Other than high school, my son's hockey and baseball house league and my own slo-pitch and hockey championships, I've never seen a sports final live in person.
I wasn't at the dome when Joe Carter touched them all in '93, I've never been alive for a Maple Leaf Stanley Cup game, and the Raptors have never made it out of the second round. I've never attended a Grey Cup, a Vanier Cup, a Memorial Cup or whatever the lacrosse league calls their championship. The most prominent trophy I had ever seen decided in person was the Prentice Cup, which I saw won by Michael Power's high school baseball team in '93.
But tonight that all changed. I was at an electric and jam-packed ACC for Canada vs. Russia and watched my team win gold. What was once a 5-1 laugher quickly morphed into an intense, white-knuckled nail-biter as we barely held on for a 5-4 win. But we did win, and it was amazing.
I didn't know the ACC could get so loud and have such energy. Every seat was filled at the start of the first period with a jersey-wearing hockey fan. It was absolutely amazing.
I must give a monster thanks to Telus who not only gave me the ticket so I could see this amazing game, but also gave me the jersey I'm wearing in the pic below. Thank you for a most excellent night I'll never forget.
Here are a few other pics I took, of the final face-off late in the third, the gold medal celebration and the singing of O Canada.
