Three Periods of the Condor: Green Monster, Ice Crew and Section 27

Every NHL fan knows that watching a game in person changes everything. You follow hockey differently after that. In a new occasional series, which we are calling "Three Periods of the Condor" with a nod to actor Robert Redford, NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bob Condor will be watching games from various locations at NHL arenas. Feel free to email ideas about where "Three Periods of the Condor" goes next to bcondor@nhl.com.

Let's start with the desperation of Section 27 in the Fenway Park grandstand. Bruins fans were standing for the last dozen minutes of Friday’s 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, craning necks, standing shoulder to shoulder, body-Englishing on every Boston shot on goal like Carlton Fisk goading his 12th-inning home run to stay fair in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

"Just one!" yelled the fan in Row 4. He was wearing a floppy knit Bruins Winter Classic stocking cap with ear flaps.

"Seven minutes left and everybody is standing, look at this," said another fan up and over a bit in Row 5.

"Come on, play like you are earning your money!" screamed a clearly loyal jersey-clad fan in Row 5. She almost immediately apologized to everyone nearby for "losing her head."

With 2:18 left -- and 26 seconds remaining on a power play -- Mark Recchi helped every one lose their heads by tying the game by redirecting a pass from defenseman Derek Morris into the net. Honestly, I thought the guy next to me with the Winter Classic ear flaps was about to kiss me on the head.

There was something about the way the light hit the Fenway rink in those final minutes of the third period. Bob Costas said it on NBC a bit later in the network’s post-game coverage: It seemed like a bunch of kids trying to get up and down the ice a few more times before needing to go home for dinner.

When Marco Sturm bagged the Classic winner in overtime, there were high fives, hugs and fist bumps all around Section 27. Nothing brings fans together like a thrilling overtime victory on a near-perfect day for hockey at one of America’s cherished ballparks.

Of course, a B-2 stealth bomber can do the same. When the flyover occurred just before puck drop and the first period, no less than 20 grown men in the Green Monster seats atop the 37-foot left field wall ran from their primo seats to clasp chain-link and trying spot the B-2 first. Frankly, the plane was overhead and headed for a buzz-cut of the press box in a blink. Those 20 grown men spent the next few minutes comparing cell phone photos for a good five minutes afterward, plus basically saying "Did you see that!" to each other.

More kid stuff.

The view from the Green Monster was one of the best vantage points for a hockey game -- high enough to watch the play develop but still able to see the players' faces. And, come on, you are on top of the Green Monster.

Just over than a minute into the second period, two members of the NHL Ice Crew sprung up from their benches on the corner of the rink nearest the Monster to do some repairs to the faceoff dot left of Bruins goalie and Olympian Tim Thomas. Both Thomas and a linesman were naturally curious about the repair work, gliding closer to the Ice Crew members as their worked with ice chunks and a fire extinguisher that seals up the makeover job. They were back in their own version of a bullpen less than two minutes later.

Sitting in the corner with the ice crew afforded larger-than-life views of Thomas making some saves with his chest and, one time, his mask (punctuated by a sound somewhere between a thwack and a thud). You can also see the puck skitter on the Fenway rink’s lively boards and figure out how hard it is really is for a NHL goaltender only stop to stop that unruly puck but to control it and send it back the other way.

A distinct feeling you get from sitting on the corner at ice level: The rink can’t hold these guys. Pretty much every shift ends with loud crashes, bounce-offs, clattering sticks and players simply falling squarely and hard on their butts.

Another conclusion from the corner, ice-side: Zdeno Chara sure fills up the glass.
Watching the NHL Ice Crew from a dozen feet away as they each crouched on one knee and tucked snow shovels in the crooks of their elbows was impressive. Their runs out to the ice surface are practically choreography with shovel, trash cans and fire extinguishers. Think the coal miners' "Solidarity" number in "Billy Elliot." The finishing touch was using those fire extinguishers with the vapor spraying.

Dan Craig, the NHL's ice guru, was looking calm leaning on a temporary fence near the end of the second period. He was asked if the Ice Crew ever practices what appears to be razor-shape and hyper-fast work.

"No, never," said Craig, breaking into a smile. "What I enjoy about our team is each one of them knows what they are here for and that time is of the essence."

Same feeling everyone had in Section 27 during the third period.

Kane excited to be named U.S. Olympian

Patrick Kane called making the U.S. Olympic squad a dream come true, but he also had to know this was coming.

When you talk about locks for the American squad, arguably no one was as secure as Kane, the 21-year-old right wing out of Buffalo, N.Y. who already owns the Calder Memorial Trophy and 187 points in 202 NHL games.

Still, you could tell through the telephone during Kane's conference call Friday night that there was still some awe in his voice and plenty of excitement in his tone. Even if he was a lock, that call he got Thursday from Team USA Associate GM David Poile was one of the best Kane has ever received.

"It's the Olympics we're talking about, the highest state of hockey you can play and the highest competition level," Kane said. "I had a chance to meet some of the other athletes in other sports, and this is what they work for their whole life. As hockey players we work to make the NHL, but at the same time you realize how much it means to these other Olympians and it should mean the same thing to us."

Kane is the poster boy for the young team selected by Team USA GM Brian Burke. Thirteen of the 23 players are 25 or younger and only three (Brian Rafalski, Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner) have previous experience.

Canada is bringing 12 players who are 25 or younger, but eight members of the host team have previous Olympic experience and Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur and Jarome Iginla all won gold eight years ago in Salt Lake City.

Drury and Rafalski played for the American team that finished second to Canada in '02.

"Probably the strongest team on paper I'd have to say is Canada. Sweden is going to be pretty good, too, and obviously Russia has so many superstars," Kane said. "At the same time, it's one of those tournaments that if everything can click right and you can do things right for a couple of weeks, who knows what you can come out with.

"Going to Canada as an American team I am sure we'll take some heat, but I think it'll be pretty fun to go on their turf and maybe beat 'em," he added. "They did it to us in Salt Lake City. It'll be one of those times when maybe we can get some revenge."

Right away Kane mentioned Team USA's youth, but he also pointed at the Americans' speed, skill and goaltending as their best attributes. Either Ryan Miller or Tim Thomas will likely be the Americans' No. 1 in net, but Jonathan Quick may have a say as well.

