*FLASH* Hockey, curling tickets for 2010 Games still available!

MUST ACT FAST!

The second phase of ticket sales for the 2010 Winter Olympics will end Friday (July 31, 2009).

Organizers say there are still seats available for preliminary hockey and curling events as well as for the nightly victory ceremonies.

The schedule for the early rounds of curling has now been set, so fans can check to see if tickets for Team Canada events remain.

Organizers say 155,000 tickets have been sold since the start of Phase Two this past June.

They anticipate holding a third round of sales this fall and will also place Paralympic tickets back on sale around that time.

People wishing to purchase tickets require an online account and what seats remain are being sold on a first-come, first-serve basis until 7 p.m. Pacific time on Friday.

Well, what are you waiting for?! Go here now: http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/ticketing-information/

GOOD LUCK AND SEE YOU IN VANCOUVER!

I'm a Flamer!

Yep, that's right. I'm going to be carrying the 2010 Olympic torch. No - not all by myself - I only get to escort it about 500 metres in its journey. Still I'm pretty excited. In fact, some of you think you already knew this - that I had won a contest through iCoke and would be running the torch between London and Kitchener Ontario on December 27th. Well, that may have been true but as of now - you are wrong. As it turns out, I got a better offer. Instead I'll be running on a day to be determined and I have no idea where yet. That's a better offer?! Yes, yes it is - perhaps I should back up a bit.

You see, I started entering all these contests because I was bound and determined to run with the torch. You see, I'm a big fan of the Olympics and a HUGE fan of Canada, as my moniker might have given you that idea. Anyway, while I jumped through hoops to win the iCoke contest, I was just notified yesterday that I will instead be representing Bell Canada (who is in fact my employer, and a primary sponsor of the 2010 games.) So, when they called yesterday I knew that was what I had to do - being as I had yet to get final confirmation from the iCoke people and this was confirmed. Of course, it does not hurt that Bell is willing to give me paid time off, arrange transportation and accommodations and, the best part, pay for me to keep the torch I run with. How cool is that? So, sorry iCoke - better offer. I've tried to email them already asking them to contact me about transferring it or simply giving it way to someone else - but no reply to date. (This has been the main problem since day one.) Details to follow if and when they come available.

Anyway, it goes to show to that if you really set your mind to something you can accomplish it. The odds of getting picked to be a torch bearer are very small and I get picked not once -- but twice! It looks like I've got my mojo back! Anyway, the whole Canucklehead house is excited and while there are still a LOT of details to be worked out, I just had to share. Until next time.

CHEERS!

Canadian Music Legend Stompin' Tom Connors Wants to Perform at 2010 Olympics

Canadian country-folk legend Stompin' Tom Connors says he wants to perform at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, but doesn't know if he'll get the call.

"I'd love to do it, either the opening or the closing, I think it'd be a great honour,'' Connors told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview from his home in Halton Hills, Ont.

"I'm just rarin' to go but I'm just waiting to be asked.''

The 73-year-old, who begins another Canadian tour next week, said he has already made steps to try to get involved in the Olympics.

"I know my promoter is trying to fish around to see who he can find or ... see if he can work it out to get me on there,'' Connors said.

A spokesperson for VANOC declined to comment, saying details were still being worked through and the organization hadn't yet announced which specific artists would be involved.

As far as Connors's qualifications go, he proudly points to his patriotism. The endlessly prolific artist has written more songs about Canada than anyone else, he says.

"I don't know of anybody out there who's really writing a song about a place in Canada and what goes on in that place,'' he said.

He even penned "The Olympic Song,'' which he updated with a Vancouver-specific verse for last year's "The Ballad of Stompin' Tom,'' his 50th album.

"From Vancouver town to Whistler Mountain, they'll be found/ Our champions, and the medals they will claim/ When each hero dons their silver, gold or bronze/ Our history shall record their famous names,'' he sings in the song.

For now, Connors says all he can do is wait to hear whether he'll be included.

"I think it'd be a great honour, but it's a pipe dream, and if they don't ask, I suppose I can't go,'' he said.

