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

Barcelona set to bid for 2022 Winter Olympics

Barcelona could become the first city to host the summer and winter Games

Barcelona mayor Jordi Hereu has revealed that the Catalan capital will bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Should the bid succeed, Barcelona, which staged the 1992 summer Olympics, will become the first city to host the summer and winter Games.

Events will also be held in the Pyrenees, which are north of the city. Hereu said: "There isn't any technical reason which impedes Barcelona from hosting the Winter Olympic Games. The city is ready and has the experience."

Mild B.C. weather raising Olympic concerns

The massive amount of precipitation falling in B.C.'s Lower Mainland is not the kind usually associated with winter, and that's raising some questions about the conditions on ski slopes for the Winter Olympics.

At a time of year when snow is usually falling at higher elevations, about 60 millimetres of rain fell Monday on Metro Vancouver's North Shore mountains. Another 30 millimetres was forecast for Tuesday.

Cypress Mountain on the North Shore is home to freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions for the Games, which open on Feb. 12.

But Olympic organizers said Monday they are not concerned about the conditions on the mountain, although they have closed it to public skiing to help preserve the snow that is there.
"We're protecting all the snow that we can to make sure that we have adequate [supply]," said Tim Gayda, vice-president of sport for the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee.
Snow in storage

VANOC has been stockpiling artificial and natural snow for the past two months, Gayda said. The snow is piled up and covered with blue tarps on the mountainside to keep it cool during the kind of double-digit above-zero temperatures the Lower Mainland has basked in for days, and which are expected to continue for at least a few more days.

Officials were able to accumulate the snow during colder weather and heavy snowfalls in November. That built up a packed base, which is still two metres deep.
Olympic organizers said they would wait a few more days to decide whether to open Cypress Mountain to public skiing again or to keep it closed.

"We want to leave that as late as we can," said Gayda. "If we have this kind of weather staying right through, we want to protect that snow for as long as we can."

- CBC

Olympic Fever Rising in Vancouver

British Columbia will be party central in February when the five rings of the XXI Olympic Winter Games roll in after several years of intense planning (and, if you ask the locals, some equally intense spending). But with a packed schedule of snow-dusted sporting events and a feast of accompanying festival-like shenanigans, what are some of the must-see highlights for those planning a visit?

Launching with what promises to be a spectacular opening ceremony at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium on Feb. 12 − look for mascot Quatchi to steal the show − the 17-day event (plus the 10-day Paralympic Games beginning March 12) is the first Canadian-hosted Olympics since Calgary in 1988. That’s the one where inept ski jumper Eddie (The Eagle) Edwards and the ever-smiling Jamaican bobsled team hogged the limelight.

While Eddie isn’t leaping into the void this time around, the latter-day version of his event takes place at the breathtaking Whistler Olympic Park, a forest-lined setting 16 kilometers southwest of the gable-roofed ski village. Ski jumps have been cut into the mountainside here, and the venue will also host biathlon, cross-country and Nordic-combined skiing competitions.

This back-country location illustrates that although the 86-event Games is centered on Vancouver, its 5,500 participants from more than 80 countries are competing at sites spread widely across the region. Watched by 3 billion global TV viewers, battles will be waged in and around Whistler, throughout Vancouver, and also in the Lower Mainland suburbs of Richmond and West Vancouver. Aside from its Olympic Park, the Whistler Sliding Centre, near the base of Blackcomb Mountain, hosts luge, skeleton and bobsled events, while its Creekside slopes are staging alpine skiing competitions. With its own medal ceremonies, Whistler also has six Live! Sites, with Village Square and Skiers Plaza likely the best spots to join the cheering throngs and wrap yourself in Olympic glory.

Closer to the host city, West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain overlooks the metropolis and is offering freestyle skiing and snowboarding action. And south of Vancouver, the city of Richmond has created its own piece of the 2010 pie with a sparkling new $175 million Olympic Oval that will host the speed-skating contests.

While a network of special buses will transport spectators between these venues, many visitors will simply stick around the downtown core for the duration of the Games. Vancouver will have a smorgasbord of events and activities, and even those not attending competitions will have plenty of reasons to slip on the mittens and hit the streets.

The city’s new and refurbished arenas will serve up curling, figure skating and short-track speed skating. And then there’s the hottest ticket in town: Men’s and women’s ice hockey is at UBC’s new Thunderbird Arena as well as downtown’s GM Place arena, renamed Canada Hockey Place for the Games. This is where the men’s gold medal game will take place Feb. 28.

If you haven’t snagged a ticket (official resales will be offered through the Games’ official Web site), warm yourself at one of Vancouver’s two free LiveCity sites. Don your maple-leaf face paint at Yaletown’s David Lam Park or at the former bus depot location at the corner of Georgia and Beatty Sts. Both will have big-screen Olympic action, live performances and plenty of al fresco partying.

Of course the Olympics aren’t just about sports. A giant Cultural Olympiad runs Jan. 22-March 21 and includes more than 600 events, many of them free. Artists and performers will include Ron Sexsmith, Steve Earle, Robert Lepage, the Alberta Ballet and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Granville Island’s annual two-day Winterruption festival will be expanded to nine days to keep visiting culture vultures happy.