"With the way Coach (Ron) Wilson likes to coach, he's an attack guy that likes to score goals and that should bode well for us because we have some players that can do that," Kane said. "And, if you look at our goaltending, if it's not the best it's one of the best in the tournament."

Kane agreed that Burke's selections signify a changing of the guard in USA Hockey from the old guard to the new school. Veteran international stars like Mike Modano, Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight and Brian Rolston were left off the team.

"You look at a guy like Modano, it's probably tough to see him left off the team, but it is a changing of the guard," Kane said. "Look at the NHL, though, all the best players in the League are young anyway. It's a young man's League now."

And, this young man has a sense for history that maybe, just maybe will be on the Americans' side in Vancouver.

"I think it's pretty cool that it's the 30th anniversary of the 1980 team and the 50th of the 1960 team," Kane said. "Hopefully it's one of those years we can put everything together and bring the gold back to theU.S."

They're underdogs, a long shot, but Kane knew that all along anyway.

"People are probably viewing us as underdogs, but at the same if you put together the right chemistry and guys get along that can really help us and go a long way," he said. "I tell you, it will be a heck of a year if you could come home with both (Olympic gold and Stanley Cup)."

Syvret's 1st goal definitely a Classic

BOSTON -- Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret admitted shock when his only shot of the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic found the back of the net behind Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.

Syvret had reason to sound pessimistic -- it happened to be the first goal of his NHL career. That's right. Syvret's turnaround snap shot from the top of the left circle that zipped past Boston's Tim Thomas 4:42 into the second just happened to be the first goal of his four-season career. It also gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in an eventual 2-1 overtime setback to the hometown Bruins in the NHL Winter Classic before 38,112 at Fenway Park.

"I was sort of shocked when it went in because of all of my attempts on net, I didn't think that would have been the one that would have went in," Syvet said. "I was just hoping to get it on net and then go for a rebound because there were a lot of bodies out there. I rested (the puck) and threw it on net and (Tim) Thomas was battling with Hartsie (Scott Hartnell) in front of the net trying to clear him. I was expecting a shot on net, but it found its way in. That was good for me.

"My career has been up and down in the minors so, hopefully, I can continue my play and stay up."

Despite making just his 16th appearance this season with the Flyers, Syvret has improved this season when given an opportunity. He was acquired by the Flyers in a trade with Edmonton in June 2008 and posted career highs in goals (12), assists (45) and points (57) in 76 games with Philadelphia's American Hockey League affiliate -- the Philadelphia Phantoms.

He also won a gold medal with current Flyers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Braydon Coburn in the 2005 World Junior Championships.

"The main thing is you have to be able to control what you can and that's through your play," Syvret said. "If the people like it, they'll call you up and if not, they'll send you down. The only thing you can control is the way you play. For a defenseman, if there's net presence in front, your chances of scoring a goal are a lot better than if the goalie can see it."

Syvret's excitement of scoring his first goal in 44 NHL games, however, was tempered by the fact his team lost the game.

"It's frustrating because we had the lead for a good part of the game," Syvret said. "A couple of penalties got us into trouble (in the third period). They obviously were going at it pretty strong and once they got the equalizer, they took the momentum. Once they got that, things just kept going for them and we were sort of in our end for the rest of the game after that."

Still, to get a goal in the biggest game of the season, is something the 24-year-old Millgrove, Ontario native will never forget.

"My parents are here, so maybe I'll get a text message from them," Syvret said. "But my phone will probably have a lot of messages on it. The setting was great; it couldn't be any better. There was no rain, snow or a very cold climate.

"It was pretty cool to come in early, go out and tape your stick and see fans coming out to a ball park to watch a hockey game. It was loud and crazy out here with the bands and everything else."

Burke: "We're underdogs, but we're looking to win"

BOSTON -- Brian Burke preferred to stand clear of making any bold predictions or providing bulletin board material following the release of the United States team he'll send into battle at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver next month.

However, Team USA's general manager did admit one thing -- "We're there to win."

"We're the last team to release a roster among all the major countries," Burke said Friday after Boston's 2-1 overtime victory over the Flyers in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

"What's going to happen now is all the people who get paid to make these types of decisions and commentary will evaluate everything we've done," Burke said. "But I'm telling you one position where the U.S. doesn't have to take a backseat to anybody is in net."

Not only will Team USA have one of the NHL's hottest goaltenders on its 23-man roster in Buffalo's Ryan Miller, but it will also have the winning goalie from this year's Winter Classic -- Boston's Tim Thomas.

"Right now, in my opinion, Ryan Miller is the best goaltender in the NHL," Burke said. "And Tim Thomas, right now, is probably playing just as well. It's going to be a coaching decision who to start. The schedule lends itself early to a one-goalie tournament. We're playing every other night, there are no back-to-backs initially, so it screams for a one-goalie system."

Burke knows his team is not among the favorites.

"We're going in as underdogs," he said. "We're confident about that and comfortable with that. All the money is going to be on Canada and Russia and Sweden, to a lesser extent, and that's fine with us."

But is there any added pressure on the United States knowing this year's Olympic Games marks the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid?

"The only pressure that I can see on the horizon right now is that the pressure for the Canadian team is massive and unrelenting," Burke said.

At an average age of 26.5, this American squad is the youngest to participate in the Olympics since NHL players were introduced to the Games in 1998. The roster consists of 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies.

"We're picking this team and going head-to-head with Canada and going head-to-head with Russia," Burke said. "We can't just take the 23 best. If they did that and we did that, we'd get our butts kicked. If Canada asks Jarome Iginla to play a third-line right wing and check, we're going to need to take a guy who can check better than Jarome Iginla. We also have to hope that our top six forwards get the job done on specialty teams. That's the only way we can beat the odds."

Burke, Team USA Associate General Manager David Poile, USA Hockey's Jim Johannson and fellow NHL GMs Dean Lombardi, Don Waddell, Ray Shero and Paul Holmgren were the architects behind selecting this team. No decision was easy.

"We've been watching these kids, and I think we have a good base," Burke said. "We have to try to pick the team based on a body of work rather than how a player has played at this particular time. A player who had a slow start should not be penalized if he's done good things in the past.

"We stressed character when we were putting this team together and wanted to identify people who would rise to the occasion. We've put together high hockey IQ's and versatile players with good foot speed."

Despite turning the page and selecting a younger squad, Burke is confident new leaders and specialists will emerge. He said a captain and alternates would be named at a later time.