"But I've had pipe dreams come true before in my life.''

Anyway, I’ve started an online petition to make this happen – you can view and sign here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/StompinTom/

CHEERS!

Nunavut to Have Some of It!

With only seven months to go until the start of the 2010 Winter Games, Nunavut has joined in the excitement. The territory’s unique culture will be showcased to a global audience during the Games as part of a partnership agreement signed with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) while also contributing directly to the success of the Canadian Olympic Team.

The spirit of the 2010 Winter Games was alive today as Premier Eva Aariak and Economic Development & Transportation Minister Peter Taptuna joined Taleeb Noormohamed, Director Corporate Strategy and Partner Relations of VANOC to announce that Nunavut has joined VANOC’s Contributing Province/Territory Program (CPTP).

“I’m pleased that Nunavut will be a contributing partner at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Premier Eva Aariak. “Our contribution will ensure we will be able to showcase our arts and culture during the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Nunavummiut will support the staging of the Games and will be especially proud when the Olympic torch comes through our territory on November 5, 2009.”

“We are proud that Nunavut will be a participant in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and its historic torch relay,” added Minister Peter Taptuna. “The Olympic Torch will travel 6,630 kilometres by land and water in our territory, involve 90 torchbearers and visit three communities, including Iqaluit, Resolute and my hometown of Kugluktuk. The torch will also be in Canadian Forces Station Alert, the most northern permanent settlement in the world.”

“We want to thank Nunavut for contributing to the success of our Canadian athletes and for showing a commitment to the 2010 Winter Games,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer VANOC. “The territory has a rich geography and unique traditions fostered in local arts and culture - we look forward to using this spectacular celebration to showcase Nunavut to the world.”

Nunavut

Nunavut is Canada’s largest territory or province. One of the three territories, it was formed in 1999 when it separated from the Northwest Territories.  Nunavut is one-fifth of Canada’s land mass. It is in the north-eastern part of the country. It has a southern border with Manitoba. Its western border is with the Norwest Territories. The territory has just over 31,000 inhabitants; the least of any Canadian province or territory.

A majority of Nunavummiut are involved in creating the unique type of art that has come to signify the territory. Inuit carvings, wall hangings, jewellery and prints have become famous around the world. The territory has just announced a brand that will identify Nunavut art from imitations.

The territory is known for its breathtaking scenery. It attracts tourists who want to get off the beaten path. Nunavut has four national parks, eight territorial parks, outfitters, museums, art galleries, regular festivals and events.

The territory is also home to many untapped resources such as gold, diamonds, natural gas, oil, copper, lead, zinc and precious stones. A new gold mine is scheduled to open early next year.

Nunavut is a great place to live, visit, work and play.

Of the $166,667 thousand dollar investment from Nunavut, $83,333 will go toward the Own the Podium 2010 program, which supports Canadian athletes in their preparation for the games, and $83,333 will be dedicated to ensuring the territory takes full advantage of a wide range of benefits associated with the VANOC partnership. A comprehensive background document on the CPTP follows.

Background:  Contributing Province/Territory Program

VANOC’s Contributing Province/Territory enables Nunavut to participate in the following:

Organize a Nunavut Day at the 2010 Winter Games to promote the territory;

Participate in the Cultural Olympiad, which will include opportunities for Nunavut’s artists;

Encourage Aboriginal participation in the Games and preceding events;

Access VANOC promotional materials;

Use the Vancouver 2010

Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Own the Podium 2010 logos;

Promote educational and volunteer opportunities relating to sport and culture, and encourage healthy lifestyles; and participate in the historic torch relay for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Welcome Nunavut!

Are We Sacked Without Sakic?

Canadian hockey player Joe Sakic will have to respectfully decline an invitation to attend Canada's 2010 Olympic hockey team orientation camp this August.

The 40-year-old Burnaby, B.C. native held back tears and officially announced his retirement in a Denver news conference after a career that spanned 20 seasons in the NHL.

The first question from the media came: why not play one more season and represent Canada in the Olympics?

