Republic.

"There will be many strong teams at the tournament," said Bykov. "At least six of them can claim to have a shot at a gold medal and Russia is amongst them. In Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada, hockey is a true religion and the fans will want to see their team do well and bring back the honors. Like most contenders, we are preparing for victory and I hope the spectators won't be disappointed."

Russia's Olympic hockey roster
Goalies: Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix), Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose), Semyon Varlamov (Washington)
Defence: Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh), Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton), Dmitri Kalinin (Salavat Ufa), Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA Moscow), Andrei Markov (Montreal), Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan), Fedor Tyutin (Columbus), Anton Vonchenkov (Ottawa)

Forwards: Maxim Afinogenov (Atlanta), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta), Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Ufa), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh), Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), Alexander Radulov (Salavat Ufa), Alexander Semin (Washington), Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan), Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat Ufa).

Simpsons to curl in Vancouver's Olympics

Sweeping is a skill. Kilts are in fashion. The target is shaped like a doughnut.

It was just a matter of time before the Simpsons gave curling a try.

The dysfunctional television family will take aim at the roaring game this season when Homer and Marge head to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. In an episode due to air around the time of the Winter Games in February, the couple represents the United States in the semi-fictional event of mixed curling.

Homer and Marge Simpson will fictionally travel to the Vancouver Games to compete in mixed curling. Stronger. Higher. Homer?

"We knew we wanted to do a show about the winter Olympics in Vancouver, and we wanted to get the Simpsons there as participants," said Rob LaZebnik, one of the show's writers. "We liked the idea of a sport that you could do with your spouse, and all the issues that presents. Plus, we're hoping we get free Olympic stuff."

Several of the show's writers come from Canada, where curling is the nation's No. 2 sport, and the land of hockey and health care has taken its share of ribbing from the show. In a 2002 episode, Bart follows his girlfriend to the country Homer calls "America Junior" and winds up in a fight with his friend Milhouse that interrupts a curling match.

This time the show aims straight at curling, and LaZebnik said he can understand why those who love the sport would be concerned.

"When you hear ‘The Simpsons' is going to do their take on your sport, you naturally get a little alarmed," he said in a telephone interview. "But we ended up being respectful - I would say, even, surprisingly respectful. Both Homer and Marge take it seriously."

LaZebnik said the writing staff was thinking of ways to work in an Olympic theme for an episode to air during the games, and they originally thought Homer's ability to remain inert would be an asset on a bobsled. Eventually, they came around to curling, putting Marge and Homer on the same team as Principal Seymour Skinner and his mother.

The Simpsons, it turned out, were naturals.

Homer's bowling skills translated to the curling delivery, and Marge's housecleaning made her a whiz at the sweeping that curlers use to help direct the stone down the ice. More wackiness ensues when the family gets to Vancouver and Lisa becomes addicted to pin collecting; it's also a good bet that Bart will create an international incident.

But the sport occasionally derided as "extreme shuffleboard" avoids a direct hit.
"The Simpsons is a comedy that's been around for 20 years. They make fun of everybody and everything," said Brady Clark, who with his wife, Cristin, is an actual four-time U.S. mixed curling champion. "The fact that The Simpsons is even considering doing an episode on curling, it shows that the exposure is out there. To me it's a good thing."

Olympic curling involves a team of four players - either all men or all women - who take turns throwing two stones apiece at a target known as the house. There is a two-person, coed version called mixed curling that is growing in popularity but is not an Olympic event.
"There's been a discussion about adding another discipline," Brady Clark said. "It was my understanding that the IOC was receptive, but that they really want to limit the number of athletes."

To get Marge and Homer on the same team, the show's writers used a little creative license to declare mixed curling a demonstration sport. Other details they tried to get right by watching curling on YouTube and talking to actual curlers, including the Clarks and Rick Patzke, the chief operating officer of USA Curling.

"I would trouble them with the most mundane questions about curling," LaZebnik said. "It was the equivalent of asking A-Rod, ‘Where do you stand in the batters box?'"

Patzke helped get the writers on the ice at one of the curling clubs in Southern California that popped up as the sport's popularity spiked after the Turin Olympics. Three of them are from Canada and had curled before, said LaZebnik, who isn't one of them.

"One said curling was the one sport you could do in high school where he could be with girls," said LaZebnik, who is from Missouri. "It looks so easy, but it's quite difficult just not falling over."

And that's the message curlers hope viewers will take away.

"Although Homer Simpson probably isn't the ideal athlete I would want to see representing our sport, I just think it's great exposure," Cristin Clark said.
Patzke agreed.

"They're a comedy show; I expect they're going to have some fun with it. But they're going to respect the sport," he said. "If people have a few laughs but they decide to come out and try it, maybe that will lead to good things."

Although the curlers bristle at the notion that Homer could roll off the couch and reach the Olympics, Patzke prefers to think of him as an everyman who reaches the Olympics and doesn't forget where he came from. And like thousands of recreational or competitive curlers - including the Clarks, or 2006 Olympians Cassie and Jamie Johnson - the team is an extension of their family.

"Homer and Marge, they're the typical curlers in that they do an extraordinary thing, and they're still your neighbor next door," Patzke said. "Curling's been around for 500 years; it hasn't ever been this star-struck sport. They're not like going to get lost in this whole ‘Gee, I'm a big star' kind of thing.' They're still going to be your neighbor next door."