"Guys like David Backes (St. Louis), who plays all three forward positions, can kill penalties and is a big, able-bodied guy is a possibility" Burke said. "Ryan Callahan (New York Rangers) has great foot speed, hits and is also a good penalty-killer. He's the top five in hits among forwards -- both Backes and Callahan are two specialists that screamed at us to take them."

Burke also likes the veteran corps his team possesses, including Jamie Langenbrunner, Mike Komisarek and Chris Drury.

"We think we have the leadership component we need," Burke said.

Bruins' Thomas starts new year in style

This is the way to start a New Year.

Forget half-hearted resolutions. That's too pedestrian for Tim Thomas, the Boston Bruins' goalie. Instead, Thomas lived a year of emotions in a 12-hour period.

"New Year's Day 2010 will go down as one of the most memorable days of my life and my career," Thomas said moments after skating off the Fenway Park ice as the winning goalie in his team's dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. "Between winning and the way that we won and being named to the Olympic team.

That's right, even before Thomas walked out of the Red Sox's dugout for the pre-game skate Saturday morning, his 2010 was made.

Thomas has talked openly about how much playing in the Olympics means to him. He thought he lost his best opportunity in 1998 when the Olympics transitioned from an amateur tournament to a showcase for professional players. Yet 12 years later, Thomas completed an incredible trek from European journeyman to Vezina Trophy winner and Olympic athlete.

"As I have said before, I have been waiting 30 years for this," Thomas said. "I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for this opportunity."

Team USA General Manager Brian Burke informed Thomas his long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived during a Saturday morning conversation.

"Obviously, I had to keep it quiet," Thomas said. "That's a good thing because I was able to control my emotions. I think I would have been a blubbering mess on national television if I had found out right before."

Actually, Thomas could not control his emotions throughout the duration of the Winter Classic -- and that almost became the dominant storyline of the New Year's Day game.

Early in the second period, Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell crashed into Thomas during some action around the Boston crease. The contact sent Thomas sprawling and left him vulnerable during a shot attempt from the point. Several seconds later, Thomas took an opportunity to retaliate, cross-checking Hartnell to the ice. The only problem was that Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret fired a slapper into the vacated net at the same instant to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

"Basically, I lost my cool and I wasn't following the puck," Thomas said.

Bruins coach Claude Julien, though, excused his goalie for his lapse in reasoning.

"I'm sure he is going to be the first to acknowledge that he lost his temper," Julien said. "But, at the same time, that is what has made him a great goaltender -- his character and the way he battles.
"Every once in a while, he'll get those goals because of the way he battles, but he'll make 10 times more saves because of that character. The character and the battle that he has in him; it has helped him more than it has hurt him."

In fact, Thomas made every save asked of him after Syvret's goal, finishing with 24 as his team rallied to score the tying goal with less than three minutes remaining in regulation and adding the winner in the second minute of overtime.

"When Marco (Sturm) scored the winner, that was one of the most incredible feelings that I can remember," Thomas admitted.

But he had little time to savor it. Ten minutes after walking off the ice as a Winter Classic winner, he was walking back into Fenway Park in his freshly minted Team USA jersey to be introduced as an Olympian in USA Hockey's nationally televised Olympic selection special.

"I was at least prepared for the walk out," Thomas said. "It was just a great way to be named. To be able to be named at your home crowd, at Fenway Park; I mean, you add these things together and this is a story that will be told the rest of my life."

Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino on 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

BOSTON - Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of the City of Boston, today released the following statement regarding the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic:

"As one of the NHL's Original Six franchises in a city steeped with sports history, there was no one better than the Boston Bruins or the City of Boston to play host to this extraordinary event. Watching hockey in its most pure and elementary form outdoors at historic and beloved Fenway Park is a treat not only for all of the citizens of Boston but for hockey lovers around the world. I thank the National Hockey League and Commissioner Bettman for bringing the 2010 Winter Classic to the City of Boston and helping all of us ring in this New Year in grand style."

Bettman on 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

BOSTON – National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman today released the following statement regarding the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic:

"This was a terrific day. The 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic was played in a perfect setting by the world's best athletes for the world's greatest fans -- and the response was overwhelming. Thanks to Dan Craig and his crew for creating outstanding ice. Thanks to Don Renzulli and the NHL Events group for creating a magnificent spectacle. Thanks to the teams, to the city of Boston -- and to the Red Sox for having welcomed our New Year's Day tradition so graciously."

San Jose leads NHL with 8 players chosen for Olympics

The San Jose Sharks will have the biggest contingent of players at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Eight Sharks will take the ice next month when the Games begin. San Jose has four members of Team Canada -- linemates Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, as well as defenseman Dan Boyle -- In addition, goalies Thomas Griess (Germany) and Evgeni Nabokov (Russia), as well as center Douglas Murray of Sweden and Team USA forward Joe Pavelski are headed to Vancouver.

All 30 NHL teams will be represented at the Winter Games, with representation ranging from the Sharks' high of eight to one member of the New York Islanders -- Swiss defenseman Mark Streit.

The naming of defenseman Brian Rafalski to Team USA following Boston's 2-1 OT win over Philadelphia in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Friday gave the Detroit Red Wings a total of seven players headed for Vancouver. Four of them are Swedes -- Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, and Tomas Holmstrom. In addition, Valtteri Filppula was named to Finland's Olympic team, while Pavel Datsyuk will play for Team Russia.

The Vancouver Canucks have seven players on six teams -- led by the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, who will play for Sweden. Other Canucks who will be playing in their home arena include Team USA forward Ryan Kesler, German defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo, Finnish defenseman Sami Salo and Slovak forward Pavol Demitra.

Anaheim also has seven players, including defenseman Scott Niedermayer and linemates Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf (Canada), Finland's Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, Swiss goaltender Jonas Hiller and Team USA forward Bobby Ryan.

Montreal and Toronto were among five teams with six players. Montreal's Olympians include the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, of Belarus, plus Slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halak, Czech center Tomas Plekanec and defenseman Andrei Markov of Russia and Yannick Weber of Switzerland. Toronto's selections include two Americans -- center Phil Kessel and defenseman Mike Komisarek -- as well as Czech defenseman Tomas Kaberle, forwards Niklas Hagman of Finland and Mikhail Grabovski of Belarus, as well as Swiss netminder Jonas Gustavsson.