"Two years ago, I thought for sure I'd be able to make it through the Olympics, but when I hurt my back, I had an idea that this was probably going to be my last year," said Sakic, admitting the back injury cost him a lot of leg strength also. "I tried real hard to come back and see if I can do it. But you have to face reality, and I didn't think I could be the player that I want to be, so it was time for me go."

He ruled out any possibility of making an Olympic comeback this fall or winter, saying he doesn't feel he can elevate his game to the level required. He, however, said he would be honoured to accept an off-ice role with the team if one is offered to him.

He finishes his career as one of the most decorated hockey players to ever play. Sakic is a three-time Olympian, having participated in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games. As a long-time captain of the Colorado Avalanche, Sakic was a part of two Stanley Cup titles (1996, 2001) and served as captain of the team for 16 consecutive seasons, making him the second-longest serving captain in NHL history.

Steve Yzerman, Executive Director of Team Canada for the 2010 Games, had invited Sakic to attend the August camp and vie for a position on Team Canada for a fourth time.

"(Sakic's) humility and the class with which he always conducted himself I greatly admired," Yzerman said in a statement. "He was a great leader and competitor who always played his best hockey at the most important times. Joe possessed one of the quickest and most accurate wrist shots I have witnessed. I believe he retires as one of the greatest clutch players in the history on the NHL."

In 2002, Sakic was named Olympic MVP after lifting Team Canada to its first gold medal in 50 years. He led Canada in scoring (4-3-7) and was the third top scorer in the tournament. He went on to captain the Canadian team at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.

Sakic also helped Canada win gold at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 1994 IIHF World Championship and 1988 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"I always admired Joe's talent and determination as a player, and I was honoured to be his teammate when we won a gold medal for Canada in the 2002 Olympics," said Mario Lemieux, who also played alongside Sakic on their way to gold at the 2004 world championship tournament.

"In addition to his tremendous accomplishments on the ice. Joe also was a first-class person and leader. I want to congratulate him on an exceptional career."

Injuries over the last two years kept Sakic from playing to his full potential. He retires as the eighth-leading scorers in league history with 1,641 career points.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that Sakic will be remembered as a "consummate professional who led by example, led by achievement and led by his commitment to the highest standards of skill and sportsmanship. While the "C" on his jersey stood for captain, it also stood for courage, character, class, Canada and Colorado. We thank Joe for his many contributions and wish him and his family all the best in the future."

 

SOURCE: http://www.tsn.ca/

 

Kypreos Analyzes Canada's Olympic Hockey Camp Roster

Hockey Canada recently announced the 46 players that have been invited to its men's Olympic orientation camp, to be held in Calgary in late August. We spoke to Olympic hockey analyst Nick Kypreos to get his reaction to the list of invitees. Here are some highlights of our conversation with him: 

Talk about the job Steve Yzerman's staff did identifying and inviting role players. Do you see a lot of great role players on this list?
I look at guys like Jordan Staal. To me, he is the prototypical role player. He's got tremendous skill. He fits so nicely behind Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. Why couldn't he fit behind Crosby and Ryan Getzlaf and be that horse that leans on the other team. I don't know if there's a better penalty-killer in the world right now than Jordan Staal. Dan Cleary is another great one. So is Milan Lucic - if Lucic makes this team, he will go up and down his wing and try to hit everything in sight. You have to go back to the Canada Cup in '91 when Lindros made the team as a junior, before he played for the Philadelphia Flyers. It was amazing he made the team at like 18. Milan will be a little older than that. If Lucic makes this team, he'll have a similar role to Lindros in that Canada Cup - to hit everything that moves. He's absolutely there for his muscle. Remember this game will be played on NHL ice, not international ice. It will be a very North American type of game. 

