Olympic Hockey Recap: Sid the Kid and Canada, Golden

Oh, so that’s what all the fuss was about.

We’re now just two days removed from a tournament that featured the greatest hockey players on the planet, each vying not for personal glory but that of their respective countries. A tournament capped off with one of the most nerve-wracking and outstanding gold medal games in the history of the Olympics.

Yeah, we suppose that was worth making a fuss about.

Canada’s 3-2 overtime thriller against the United States on Sunday set all kinds of viewership records, a good indication that hockey’s popularity is alive and well throughout North America. In the U.S., the game was seen by an average of 27.6 million people, the most-viewed hockey game in any setting since the 1980 Lake Placid Gold Medal game  in the year where the U.S. capped off its semifinal win over the Soviet Union (aka “The Miracle On Ice”) by beating Finland in the final game.

In Canada, the game was the most-watched broadcast in the country’s history with an average audience of 16.6 million viewers and, according to Canada’s Olympic Broadcast media Consortium, 80 per cent of the population – or 26.5 million people, watched some part of the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins sensation Sidney Crosby notched the overtime winner off a nifty give-and-go play with Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla. The goal cemented Crosby in Canadian hockey lore, alongside the likes of Paul Henderson (who scored the game-winning tally against the USSR in the 1972 Summit Series) and Mario Lemieux (who took a Wayne Gretzky drop-pass and scored the winning goal against the Soviets in the 1987 Canada Cup), but also displayed the maturity and leadership abilities of a player who, remarkably, is still only 22 years old.

Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller was the star of the show for the Americans, capturing tournament MVP honors on the strength of his 5-1 record with a .946 save percentage and 1.35 goals against average. Miller is now being considered amongst the greatest American netminders in the history of the sport, right up there with the clutch performances seen by Jim Craig at the 1980 Olympics and Mike Richter at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Now, just because the men’s Olympic hockey tournament is done, doesn’t mean hockey betting options have dried up and gone away. Over at the Sports Interaction online sportsbook, you still have an opportunity to get in on some Olympic betting lines, including this one:

“Mens Olympic Ice Hockey 2014 — Will Canada Retain Gold?”

Currently, you can get in on the “yes” action at coold 3/2 odds. Granted, it’ll take four years for this wager to pay off, but why not invest now for some returns down the road? If you’re interested in this or other hockey betting options, head on over to the Sports Interaction online sportsbook today!