Chicago and Columbus also had six players. The Hawks' contingent included the defense pair of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook who will play for Team Canada along with center Jonathan Toews. Other Hawks making the Olympics include U.S. forward Patrick Kane and Slovak forwards Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. Columbus' Olympians include Canada's Rick Nash and Swedes Samuel Pahlsson and Fredrik Modin.

Martin Brodeur, the likely starter in goal for Team Canada, was among six New Jersey Devils chosen. The Devils also had three players chosen for Team USA, tying Los Angeles (Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick and Jack Johnson) for the most of any club.

Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and goalie Semyon Varlamov of Russia were among five Washington Capitals to make the Games; Canada's Sidney Crosby and Russia's Evgeni were among the five Pittsburgh Penguins selected by their nations.

Burke finally gets his message across

The setting for the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic was not lost on 2010 U.S. Olympic Team General Manager Brian Burke as he stood in center field just before noon Friday at historic Fenway Park.

But Burke's attention was not on the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins as the puck drop on the third annual NHL Winter Classic approached. Instead, his focus was making sure he was able to be in personal contact with each of his management team's selections for the U.S. squad that will compete in Vancouver next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The process had begun a couple of hours earlier in the day and as the clock in right field prepared to strike 12 (noon), Burke had two issues -- a cell phone that was getting sporadic reception and two players that he and his management colleague, Nashville Predators' GM David Poile, still had not been able to reach.

"You getting reception?" Burke asked NHL PR official Gary Meagher.

"Yah, four bars," Meagher responded.

As Burke paced around the spot that Fred Lynn had patrolled in center field for the Red Sox from 1974 to 80, the communications issue was resolved and the final calls were made.

"Bobby?" Burke said. "On behalf of USA Hockey, we would be honored to have you wear the Stars and Stripes at the Olympics next month."

The recipient of the call, Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks, had the exact same reaction that each of the 21 players who had who received calls earlier in the day.

"They are absolutely thrilled and honored to represent their country in what will be an unbelievable hockey stage," said Burke.

Twenty-two calls down and one still to go. The last player who still had not been contacted, defenseman Mike Komisarek of Burke's Toronto Maple Leafs, finally was tracked down as Burke drifted into left center field, steps from the Green Monster.

The 30-second conversation with Komisarek went exactly the same as the others. "We are honored to have you represent your country in Vancouver," Burke said.

A process that began more than four months earlier at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp in Chicago was finally complete. The 13 forwards, seven defenseman and three goaltenders who will represent the U.S. at the Olympic Winter Games were ready to be announced on the ice at Fenway in the area between the pitcher's mound and second base.

NBC brought out its best for Classic telecast

NBC brought out its "A" team and its "A" game for hockey's premiere regular-season event, the 2010 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic.

In the prelude to Friday's game, host Bob Costas did a superb job weaving together the mystique of Fenway Park with the aura that surrounds the NHL's annual outdoor game, combining with Mike Milbury and Darren Pang to set the stage for play-by-play man Mike Emrick and analyst Ed Olczyk.

Costas narrated brief features on Fenway and the Red Sox, as well as the background of outdoor hockey in Boston -- including quick snippets with Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette, a Boston-area native who noted that he grew up skating on the Charles River and had just taken his children to do so for the first time.

The pre-game show also went into some background on the Flyers-Bruins rivalry, dating to Philadelphia's win over Boston in the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, and featured interviews with the honorary captains -- Bobby Clarke of the Flyers and Bobby Orr of the Bruins. Seeing the two old rivals embrace at center ice, the battles of yesteryear now just warm memories, was a treat in itself.

So was the playing and singing of the U.S. National Anthem by New England native James Taylor, who accompanied himself on an acoustic guitar -- followed by a flyover by a B-2 bomber.

Then it was time for hockey -- and calling a game is a job few do better than Emrick, who not only describes the action in a manner that appeals to both hard-core hockey fans and those who might be watching hockey for the first time, but also does an excellent job giving his analysts space to work. Pang, working from ice level, noted early on that because of the lack of wind, there was no plan to have the teams switch ends midway through the third period as was done last year in Chicago. The camera also cut to Pang wearing football-style eye black strips as he recounted a conversation in which Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton said he was wearing the strips because he was having trouble tracking the puck.

In fact, with few scoring chances, much of the first period was a three-way discussion among Emrick, Olczyk and Pang on the condition of the ice ("pristine," according to Pang), some funny bounces (Emrick noted that the boards were the same ones used in 1997, when the NHL played games in Japan) and the goaltender's differing perspective in playing outdoors. One of Emrick's gifts is that he is able to keep such conversations going without detracting from the play-by-play.

Pang also brought a new touch to the usual between-periods player interview, talking to Philadelphia's Dan Carcillo about his first-period scrap with Boston's Scott Thornton (the first ever in an NHL outdoor game) as the two skated off the ice following the opening 20 minutes. He did the same with Boston's 6-foot-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara after the second period -- setting up one of the great height disparities in broadcast history.

Between the first two periods, NBC offered an interesting feature with no right answer: Which is the better sports city -- Boston or Philadelphia? Costas also talked with former Red Sox and Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling (wearing a Bruins jersey). Schilling wouldn't cast a vote either way, but noted that the cities "share a common bond -- their intense dislike of New York" and that the fans in both cities "eat, sleep and breathe their teams."

In discussing the first-period stats, which showed plenty of hits (27) but no goals and only 15 combined shots, Emrick noted accurately that, "when hits outnumber shots, it's Bruins-Flyers hockey."

When the Flyers opened the scoring on Danny Syvret's first NHL goal at 4:42, Olczyk and Pang jumped right on the fact that Boston goaltender Tim Thomas' move to push Philadelphia forward Scott Hartnell out of the way wound up costing him. "Clearly, Tim Thomas wasn't focused on the puck," noted Pang, a former goaltender. In viewing the replay, which showed Thomas eschewing the puck to take a whack at Hartnell, Olczyk said Thomas "tried to get even. That's not the time."

Between the second and third periods, NBC offered a feature honoring the 30th anniversary of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice," with Al Michaels (who made the famous "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" call) talking with Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig, followed by a live interview with Boston natives Craig, Jack O'Callahan and Dave Silk. "I think we had a lot better team than people thought," Craig said. When asked by Costas how many times Team USA could have beaten the 1980 Soviet squad in a 20-game series, Silk replied, "I don't think we could beat them at all. Luckily we didn't have to."