What do you think of the pool of goaltenders they invited: Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury and Steve Mason?
I wish that Marty Turco didn't have an off year. That obviously cost him an invitation to this camp. That doesn't mean he can't find a way to play exceptionally well for Dallas and find a way to go to Vancouver. But you can't argue with Cam Ward's ability to carry Carolina. We know what Marc-Andre Fleury did in winning the Stanley Cup and that earned him the right. It's unfortunate, but those guys simply earned the right to take Marty's spot. Mason falls into that category too - he flat-out outplayed other Canadian goalies and earned his right. He single-handedly put Columbus in a position they've never been in, a playoff position. There are no flaws in the five guys going. I think Chris Osgood is a strong goalie and his record speaks for itself in Detroit. I don't think his game can go to places that the other guys' can. I don't think anyone believes he's a good as them from a skill perspective and that's why he wasn't invited.

Steve Yzerman said it was very important in this kind of tournament to take only guys who have an extremely low margin for error. Did they do a good job of identifying players like that?
I don't look at this team and see a lot of river-boat gamblers. To win championships, it's not high-risk, high reward mentality. That's what Yzerman is talking about. The game is based on percentages. You want to make the pass that gives you the best odds of succeeding. You have young guys in Jonathan Toews, Steve Mason and all the young kids that are relatively new to the pros. They will follow the lead of your veterans: Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, and Ryan Smyth. The whole idea is not to use guys that take big chances. There are still a few on the team, but we'll see if they buy into the. But it's not too safe - there are guys out there that love to handle the puck, like Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, and Vincent Lecavalier - these guys are capable of great individual efforts. Of course there are times you will have to gamble. But I don't believe Yzerman and his staff want to see a lot of that. I don't see it as an overly safe team but they want to make percentage plays.

What do you think of 19-year-old Drew Doughty getting invited?
I really like that. The majority of the media that cover the NHL in the east don't get a chance to see him play. But I think this guy could have easily been rookie of the year if he played in a market like Toronto, New York or Montreal. Doughty is the best defencemen for Los Angeles and will win his share of Norris Trophies before his career is over.

Why do you think Marc Savard wasn't invited?
I said all along that it would have been really difficult for him to make the team. I think he's really grown as a player. But there are horses at both ends of the ice, and he doesn't fit that equation yet at this point in his career.

Why do you think of Steven Stamkos not being invited?
I'm sure Stamkos is very disappointed in light of the great world championship that he had and he was a top player. He's so close, he's on the cusp. It's not what he did, but who you would have to take off the list to put him on and what role he would have to play. Could he play on the third or fourth line as a role player? Or for him to succeed, does he have to be on the top line? If he can't play third or fourth line duty, you have to have a guy like Dan Cleary who can play limited roles and an Andy MacDonald can play third or fourth line. That's why Stamkos isn't invited. You likely can't get the best of him in that limited capacity. But he could be a guy who gets out to a strong start out of the gate and plays his way onto the roster. Remember Steve Yzerman got cut from Team Canada early in his career and can certainly understand. The old saying goes that if Yzerman got cut scoring 150 points in an NHL season, then anyone can.

Brian Burke reached out and called certain veteran ‘warriors' of USA Hockey that he chose not to invite, but Steve Yzerman chose not to call anyone that he didn't invite to Canada's camp. What do you think of Yzerman's approach in comparison to Burke's?
I think it should be black and white. There's only one reason to get a phone call, and that's to say ‘would you like to come to Calgary?' How many guys can he call? Look at all our great Canadian players. There could have been 100 guys you could have called and said ‘sorry, you can't come'. We've said this many times - we could send two or three teams. The Americans aren't in the same position. Yzerman's calls would have been triple the ones Burke had to make.

In general, do you like the camp roster?
It's safe to say that there's a wide-ranging scope there, and that's what you have to have to have a good hockey team. You can't have four No. 1 centremen and five top no.1 defencemen. There has to be a certain protocol followed. There has to be a wide range of players and different roles for them to play. I'm very comfortable with the 25 forwards, 15 forwards and five goalies they picked. There is the next generation coming up. A guy like Joe Sakic has a lot to offer if he can stay healthy. But the days of guys like Mario Lemieux and Rob Blake - guys who were instrumental and stuck around for a long time - most of those kind of guys are gone now, and it's time to pass the torch to the young guys. I am very comfortable with this list.

SOURCE:  http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

Aye Aye Captain!