Just don't expect them to return your power tools.

http://www.associatedpress.com/

Team USA names Langenbrunner Olympic captain

Don't think for a second Jamie Langenbrunner is going to change now that he's been named captain of the U.S. Olympic Team headed to Vancouver.

This leadership stuff percolates within his veins. He's been around leaders for as long as he can remember and has worn the New Jersey Devils' captain's "C" the past three seasons.

"I don't think I've really changed since the day I was named captain in New Jersey," Langenbrunner said. "I still go about preparing for a game the same way and the way I treat people in the dressing room. I plan on being that way long after I'm done with hockey, too. If you think you have to change or do something different, then you're not being who you are and forgetting why you were picked in the first place."

Langenbrunner, a 13-season veteran, will be assisted by alternate captains Zach Parise, Dustin Brown, Ryan Suter and Brian Rafalski. The leadership roles were announced by Team USA General Manager Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson Monday. Team USA's roster, with an average age of 26.5, includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies. Rafalski is the oldest player at 36 and Patrick Kane the youngest at 21.

Burke said Langenbrunner was the logical choice to lead Team USA.

"We've have some difficult decisions, long discussions and some vitriolic, profanity-laced arguments through this selection process, but the one thing we didn't argue over was our captain," Burke said. "Jamie is serving on an organization (New Jersey) that's respected throughout the League. He's been a model of consistency and of versatility. He's a guy who does just about everything well on an ice surface and lots of things well in the dressing room."

Burke was asked about the New Jersey connection assigned to leadership duty, including current Devils' forwards Langenbrunner and Parise and former defenseman Rafalski.

"That was something that kept coming up -- the fact this guy played in the New Jersey system," Burke said. "Rafalski cut his teeth with the Devils and Jamie has gone through that whole process of watching guys check their ego at the door and do their jobs. A lot of this team selection and captaincy selection is a tribute to (Devils President/CEO/GM) Lou Lamoriello, who, of course, has been a giant with USA Hockey. No question that was a factor."

Earning the captaincy for Team USA is something Langenbrunner won't take for granted.

"As far as individual accomplishments, it's right up there," he said. "I've never really prided myself on individual accomplishments, but I don't think nothing compares to this. I've been a player who's been part of great teams and I've had great roles with those teams and to be singled out as captain for this team is definitely something that's an honor."

Even when his name had been mentioned as a possible candidate as early as last week, he deflected the notion, saying every American player selected to the 23-man roster was a leader in their own right.

"He's a type of guy in the dressing room that says things when something is needed to be said," said Devils' alternate captain Parise. "I've been known to get worked up every now and again, and he's there to set me straight and tell me not to get ahead of myself. The younger guys will find Jamie very helpful because he has that experience."

Langenbrunner, 34, is coming off a season in which he notched career highs with 29 goals, 40 assists and 69 points for New Jersey in 2008-09. And he hasn't slowed down this season, registering 13 goals and 40 points in 43 games, including 10 multiple-point contests.

He's currently riding a seven-game point-scoring streak, posting 5 goals and 6 assists over that stretch. It'll also mark his first Olympic appearance for Team USA since the 1998 Games in Nagano -- when the club finished sixth in the tournament.

Pressure has never seemed to faze Langenbrunner either and there's no question that also played a big part in the decision to name him captain. Consider the fact his four career overtime goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs rank tied for first -- with Chris Drury -- among active players in the League.

In 1999, when the Stars won their first Stanley Cup, Langenbrunner figured in scoring on 7 of the team's 16 game-winning goals. In 2003, the Devils captured their third Stanley Cup in nine years thanks to Langenbrunner, who led the League and matched a New Jersey record with 4 game-winning goals in a playoff season.

In order to pull off the upset in Vancouver, both Langenbrunner and Rafalski know that each player must perform the role they're given -- like it or not.

"To even be talked about in those regards is a great honor and it's something I don't take lightly. I know there are several guys on this team who are well deserving of that honor too. It should be just exciting to be there and I'm excited about our chances once we get there."
-- Jamie Langenbrunner

"Every guy must do the job they were picked to do," Langenbrunner said. "Certain players are picked for certain roles and they have to check their egos at the door because some won't play power play or be killing penalties. If we're on the same page, there's no limit to what this team can do.

"As much as Canada deserves all the credit for the players they have, the 23 players named to the U.S. Team play in the same League as those guys and we feel very comfortable playing against them on nightly basis," he continued. "We're looking forward to opportunity and the challenge."

Rafalski, who's competing in his third straight Olympic Games for the Americans, echoed Langenbrunner's remarks.

"It'll be important not taking any time or any shifts off in a game," he said. "You want to put yourself in the best situation heading into the elimination round. In a short tournament, getting everybody on the same page as quickly as possible and getting organized and communicating as much as possible so that we're as comfortable as we can be out on the ice is important. You don't want to be thinking on the ice, you just want to be reacting and going full speed so that's what the focus will be."

Suter's father, Bob, played on the gold-medal winning 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team in Lake Placid and his uncle, Gary, skated for the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team that won silver in Salt Lake City.

"We wanted some representation from the captaincy from different parts of our team," Wilson said. "We've got Jamie and Brian, who are among that veteran group, and some younger guys. We wanted to balance the leadership on paper amongst various groups in our team, and I think we've been able to do that."

www.nhl.com