NBC's camera work, excellent all day, was sharp early in the third period when Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton misplayed an 80-foot shot by Marco Sturm, only to get a break when the puck trickled through his pads and pinged the post to his left. Fans got a good view on a couple of quick replays that didn't disrupt the flow of the telecast but combined with Pang's sharp-eyed analysis to show how lucky Leighton was.

Emrick was at his best in the final minutes as the Bruins scrambled for the tying goal. When they got it with 2:18 remaining, Emrick was quick to tell viewers "Recchi on a tip, and it's 1-1," after which Olczyk quickly and accurately broke down the play, showing Mark Recchi get a piece of Derek Morris' power-play shot to tie the game.

Emrick punctuated the game with his trademark "Score!" call when Marco Sturm's tip-in 1:57 into overtime won the game -- then went silent and let the crowd tell the story. After the noise subsided, Olczyk again quickly broke down the play that ended with Sturm tipping Patrice Bergeron's pass behind Leighton.

"I'm still shaking here," Sturm told Pang in a quick on-ice interview. "I hope I have a chance to do it again. Overall was a great experience."

That just about sums up the day for hockey fans, too.

Bruins walk off Fenway field a Classic winner

BOSTON -- The 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic turned out to be the equivalent of a walk-off grand slam over the Green Monster at famed Fenway Park.

Marco Sturm's goal at the 1:57 mark of overtime capped a furious rally by the Boston Bruins, who defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, on New Year's Day in the most memorable of the three editions of the Winter Classic.

"I've been here during baseball games when someone hits it over the Monster," Bruin Shawn Thornton said as he lounged in the locker of David "Big Papi" Ortiz, who holds the record for home runs in Fenway in a season. "It was like that."

Sturm's goal, on a sweet setup by Patrice Bergeron, set off a wild celebration among the 38,112 that packed the grand old ballpark to its seams for a New Year's Day afternoon few will soon forget.

"I'm sure this will stay with us for the rest of our lives," Boston captain Zdeno Chara said.

Chara started the winning-goal sequence, getting the puck to Bergeron, who found Sturm for a shot that beat Flyer goalie Michael Leighton to the left side and set off a celebration that continued well after the players had left the ice.

"That's, I think, what I probably dreamed of this morning," Sturm said. "I think every player (wants) to score in overtime -- especially in a game like this."

For Chara, it is that split-second moment when the red light above Leighton's head flashed through the gloaming is the picture that will remain etched in his mind.

"To have Sturmy jump around, all of us jumping around," Chara told NHL.com. "That's the best you can ask for. To see everybody hugging each other, it was almost like we won a (Stanley) Cup."

Hockey's biggest prize wasn't on offer on New Year's Day at Fenway Park, but the eyes of the sporting world -- not just the hockey world -- were on downtown Boston on this day.

Neither the Bruins, nor the Flyers frittered away the opportunity, seizing the day in much the same way their predecessors did in the first two Winter Classics. Pittsburgh won the inaugural Classic over Buffalo in a shootout and Detroit marched into Chicago's Wrigley Field and beat the host Blackhawks. Boston is the first home team to win a Classic game.

While the Flyers were angry to be on the losing end -- a result that ended a promising four-game winning streak that had bolstered the team's confidence after a sluggish start to the season -- they still had to acknowledge the special quality of the event.

"The experience is once-in-a-lifetime," said Flyer coach Peter Laviolette, who is a Boston-area boy himself. "It's not just being a cliché. Fenway Park. Bruins. Flyers. Forty-thousand people on a perfect day. You couldn't ask for anything better for the game of hockey.

"It was just unbelievable to be a part of it; for our organization, for our players, for the fans. It was a great day of hockey."

Amazingly it was a pair of little-known Flyers who owned Fenway Park for the first 57 minutes of the game.

Spare defenseman Danny Syvret gave Philadelphia the lead 4:42 into the second period when his point shot found its way past Boston goalie Tim Thomas, who was out of position after leaving his crease to cross-check Scott Hartnell in retaliation for a collision between the two earlier in the goal-scoring sequence.

It was the first NHL goal of Syvret's career.

Then Leighton -- claimed off waivers as insurance for injured starter Ray Emery -- allowed the lead to stand up for the next 33 minutes, running his own shutout streak to 154:07.

Recchi, though, put paid to both Leighton's glory and Philadelphia's dreams of escaping with a 1-0 victory when he parked himself at the top of the crease during a power play and re-directed a centering pass from Derek Morris with 2:08 left in the game.

"I was in my spot and was fortunate to bank it in," Recchi said. "It was pretty awesome, I'll tell you that. It was a pretty cool experience, I'll tell you that. It's definitely something you'll never forget."

Recchi's goal allowed the frustrated home half of the sold-out crowd to finally celebrate in the boisterous way that Red Sox fans have made famous. It was that explosion of emotion and noise that pushed Boston forward to get the game-winner in the extra session.

"You're feeding off those people," Chara said. "They all got up, they all danced, they all cheered. That energy in Fenway was unbelievable. We all felt the chills on our back and we said, 'Oh my God, let's get another one!' "

Sturm delivered on that challenge, occupying a place in Fenway lore not too far removed from retired Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, who hit the most famous home run this stadium has ever produced.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day at one of baseball's most famous stadiums.

"You can talk about this forever," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It's a great story and it's a lot easier to say it's a lot of fun because we won."

Bettman: Practice makes perfect

BOSTON -- The NHL learned plenty the previous two seasons when it successfully pulled off back-to-back Winter Classic success stories with games in Buffalo and Chicago.

According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, those lessons learned certainly paid dividends to producing an even greater product for the hockey world at famed Fenway Park on New Year's Day this time around.

"Based on what we are going to see (Friday), we learned a lot over those two Winter Classics and it will reflect in the quality of the ice and game presentation and everything we have done building up to it," Bettman said. "This has become a hallmark event for us. It is a cornerstone of the strategy we began over three years ago to build scale and connect with our fans in ways we haven't done before, using all of the platforms available to us."

Bettman also confirmed that the League is currently in the process of choosing the venue for the 2011 Classic.

"Obviously, we have to be in a place where we think the weather will be okay," Bettman said. "We actually have people studying the last four years of weather in a variety of markets and coming up with a statistical model as to what the likelihood is of a temperature being at a certain level and precipitation being rain or snow."