There was no shortage of reaction from players named to Canada's Olympic orientation camp on Thursday.

 

While public debate began as to whether or not Jason Spezza, Marc Savard and Steven Stamkos should have been on the list, almost all the players invited agreed executive director Steve Yzerman faced a difficult task in arriving at the 46 man list.

 

"After looking at the [camp] list, it looks like they're bringing in guys with different roles - guys who have put a lot of points up or who have played different roles on their respective teams," Sidney Crosby tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

 

In 2006, an 18-year-old Crosby was left off the Olympic team that went to Turin and finished a disappointing seventh. At that time, Hockey Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky was criticized for relying too much on older players. That doesn't appear to be a mistake Yzerman is keen on repeating with the likes of Milan Lucic, Eric and Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews and Drew Doughty representing the next generation of Team Canada.

 

"That's maybe the approach Canada is going to take," Jordan Staal tells the Post-Gazette. "There's a lot of great hockey players from Canada who will be there but to be able to go with two of my own brothers is special."

 

The absence of Stamkos from the list has raised a few eyebrows, given his recent performance at the World Championships for Canada. While the 19-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning forward admits he wasn't expecting to get an invite, that didn't stop fellow teammate and camp invitee Vinny Lecavalier from voicing his support for the former number one draft pick.

 

"Yeah, he deserves a chance," Lecavalier tells the St. Petersburg Times. "The fact that he's a young guy, maybe they overlooked him. But the way he finished the season, the way he played in the world championship, he definitely should go and get his chance."

 

For Bruins forward Milan Lucic, the invitation brought back memories of a time in the summer of 2003, just after Vancouver had been awarded the 2010 Games.

 

"Me and some people were joking around saying 'I'll be 21 then and, you know, there's a chance I'll make the team,' but we were just joking around," he tells the Vancouver Sun. "Now that it's a reality, it would be a really, really special feeling if I did get to play for Team Canada on home ice, in my hometown. And it would be even better if we won."

 

Goaltender Steve Mason, who acquitted himself well at the World Championships for Canada in Switzerland, may be the underdog among the five goaltenders invited but that's familiar territory for the 23-year-old.

 

"It's never a bad thing to be an underdog; it motivates you," he tells the Columbus Dispatch. "I'll be going in as the youngest goaltender and I just want to make the best of my opportunity."

 

Mason will have a strong supporter in associate coach Ken Hitchcock, who is also his head coach in Columbus.

 

"I think he is the future of Hockey Canada," said Hitchcock. "The Brodeurs and Luongos aren't going to play forever and you need that backup plan. Mase is one of those guys who's going to really benefit from going through the camp this summer."

 

While it may be early for Team Canada executives to begin focusing on who will be the captain of this team, it hasn't stopped hockey observers from voicing their opinions. Two names sure to get strong consideration are Jarome Iginla and Crosby. Throw in Joe Sakic's name, if the Colorado Avalanche player is fit enough to play and makes the team. Having gone through two Olympic Games, Iginla says talk of who will wear the "C" is a long way off.

 

"Looking back at the other Olympic teams, there are always so many leaders around - so many guys who are captains or assistants on their own NHL teams," he tells the Calgary Herald. "So there are all kinds of possibilities for the managers and coaches to choose from. Leadership is one of Canada's strengths."

 

"Truthfully, there's not even just a handful of options," Crosby tells the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. "There's way more than that. A lot of guys that could play for Canada have proven they are leaders. We would have no shortage of leadership. Whoever wears the letters - it's a great accomplishment, great honour. But those guys will be well surrounded by leaders up and down the roster."

 

Final word goes to perhaps one of the more unlikely invitees to the camp, Detroit Red Wings forward Dan Cleary, who summed up the feeling most players had after being extended an invitation from Yzerman.

 

"When I heard the message from Stevie - it's hard to explain the feeling," he tells the Detroit Free Press. "I was just overwhelmed with joy. I've only had that feeling once before, when my wife told me she was pregnant, and I thought, 'I'm having a baby.' Now it's, 'I'm going to Team Canada.'"

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/