By Denis J. Puska

It was a great day for hockey on Sunday with that thrilling gold medal final between Canada and the USA at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

I was proud to be a Canadian that day with the effort by the team, but even more proud to be associated with the game of hockey.

It was an exciting game with drama and an outstanding finish. Even the best writers couldn't have come up with a better ending. Many of the Canadians were on the edge of their seats with the defensive style of game played especially in the final 10 minutes of the third period.

The USA got off to a slow start and really didn't look like they found their stride until that goal to make it 2-1. Roberto Luongo was shaky for the most part and seem to fight the puck on every turn. Ryan Miller did everything he could to give the USA every opportunity to come back and give his country their first gold medal since the Miracle On Ice 30 years ago in 1980.

Miller is the reason why I think the Buffalo Sabres will have a good post season run this year.

Future of Olympic Hockey
Now that it is all over what is the future for hockey in the Olympics in four years in Soshi, Russia? It wouldn't surprise me if the NHL doesn't sign another agreement with the IAAF. There are two reasons for this - one is that Soshi, Russia is so far away in terms of distance from other countries and the time zone.

The NHL season as it is breaks for two weeks for this and would have to extend it into three perhaps to accommodate the players travelling to and from the event. I really just don't see it right now. We will have to see what the NHL and the NHLPA is thinking.

Even though the Vancouver Olympics was a great showcase for the game of hockey and the NHL, there hardly any travel distance for the players and was like for them a road trip.

It wouldn't surprise me that hockey returns to amateurs or professionals who are not in the NHL. Even the likely of using junior teams could be something they could do to.

The Slovakians were probably the best team at The Olympics not to win a medal. I think Sweden, Czech Republic and Russia were among the teams that were very disappointing and didn't play well.

Lets hope the Winter Olympics not only made several people who were not hockey fans before a new found excitement for the game, but will keep them energized and want to continue to watch and support hockey.

By Denis J. Puska
CLEVELAND, OH - I consider myself somewhat of an Olympic nut. I can't get enough of the Olympic Games when they are on television. I consume every part of the television coverage that I can find, and when I can't see it there I'll go to the internet to find online events.

Over the course of my broadcast journalism career I have had the fortune of covering some athletes that have dreamed of going to the games. Some were successful in attending, while others didn't. One of the athletes who did well on the Olympic stage was Lori Sippel of the Canadian Women's Softball team. She competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga and at the time was regarded as one of the top softball pitchers not only in the country, but around the world.

I remember talking to her the day after she was named to the Olympic softball team and it was a thrill to hear the excitement in her voice about attending and playing for her country.

In 2002 when the Winter Olympics were in Salt Lake City, Utah I had the fortune of seeing the Olympic Torch make its way through the USA with a stop in Amarillo, TX. It was after a Rattlers game in the Central Hockey League and a bunch of the fans hung out at the Civic Center hoping to get a sneak peak of the torch as it made its way through town.

It was cold outside and I remember running back and forth from the edge of the street to the Civic Center to warm up. Finally, after what seemed like almost an eternity, the torch arrived and made its way down the street. The fans who braved the elements and the late hours were as proud as I was to have that moment to see the torch relay. I thought to myself that I am witnessing history here and it's a moment that is still very clear in my mind today.

OLYMPICS UNDERWAY
The Vancouver Winter Olympics are well underway and I have been a very proud Canadian watching them from afar. The opening ceremonies were terrific and maybe not as magical or grand as the China Olympics but nonetheless amazing.

Everyone will be talking about the gaff with the Olympic flame but believe it or not this has happened before in Australia and even in Salt Lake City.

I have enjoyed all of the events thus far from short track speed skating to cross country skiing. The best of course is yet to come with the men's hockey games. I think there are so many teams that have a shot at the gold medal and not just Canada and the United States. I believe the Russians, Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland all could give the two North American clubs a run for their money.

The Swedes may be the more banged up of the group with nagging injuries but as long as their goaltending holds up, they should be just fine. The Canadians will have to find some way to not let the pressure get to them and to use the crowd to their advantage.

The Americans are a young and exciting bunch and the question will be about their offense and whether or not it's enough to compete with the other teams.
USA Head Coach Ron Wilson said it best earlier in the week when he asked his players what will they be thinking about in September? Will these players be concerned about how much playing time they got or how many points they earned, or will they be looking back at winning the Gold Medal. I also think that there is something to be said about being in the Olympics and representing their country.

Egos have to be set aside for this tournament as one or two bad games and it may be all over.

By Denis J. Puska
It was truly a time for celebrating the game of hockey this past weekend. Hockey Day in Canada and Hockey Weekend Across America are two events aimed at celebrating and hopefully growing the grand old game of hockey.