Bettman was glad to see the positive player reaction during Thursday's practice session, during which a light snowfall added to the festive mood. Despite the fact the snow forced players to pay attention to detail while stick-handling across a half-inch of the white stuff, they enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"The player reaction (on Thursday) was great," Bettman said. "We didn't choreograph the snow fall as they were taking the ice, that just happened. But that's part of what makes this event so much fun.

"In terms of the economic impact in a local community, it's been great for the Bruins in terms of interest and fan support during the season," he continued. "I think I heard (on Thursday) that the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Boston pegged the economic impact somewhere around $36 million. This is a big event and we are proud that it's developed this quickly into this big a deal."

Pre-game ceremonies set the tone at Fenway

BOSTON -- Once again, the opening ceremonies for the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic proved well worth the price of admission.

Well before the opening faceoff for the 2010 outdoor classic, fans were given a pregame treat as the NHL unleashed yet another entertainment bonanza that had the place rocking as players from both the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers prepared for their 168th meeting.

With the temperature at a balmy 39.1 degrees, festivities began just outside the rink and on home plate when Boston's longest-serving mayor Thomas M. Menino, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a proclamation that declared Jan. 1, 2010 as Winter Classic Day in the City of Boston.

After honoring numerous local organizations for their civic service to the City of Boston, including area members of five branches of the U.S. military, Boston's own Celtic punkers, the Dropkick Murphys, performed their signature song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," to the delight of the raucous capacity crowd. The band, incidentally, will go on tour Jan. 20 and will make a stop at Boston's House of Blues.

Fenway actually holds the Major League Baseball record for consecutive regular-season sellouts (550) through Oct. 4, 2009. Well, historians might as well make it 551 straight as major league's smallest and oldest venue never looked and sounded so good in the wintertime on New Year's Day.

The Bostonians offered one of their loudest ovations when Hockey Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke met at center ice for the ceremonial opening puck drop. The two shook hands and then each skated off as players from the Flyers and Bruins entered the surface. They returned to the center ice circle when U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ryan R. LaFrance was ready to drop the puck between the two old combatants.

Orr won two Stanley Cups with the Bruins -- in 1970 and '72 -- and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP both seasons. His team was defeated in the 1974 Stanley Cup Final by Clarke's Flyers in six games.

The fans roared with approval and, quite honestly, disbelief at what was transpiring right before them. But it was only the beginning.

Singer-songwriter James Taylor performed the U.S. National Anthem and singer Daniel Powter performed the Canadian anthem -- both singers were joined by members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

"It was the first time I've been asked to sing the Canadian (anthem)," Powter said. "But for something like this, I'd have to be a village idiot to turn it down. I'm just really honored and happy to be involved, especially with the NHL because I'm a huge hockey fan."

Said Taylor -- "I never would have foreseen this, ever, in a million years, that I would be singing the Star Spangled Banner in Fenway in the snow (during his soundcheck Friday morning). It's made me think about the anthem a little bit. I've studied on it a little bit and it's really a great national anthem."

As the vocalists belted out their hymns, a United States Air Force B-2 Spirit flown by the 509th Bomb Wing of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and the 131st Bomb Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard soared overhead. It was certainly a sight to behold as the cameras flickered amidst the fantastic backdrop of the 37-foot high, 231-foot long Green Monster.

Fireworks emanated from atop the stands behind home plate as players prepared for the opening face-off.

Let the game begin.

Unforgettable day for Fenway kids

BOSTON -- With smiles as wide as the outfield and feet that fly, dozens of youth-hockey players skated on a center field rink at Fenway Park Friday before and during the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins.

The young boys and girls belong to four organizations, including the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation of Philadelphia; SCORE Boston; the Boston Red Sox and Bruins FUNdamentals.

Defenseman Tracy Robinson, 10, from Philadelphia has been playing hockey for four years. His excitement was obvious.

"I think it's really great that we can get to play at Fenway Park and get to meet the players," Robinson said. "I'm having a great time."

ESYHF works closely with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and the School District of Philadelphia. Less than one year ago, ESYHF came to the rescue of the City's public ice rinks by forging an agreement to fund, staff, and manage the five public ice rinks, three of which had been slated for closure due to budget restrictions.

Founded in 2005, the mission of the foundation is to use hockey to help educate young people on how to succeed in the game of life. ESYHF has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 children at 10 sites throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region, keeping its youngsters fully immersed in programs that uniquely blend healthy recreational activities with much-needed academic assistance and character building lessons that enable them to succeed both on the ice and in the classroom.

Robinson was joined by teammates Jasmine Martinez, Solomon Johnson, Grey Rumain and the twins, Solomon and Sammy Johnson. The team was coached by Jim Britt and Jan Koziara.

Sammy was busy in net as the players from SCORE Boston swarmed around him.

"I think it's great being here and having fun," he said.

"I love to make goals and it's fun to play after school. We play at the Simons rink in Philadelphia."

Superintendent Bruce Holloway, Boston's chief of detectives, started the Boston Urban Hockey Association SCORE Boston in 1995. The program provides inner-city youth with the opportunity to participate in the sport of hockey. The objectives of SCORE Boston are to use hockey programs as a platform to foster an environment for youth in which they can learn life skills that reflect the core values of the program: sportsmanship, character, opportunity, respect and education.

The not-for-profit organization is geared for girls and boys between the ages of 5-17 and is staffed by a highly motivated team of committed volunteers and coordinators with a vast array of hockey and educational experience. The program consists of on and off-ice instruction. The on-ice instruction teaches the basic and necessary skills associated with ice-skating and hockey.
Each weekly session ends with a scrimmage game where the players utilize their skills. Adolescent participants have leadership opportunities on the ice and in the classroom in SCORE's Jr. Coaches program.

Holloway said he gets more than he's given when former players approach him and tell him about their jobs and families. Holloway and his assistants have put in a lot of work over the years and this opportunity to skate during the Winter Classic is a highlight for the program.

"Imagine the memories they're going to have in 20 years," Holloway said. "They can tell their kids and grandkids they played hockey at Fenway Park."

"When my mom and dad told me I'd be playing at Fenway Park, I was really excited," said Kevin Swan, who has been playing at the Milton, Mass., rink for four years.

