Collision Course....Does Anyone Care? | 
Everyone knew it was bound to happen.
A gold medal game between the US and Canada, for the third time since the women’s tournament was adopted at the Nagano games in 1998.
In 1998, the US defeated Canada 3-1 in the gold medal game, the second time in the tournament that they beat their rivals.
In Salt Lake City in 2002 it was the Canadian’s turn for revenge, defeating the US 3-2 in the most thrilling women’s hockey game ever.
Now, eight years later, the two high-profile superpowers are facing each other once again. And really, is anyone very excited about this game?
Will it prove that one of these teams as the best in the world?
The answer is yes. But for how long? Until they meet up again within the next year at the World Championships?
These Olympic Games have only solidified that the mediocrity in women’s hockey has become completely ridiculous.
I know there has been much made about this topic, and what could be done to improve the game. But I’m at the point now where there is only one thing they can do to help the sport gain national interest.
Include hitting.
Not the small rub-outs along the boards, but open ice checks, just like men’s hockey.
Watching the Canada/Finland semi-final game the other night, there was a play were Canadian forward Gillian Apps leveled one of the Finish defencemen along the boards.
There was no penalty called, and for the first time – potentially ever – I thought to myself, “wow, that was a really nice hit, I wish they could do that more often.”
Sticking with the topic of hitting in women’s hockey, I am a strong believer that it would make the game more competitive and bring the lopsided scores closer together.
For teams that aren’t as quick as the Americans or Canadians, they could use their size to hit these players off the puck, rather than getting stepped around on a consistent basis.
The thought four years ago was that there were advances being made in the game after Sweden’s upset of the Americans in the semi-final. However, that thought is out the window now that both the US and Canada rolled over Sweden and Finland handily in the semi’s this year.
In 2002, I remember there was a sense of “we have to beat them, it’s our game.” Now, and even in 2006, it feels as though there is a “who cares” feeling surrounding the Gold medal matchup.
Maybe if there were slight alterations to the game, people would get those butterflies back that were felt in Salt Lake City.
Topics: canada, Finland, Gillian Apps, Gold medal game, Nagano, Olympics, Salt Lake City, Sweden, US, Vancouver, Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Women's Hockey, World Championships
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