Just a quick note about tonight’s game. Here’s the preview.
QUEBEC CITY – It’s a year of reruns. Both semi-final matchups are the same as last year. Canada meets Sweden, the land of system hockey. Shane Doan is the Canadian captain, Kenny Jonsson the captain of Team Sweden. Canada beats Sweden 4-1.
Well, that would be getting ahead of things.
Two of the cutest moments of my World Championship have involved the same two people: Mikhail Grabovsky, and his father (and in the background probably father’s father, although that’s just my guesswork).
It’s taken us two weeks to find out that Slovenia and Italy will be relegated from the top division and that Russia, Sweden, Finland, Canada, the US, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland will play in the quarterfinals.
This could be fun:
“A Champions Alumni Game with former hockey stars will be played when the current World Championship players have a day off, on May 15 at 19:00 at the Colisée Pepsi. Like last year, coaching legend Scotty Bowman will headline the coaching staff. Other coaches include Lou Vairo, Geraldine Heaney, and Barry Smith.
World Stars roster: Goalies: Sean Burke (CAN), Bobby Farrelly (USA). Skaters: Glenn Anderson (CAN), Jim Balsillie (CAN), Philippe Bozon (FRA), Doug Brown (USA), Ray Ferraro (USA), Mark Fusco (USA), Cammi Granato (USA), Raimo Helminen (FIN), Jyrki Lumme (FIN), Angela James (CAN), Jari Kurri (FIN), Igor Larionov (RUS), Vladimir Malakhov (RUS), Mats Naslund (SWE), Patrick Roy (CAN), Esa Tikkanen (FIN), Scott Young (USA).”
Today I had a short rendezvous with Gary Bettman, the commissioner. Of the NHL. That ain’t coming back to Quebec.
And before that, I had another meet with Lundqvist, I’ll have something about him tomorrow.
Here’s a shot from the press box.
Ironically, or, paradoxically, or just surprisingly, I’ve come to appreciate the small hockey nations more now that I’ve seen them up close for a few days.
Anyway, here are a couple of things I wrote today.
I seem to be on a Dane streak. Here’s my latest story, on the Danes, on iihf.com.
Edit: Here’s a recap of Sweden v France game.
This is actually copied and pasted from our IIHF World Championship blog, but it’s been a long day – only 12 hours at the rink today, though – and I have nothing left in my brain. So, I’ll do what I actually like doing best: I quote myself.
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QUEBEC CITY – “Hey,” he says, “what did you think about our line last night?”
He, Petri Skriko, former NHLer and a three-time World Championship player for Finland, flashes a very happy smile. As he should because “their line” was simply amazing the night before. The line is Russian’s Alexander Semin – Sergei Fedorov – Alexander Ovechkin, the “Washington line”.
Skriko is the Washington Capitals’ pro scout these days, and in Quebec City to scan the best of the international hockey before heading out to Halifax to check out the rest of the teams.
Ironically, when Skriko himself was drafted to the NHL – as 157th player, on round 8 – by the Vancouver Canucks, he was never scouted. By a pro scout, anyway.
“I had a teammate called Stu Ostlund on my team, SaiPa, in the Finnish league. He was finishing up his career and when he went back home after the season, he told the Canucks about me, and they just went ahead and picked me.
“The year after, I was elected tournament MVP in the World Juniors. When I then signed my first contract, the GM took me to his office and showed me a sign he had had made. On it, was my face and a text, ‘I AM A GENIUS’,” Skriko told me, laughing.
“Too bad he wasn’t there anymore when it was time to renegotiate my contract.”
Quebec is celebrating its 400th anniversary, so the city is preparing for a big party, with a lot of events. It’s a nice city, in all of its Frenchness, and what seems to be thousands of restaurants.
One of them is this crêperie. It’s a nice place, but not too pricey. At least if you believe the name. Non-Swedish speakers, click here.