It’s really hard to believe that this is the 10^th year for the event in Canada. For those who may not know, Hockey Day in Canada celebrates the game by visiting several different cities across the country. Each city plans their own promotions and events in conjunction with the main event put on by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. I've always had a special feeling watching the event and the farther away I am from Canada, the more meaning it's taken on over the years.  

I was upset earlier because I thought I was going to miss the event. I couldn’t watch it live on line and the NHL Network or the NHL package wasn’t offering a free preview. But once I returned home from attending at Lake Erie Monsters game, I started searching around the CBC.ca website and to my surprise, Hockey Day in Canada was available to watch. It made my day.

This year Stratford Ontario was the host city. The Stratford Cullitons are one of the most successful Junior B programs in Canada and have produced the likes of Chris Pronger, Boyd Devereaux, Ed Olycyk, Ray Emerson, and Mark Bell, just to name a few. The Flannagan family has been around the team since it began and are known for being some of the best scouts in the sport.

It was amazing that on this day the Stratford Cullitons hosted the St. Marys Lincolns. I worked in St. Marys for a couple of years, back in the day, and they too have a highly successful junior program. You couldn’t have asked for a better signature game between two rival communities.

Hockey Weekend Across America is in its third year and I am hoping that in years to come this event really takes off like Hockey Day in Canada has. My hope for would be to see interest from one of the networks, like Versus or the NHL Network, that would create a weekend or full day of activities across the country in support of Hockey Weekend Across America's goals. As true hockey fans we should all come out to support the development of hockey teams and leagues throughout North America.

Early Beginnings
Rink Rats
That’s the best way to describe the early beginnings of some hockey players. That’s the way I got into the 'game'. I wasn’t a hockey player but I always went to the game and watched my friends play and worked as a score and timekeeper. It was a way for me to get close the game that I loved.

Being a scorekeeper/timekeeper was hard work you had to make sure that you correctly wrote down the goals, assists, penalties and time of everything. You also had to make sure the clock was operating correctly and if you were quick enough to stop it you had the wrath of the teams to contend with.

The most challenging games were the ones with lots of penalties and you had to keep track of when players were allowed to return to the ice. One of best times I had was when they started letting me announce the goals. However, the difficult part was making sure you had the names pronounced correctly and that you could do it in both official languages, English and French.

When I was in elementary school, we had to participate in public speaking courses and I had to think of something to talk about. Well after a quick moment or two, the best topic I could think was, of course, hockey and the origins of the game. Hockey served me well then, as it does now. I had the highest mark in my class and had a chance to speak in front of the entire school. Although I didn’t win the school contest, it was certainly a great experience and a chance to share the game that I loved with everyone else.  

The State of the Game

The game of hockey continues to grow and evolve and there is still much work to do. Hockey still needs to work on getting minorities and inner-city kids involved in the sport. It must also escape the perception in different communities that hockey is "that other sport".  In Canada, hockey highlights litter the television stations and sports networks. In the United States, the hockey highlights are usually found later on in the show and an entire segment would last maybe 5 to 10 minutes.

I think events like the upcoming Winter Olympics will only help to strengthen the game. Hockey is one of the signature events in the games and fans will be able to see plenty of men's and women's hockey on stations in both countries.

The National Hockey League must continue to lead by example by getting its member teams to get the word out to the cities they play in. I think the teams can help grow the sport by taking one day out of the season to send all of its players from the highest paid player to the lowest to the schools in their cities. How great would it be if some of these schools had a surprise visit from an NHL star. If the players at the lower levels can do it why can’t these guys.

Even though school visits are something minor professional hockey teams do all season long, I think they should also be part of that day where all players go visit the schools. Maybe all of this could be part of future Hockey Day Across America celebrations.

By Denis J. Puska
Cleveland, OH - You can look back at several moments in time when sports have helped to heal the collective wounds suffered by communities in cities and countries around the world.

The most recent instance was over the weekend when the New Orleans Saints advanced to their first Superbowl against the Indianapolis Colts. This game is monumental for several reasons. The Saints were sometimes known as the worst team in the league and they were finally able to put together a successful team and advance to the Superbowl. That sweet victory, due to the hard work of players and staff, as well as the support of the community was an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of the city of New Orleans. Fantastic to watch the Gulf Coast continue to heal following Hurricane Katrina.

When that devastating event took place we were in the process of moving from Amarillo, TX to Huntsville, AL and were driving through to our new city just a day or two after the hurricane struck New Orleans. We had stopped for gas just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas in the middle of the night. There were tons of trucks around the gas station with gear and supplies. I asked somebody what is all of this stuff and they said they were off to check on family in the Gulf Coast. One person said he hadn't heard from his mom in Mississippi in three days.