His teammates, Andrew Ervin, a fan of David "Big Papi" Ortiz, and Emma Tobin, who divides her loyalties between Zdeno Chara and Jonathan Papelbon, looked around at the nearly 40,000 fans in the broad expanse at the ballpark and said, "It's awesome. I could have never imagined this."

Swan was also joined by SCORE Boston teammates Ezekiel Santiago and Talia Bode Ward.

The Bruins FUNdamentals program was initiated by FMC Ice Sports and the Boston Bruins as a way to introduce new skaters to the sport and help them prepare for entry into youth-hockey programs. The program's goal is to teach the fundamentals of ice hockey through various drills, personalized instruction and game simulation, while ensuring that each and every skater is having as much fun as possible.

The Bruins FUNdamentals program operates at 25 rinks in Massachusetts, said Manager Lori DiGiacomo, who was joined by Tom Songin, a former Boston Bruins player.

Coaches Pat Kelleher, Paul Nahigian and Kevin Kavanagh brought a group that included Ty Lema, Nicholas Forbes, Ryan Affonso, Jacob Sanville, Hannah Marmor, Conor Belcher, Gavin Lessard, Ryan Skoczylas, T.J. McHugh, Aidan Walker, Nicholas Patterson, Jake Kelleher, Elsie Buckley, Marshall Meyer and Daniel Leger.

Red Sox Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy has played a dual role in the preparations for the Winter Classic, as a team executive and coach of the Red Sox team. He was assisted by Tim Kelleher, one of the Boston College goalies, along with Scott Clemmensen, when they won the 2000 NCAA championship.

"We've watched with amazement the work the NHL has done in transforming this building," Kennedy said. "The Winter Classic is a wonderful idea."

Jimmy Kennedy is only 6 1/2 years old but he seemed to have a clear idea of the importance of this opportunity to skate on a rink in centerfield at Fenway Park.

"My dad told me I was going to skate on the little rink at the Winter Classic. I've been playing for three years and I'm on the Hartford Whalers team this year."

Kennedy was joined by teammates Jack Carroll, Brendan Monahan, and brothers Jack and Max Goodman.

Giordano has been a gem on Flames' defense

CALGARY -- Pop quiz time from the Stampede City.

Who's been the Calgary Flames' most skilful, reliable, influential defenseman over the past month and change?

Think it's Dion Phaneuf? Jay Bouwmeester? Robyn Regehr?

None of the above - it's Mark Giordano.

The 26-year-old from Toronto is no longer flying under the radar in Cowtown. He's simply too good to play second fiddle on an enviable defense corps that sent three members to the Canadian 2010 Olympic orientation camp last summer.

Simply put, "Gio" is a gem.

"I don't think it's been the last little stretch, it's been from the get-go," Brent Sutter, coach of the 23-12-5 Flames, tells NHL.com. "There're three things that he brings to the game that are really important. No. 1, he plays with energy. No. 2, he can skate. And No. 3, he moves the puck. And when you have those things, it's intelligence. He's been a rock-solid guy for us. We need him to be, and he's got to continue to be that (way)."

The 6-foot, 203-pound Giordano, who spent two seasons of major junior with OHL Owen Sound, was picked up by the Flames as a free agent more than five years ago.

After a promising 2006-07 season, when he scored 7 goals among 15 points in 48 games for Calgary, Giordano bolted for Russia and a winter with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League.

He returned for 2008-09, but a mid-February shoulder injury and subsequent surgery ended his season prematurely.

Recognition has finally begun piling up at his dressing-room stall this season, thanks in part to Cory Sarich's broken toe. When Sarich was sidelined due to injury on Nov. 23, Giordano started shouldering a bigger load - his average ice time, in minutes, has grown from the high teens to the mid-20s - and earning more responsibility.

Under these circumstances, he's flourished.

"Even when he first started here with the Flames, before he went over to Russia, you could see the potential that was there," says Charlie Simmer, the former Los Angeles Kings great who performs color commentary for Rogers Sportsnet, the Flames' regional TV broadcaster. "His biggest attribute is his skating ability.

"Each game, he's gotten better and better. His skating gets him in the play, and he's got some confidence handling the puck," Simmer tells NHL.com. "Defensively, he's able to get himself in a good position. And offensively, once the transition happens - Brent Sutter wants his defense to jump up into the play - he does it with confidence ... and experience too, now. He's not gambling anymore."

These days, Giordano plays with authority and smarts.

He's been a minus player in only two of the Flames' past 28 games; he'll hit the release valve almost unerringly with the correct play under pressure in the defensive zone; he controls the offense masterfully from the opposition blue line; and he'll throw his weight around with the best of them.

Just ask Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown, who bore the brunt of four teeth-rattling bodychecks from Giordano in a Dec. 17 game at Calgary.

"I get reminded a lot if I try and do too much, so ... usually, your first play is your best play, and I just try and keep it simple. If there's nothing there, get it out of the zone and start over," Giordano tells NHL.com. "At this point, for me, it's about being really solid in the defensive end.

"If the coaches can trust you, you're going to get minutes. If they can't trust you in your own end, you're not going to play," adds Giordano, who's currently paired on the Calgary blue line with Bouwmeester. "My offensive instincts are there, and I don't think they're going to go away. But that's where I want to learn and grow as a player - defensively."

Thursday night against Edmonton, it was Giordano's offensive prowess - a third-period, power-play bomb from the blue line that was tipped by Curtis Glencross for the eventual winner - that lifted the Flames over the Oilers, 2-1.

The assist gives him 16 points, including 4 goals, through 40 games, and that's just one point back of Phaneuf and Bouwmeester for the Flames' production lead among defensemen.

"His quickness has always been there, as far as his decision-making," Simmer said. "I think now he's making the sound, responsible decisions, and those are the ones you're really noticing."

The Flames go for their fourth-straight win, and the Northwest Division lead, Saturday with a home date against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"Mark's a highly skilled defenseman - great puck mover, quick skater, able to make those little plays," says fellow Calgary defenseman Adam Pardy.

"You see it a lot when he's got the puck on the blue line, making those quick little moves, taking quick steps and beating the guy. That creates a lot offensively," Pardy said. "And that hasn't taken anything away from his defensive game or his defensive capabilities. He's still making great plays defensively, and he's not getting beat."

Telegin worth the work for Saginaw

When Saginaw Spirit coach Todd Watson was asked what it took to lure Ivan Telegin to the team from Russia, he said simply, "It was a lot of work."