In fact, the “island” − actually a peninsula studded with art studios and a public market − will be one of the leading mini-destinations during the Olympics. House of Switzerland, Atlantic Canada House and Place de la Francophonie will be based here, offering food, hospitality and cultural presentations in a festive atmosphere. A free streetcar will also shuttle from the island’s entrance to the bustling Olympic Village in Southeast False Creek.

Other countries are also colonizing the city during the Games. The German region of Saxony will roll out the beer and sausages at the Vancouver Rowing Club, while Russia is taking over Science World to promote its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But you can expect the Dutch to win over most visitors. Their Holland Heineken House, transforming Richmond’s Minoru Arenas, is expected to be B.C.’s best party spot. You might even forget the Games are on at all.

RESOURCES
General information and tickets: http://www.vancouver2010.com/
Cultural Olympiad: www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad
Tourism Vancouver: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/
Tourism Whistler: http://www.tourismwhistler.com/

USA 2010 Olympic Men's Hockey Team Announced

USA Hockey today announced their Men's line-up for at the XXI Olympic Winter Games Feb. 16-28 in Vancouver, B.C.. Three players with past Olympic experience -- Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./New York Rangers/2002, 2006), Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Red Wings/2002, 2006) and Jamie Langenbrunner (Cloquet, Minn./New Jersey Devils/1998) -- highlight the 23-man roster.

"Our management group has worked hard to put together a group of players that will give us the best chance to win the gold medal in Vancouver and we feel like we've done that," said Brian Burke, general manager of Team USA. "We had some difficult decisions to make, but that's a credit to USA Hockey and depth of the player pool in our country."

2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team Forwards (13) David Backes Dustin Brown Ryan Callahan Chris Drury Patrick Kane Ryan Kesler Phil Kessel Jamie Langenbrunner Ryan Malone Zach Parise Joe Pavelski Bobby Ryan Paul Stastny Defensemen (7) Erik Johnson Jack Johnson Mike Komisarek Paul Martin Brooks Orpik Brian Rafalski Ryan Suter Goaltenders (3) Ryan Miller Jonathan Quick Tim Thomas

Note: Roster subject to approval of U.S. Olympic Committee's Game Preparation Divisi

"The Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver will be like no other," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "We appreciate the hard work that has gone into putting this team together and know we have a terrific group of players to represent our country."

Also included on the roster are forwards Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks/17-28--45), Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Minn./New Jersey Devils/17-25-42), and Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./Colorado Avalanche/9-30--39), currently the top three American point-getters in the National Hockey League.

In addition, five players that played for Team USA at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship -- forwards David Backes (Blaine, Minn./St. Louis Blues), Dustin Brown (Ithaca, N.Y./Los Angeles Kings) and Joe Pavelski (Plover, Wis./San Jose Sharks); and defensemen Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Los Angeles Kings) and Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Nashville Predators) -- will also skate for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team.

Team USA's roster boasts three of the NHL's leading goaltenders, including Tim Thomas (Flint, Mich./Boston Bruins), Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres) and Jonathan Quick (Hamden, Conn./Los Angeles Kings). Thomas is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, while Miller is among the top five in the NHL in wins (T5th/21), goals against average (3rd/2.05) and save percentage (.933/2nd) in 2009-10. Quick has played the most minutes (2224:03) of any goaltender in the NHL this season and is tied for fifth in the league in wins (21).

The selection of the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team is subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee's Game Preparation Division.

NOTES: Team USA's roster, with an average age of 26.5, includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders. Brian Rafalski is the oldest player on Team USA at age 36, while Patrick Kane, at 21, is the youngest ... Team USA's management group that was charged with selecting the team included Brian Burke (Toronto Maple Leafs), general manager, and David Poile (Nashville Predators), associate general manager, as well as Jim Johannson (USA Hockey), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia Flyers), Dean Lombardi (L.A. Kings), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Don Waddell (Atlanta Thrashers) ... All 23 Team USA members, representing 16 NHL teams, participated in USA Hockey's Olympic Orientation Camp held in August ... Twenty-two players have worn the U.S. sweater in international competition, with Jonathan Quick the lone exception. Cumulatively, U.S. players have competed in 557 international games and captured 22 medals ... Zach Parise is tied for the NHL lead in plus/minus rating at +21 ... Eighteen players have U.S. college hockey experience, with the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin leading the way with three players each ... A total of seven players have played for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (E. Johnson, J. Johnson, Kane, Kesler, Kessel, Komisarek, Suter) ... Ryan Suter's father Bob played on the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team, while his uncle Gary played on the 2002 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team ... Ron Wilson, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, with Scott Gordon, head coach of the New York Islanders, and John Tortorella, head coach of the New York Rangers, serving as assistant coaches ... The 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team will practice at Fenway Park on Monday (Jan. 4) at 10:15 a.m. ET. Media wishing to cover the practice should contact Christy Jeffries at christyj@usahockey.org ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. National Teams.

Team USA 2010 Olympic Winter Games Schedule
Feb. 16-28 • Vancouver, B.C.

Date	Opponent	Time (Local/EST)
Tues., Feb. 16	Switzerland	12 p.m./3 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 18	Norway	12 p.m./3 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 21	Canada	4:40 p.m./7:40 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 24	Quarterfinals	TBD
Fri., Feb. 26	Semifinals	TBD
Sun., Feb. 27	Bronze-Medal Game	7 p.m./10 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 28	Gold-Medal Game	12:15 p.m./3:15 p.m.