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Will Olympic tournament come down to skill or determination?

February 11, 2010 07:40 PM | Posted by   Kelly Hrudey  

With the Winter Olympics just days away, the opening ceremony will mark the start of some of the most memorable experiences these athletes will ever encounter.

The buzz already surrounding the Canadian men’s hockey team has me eagerly awaiting what will perhaps be the best hockey tournament in the sport’s history.

Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are both playing the best hockey of their careers, plus they don’t care a great deal about each other, which alone will draw unparalleled attention to the sport.

Do you think this tournament comes down to skill or determination?

I’m always intoxicated by skill, but in my opinion, remaining calm in the face of adversity plus battling through a tense situation are two unique qualities that will probably separate the gold-medal winning country from the rest.

I was just looking at the Top 6 ranked teams as rated by the IIHF and for the most part, I can make a case for any of those teams to leave Vancouver with a gold medal.

Goaltending key on every team

Back in 1980 when the Americans won the gold medal, the feat was aptly named the “Miracle on Ice” but this time around, although not the favourites, the way Ryan Miller is playing, it wouldn’t shock me if he almost single-handedly cuts a swath through the tournament and the U.S. finds itself playing in the gold medal game.

As a favourite, how would you like to face Tomas Vokoun and the rest of the Czech Republic team (in the role of the underdog) in a one game elimination with the way he’s played this season for his Florida Panthers. In my opinion he’s one of the Top 5 goalies in the NHL today because he’s so determined to stop every shot and never gives up on a puck.

I could go on and on, but I know you get the picture: this is one sick hockey tournament, one that might just eclipse all the other great Olympics.

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