I think as the Stanley Cup hasn't been north of the border since 93 and it hasn't been in my neck of the woods since 67, then the Gold Medal is more important. There is sure a swelling of national pride when it comes to hockey, it is this way with the juniors or the Olympics. I do believe it transcends the Olympics however and is more a beacon of hope and proof that we are the best in Hockey. If there was a world championship similar to 87 (or even 96 when that former Canadian Brett Hull scored for the Americans) everybody shuts down to watch these events. Just my thoughts.
American TV was saying today that 9/10 homes in Canada will be watching the Canadian Hockey Team when they play tonigt. I wonder what the other 1 will be doing? Must be something important. lol.
Tonight they play Norway, won't be a lot watching, probably just 5/10, as we move along the tournament more and more will tune in. If we end up losing out and are not going for gold and our final game is for 5th or 6th, nobody will watch.
NHL isn't about nationality. Canadians always make up a huge portion of the players on any Stanley Cup winning team, but the team is usually American. Bigger markets make bigger budgets so they can buy the best players. It's always great when a Canadian team makes a run for the Stanley Cup, but unfortunately it's only when we get a good batch of rookies that haven't established their names yet that manage to bottle lightning. Example would be a couple years back, Edmonton and Calgary both made good runs. Olympics is a must win. Hockey is Canada's game. Not the American's or anybody else. National pride is associated with hockey here, like it or not. Have to point out, not all Canadians are Canadiens fans.
Actually the salary cap has made it so that the field is level. Big spenders like the Rangers and Flyers have traditionally fallen on their faces or maybe I should say their bloated wallets. The wealthiest team in hockey is the Leafs and we all know where they are in the standings. Hockey may be Canada's sport but a lot of the players in the NHL are not Canadian anymore. Hockey is a world sport now and Canada should be proud that its number one sport is also big on the world stage while NFL football can't get a toehold outside of the US. For me, I'll be rooting for the US team, but if the US can't win it, then Go Canada Go. The Gold should be won by Canada with the Olympics being in Vancouver.