Once we had arrived in Huntsville, AL at our new apartment I found out that several people who were displaced by Katrina were living in our complex. We continued to meet folks who were starting over in new towns all across the southeast over the next year or two.

Another moment in time when sports was on center stage was after the tragedy of 9/11 and the World Series featured the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first two games at Yankee Stadium were very emotional for the fans and those involved in the game. Even game seven that the Diamondbacks won was amazing. I think almost the entire country wanted a different outcome just because of what had taken place.

The 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid was another one of those moments. There was a lot of tension in the world because of the events going on with Russia and Afghanistan. When the United States won the Gold Medal in Olympic Hockey it again brought a nation together at a tough time in the world.

If you look at the 1972 Munich Olympics where those athletes were gunned down by the terrorists, the remainder of the games were used as a point of beginning the healing process for the citizens of the countries who lost their beloved athletes.
Will sports someday help heal another nation, Haiti, following the terrible Earthquake? There could be an opportunity for a special sporting event to help raise money for this cause. I think there should be a Friendly Soccer Match where 100 per cent of the proceeds go to help those in Haiti.

I found myself, like everyone, feeling for the people of that small country. I've had the opportunity to get to know many people of Haitian decent as a customer service rep helping people in South Florida apply for financial aid for K-12 education. My experiences working with these families led me to remark how happy and positive they were, and how grateful for the opportunity they were receiving. They all knew they had some homework to do but were positive that with a little help from God that they were going to work hard to get the tasks completed. Let's look forward to continued healing of the all those who have suffered.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics hold such promise. One can only hope these games will be promoted in a way to bring people together. Not only to celebrate their own countries and heritage, but to bring the world together in unison and forget their problems and issues for a short period of time as they play and compete and celebrate the tenacity of the human spirit.

By Denis J. Puska
Is it time for a Minor Professional Hockey Hall of Fame? I truly believe that it's something that needs to be explored in the near future.

I know they have added minor league mementos to the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto Ontario, Canada, but it may be time that a separate Hall be constructed.

I think that this would truly go a long way to help grow the sport. The only logistical problem would be where to house the actual building. There are many viable locations but it would do the Hall the best service if it would be in a classical minor league town like Johnstown, PA, Glens Falls, NY, Ft. Wayne, IN, Kalamazoo, MI or even Tulsa, OK.

ALL-STAR THOUGHTS AND MORE
All-Star games are always a great time for those who are involved and this year's trio of contests in the American Hockey League, Central Hockey League and the ECHL appeared to have been very successful and entertaining for the fans.

The All-Star games brought back memories for me when I participated in the game in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was quite a rush of adrenalin over the few days that I was there. The hardest part of the whole event was the actual trip to New Mexico from Amarillo where we encountered a major snow storm and it took us hours to climb through the mountains coming in from Amarillo, TX. It was a little hair-raising for a while and my wife and I both let out a sigh of relief when we pulled into the host hotel.

The Central Hockey League went back to Laredo TX for this year's all-star game and by all accounts it appears that it was a great success. The score was a bit lopsided as the South Texas All-Stars won 9-4 over the rest of the CHL All-Stars. I am sure in the long run the end result delighted the fans that were in attendance.
All-Star games are a lot of hard work for staffs of the teams who host them. They are not an easy event to organize because you must work on the special activities plus continue to plan and manage the production involved in the rest of the regular season.

It's too bad that the CHL game couldn't get on FSN Southwest because that would have really helped grow the league and give it some great publicity. I was disappointed that fans couldn't watch or listen to the game for free on the internet. That is one thing I will say was great for the ECHL, that they allowed fans to listen or watch the game courtesy of the B2-Networks.

At one point during the night I had on the ECHL All-Star game and the AHL game from Portland Maine. A double all-star helping.

The American Hockey League's All-Star game was carried on NESN and TSN in Canada, as well as several other FSN Affiliates including FSN Ohio where I saw it. I am sure after the first period when Planet USA jumped out to a 5-2 lead, the organizers were getting a little worried that this could be a blowout. But Canada got its act together over the final 40 minutes and it was a fairly exciting contest.

CHL HALL OF FAME?
I think it's time that the Central Hockey League consider putting together an on-line Hall of Fame like the AHL and ECHL. I have toured both of the websites and they look terrific. I think these Halls of Fame allow the leagues to toast some of its movers and shakers that made a difference.

The CHL has had a terrific history over the years and I think a Hall of Fame that combines both the original CHL and the Western Professional Hockey League could be pretty impressive. They could enshrine the all-time leading point getters for both leagues, some of its outstanding coaches as well as other executives.

If professional hockey is going to continue to evolve and grow over the years, I think Halls of Fame are a great way to preserve the past and continue to attract more new fans to the exciting game.