So far, Telegin is proving to have been worth the effort.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound center leads all Ontario Hockey League rookies with 18 goals and 31 points. He was OHL Rookie of the Month for October and November, and was ninth in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary ranking of OHL skaters.

"He is a big guy who uses his size very well," Central Scouting's Chris Edwards told NHL.com. "He is most effective when he is taking the body and separating opponents form the puck. … He has been used both on the power play and penalty kill units this season in Saginaw. He has a very good wrist shot. He has been adjusting to the North American game very well."

Watson has watched that adjustment first-hand.

"He's very competitive," Watson told NHL.com. "He hits. You see him get edgy on the ice and go play the body on somebody. He plays physical, too. Doesn't shy away, he goes into corners. He's not afraid to play in the high-traffic areas."

"I am somewhat surprised at my goal production," Telegin told NHL.com through an interpreter. "I am very happy that I have played well so far and look forward to better things in the future."

Playing on the smaller North American rinks for the first time, as well as getting used to a tough, 72-game OHL schedule, has been a challenge. But Telegin says the off-ice issues have been just as challenging.

"The biggest thing was food," Telegin said. "As to hockey, I had to start thinking quicker on the ice. Smaller ice surface required some adjustments as well, but I think I have done that and feel pretty comfortable now."

Watson now feels just as comfortable with Telegin. It took a while, though, because prior to Telegin's arrival in Saginaw, Watson hadn't seen him play. Rather, he trusted the team's Director of Scouting James Paliafito, who encouraged the club to draft Telegin with 42nd pick of the 2009 CHL Import Draft.

"Jim was so confident. I didn't know who he was, that his guy would be there," Watson said. "We didn't take him until the second round. If I knew what I know now, I never would have waited. (Paliafito) worked on this for a while and it was a great pick."

It took a lot of negotiating with Telegin's Russian team, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, but it didn't take Watson long to realize the fruits of all that labor.

"I think it was in the first regular-season game," Watson said. "You could just tell in his play -- he hustled, he was aggressive, he hits, he competes hard. He's got a scoring touch."

Away from the ice, the development hasn't been as smooth, but it's coming along. Telegin speaks almost no English, but he is taking lessons.

"It's slow," Watson said. "It's just OK. I'm not saying he's resistant, but its going slow."

It's made communication challenging, but Watson said some hockey language doesn't really need translation.

"You do a lot of drawing on the grease board," he said. "You do it that way, you talk to him. Video is the best probably to show him stuff. It's something … just little bits and pieces of everything. There's nothing set that's the best."

"I rarely speak with anyone because my English is pretty poor, although in a team environment I have no trouble understanding," Telegin said. "When a coach needs to explain something, he uses a board and I get it. Overall, when it comes to hockey, I think it goes pretty good. At the rink I understand everything I need to know."

Talking with his teammates can be an issue as well, but Watson said so far things look to be fine.

"He understands what you're saying," linemate Josh Shalla said. "He just has a harder time saying it back to you. It gets done. Slowly, but it gets done."

Telegin has translated his game quite well, even convincing Watson to change a few of his own plans.

"When he started here we put him on the goal line on the power play and he couldn't speak any English at the time and he'd point to the front of the net that he wanted to play in front of the net," Watson said. "At first we did what we thought was best and then he kept going there. We figured we might as well let him go there. He likes the traffic, he likes the rebounds, he gets loose pucks. He's done a little move where he'll spin off the defenseman in front and get a pass and tap one in."

Telegin currently is playing at the World Junior Championship for Russia. After that, he'll return to Saginaw, where he'll continue seeing the OHL's best checkers and defense pairings on a nightly basis.

"When he started you could put him out against the second or third defense pairings and no one really knew him," Watson said. "Now he's checked more closely, he's the focal point of other teams. … There's no surprising anybody any more."

Carnival atmosphere greets fans at Spectator Plaza

BOSTON -- Dave Marro of Philadelphia was standing in the middle of Spectator Plaza, across the street from Fenway Park, with his wife, Kelly, and best friend, Matt Conrad of Reading, Pa., taking in all the excitement in the hours before the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. The three were decked out in their Winter Classic finest.

It was a carnival-like atmosphere as men and women on stilts, dressed in Bruins and Flyers Winter Classic uniforms posed with fans for pictures, representatives of Winter Classic sponsors handed out gifts, fans took shots at a live goalie in the Bridgestone Tire tent or got their picture taken for their hockey card at the Upper Deck tent. Former Bruins star Derek Sanderson signed autographs in the Pepsi tent and 95.5 Sports Hub, the Bruins' flagship radio station, kept the buzz going with commentary and interviews from their stage.

Clam chowder headed the menu in the food tent.

Marro was wearing a circa-1980s Flyers sweater bearing the No. 20, letter C, name Poulin.

"Hey, you should buy a Bruins sweater, cut it and the Flyers sweater in half and stitch them together. Poulin played for Boston too, you know," Marro was told.

Marro wasn't having it.

"No, no way, not going to do it," he interrupted. "I would never, ever desecrate this jersey in that manner. I had this jersey specially made about seven years ago to replace an original Flyers jersey that doesn't fit me anymore."

"You know, I still think you could find a way to honor Poulin's tenure here in Boston," Marro was teased. Poulin was one of the smartest players of his era, a strong center who was one of the best in the faceoff circle. After retiring, he became a successful coach at Notre Dame.

Poulin was one of the leaders of the 1985 and 1987 Flyers who were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. He played for the Bruins when they were defeated by the Oilers in the 1990 Stanley Cup Final. Hockey's tough. There haven't been many better players than Poulin, who played in three Stanley Cup Finals in five years and came away empty-handed.

"He was my favorite player," Marro said. "My family has been long-time Flyers' season-ticket holders. We won the season-ticket holders' lottery to get these seats. As soon as I heard the Flyers would play in the Winter Classic in Boston, I said, 'gotta be there.'"

"We just said we don't care how much it costs, we're going," Kelly Marro said.

Conrad and Dave Marro met when they played for the West Chester University hockey team.

"Well, we got to sit on the bench," Conrad joked.

"And, we got to warm up with the team," Marro concurred.

All three are excited by the Flyers' recent turnaround. They come into the Winter Classic off four-straight victories, including a 6-0 pasting of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Wednesday.

"It's been good," Marro said. "They started slowly, learning a new system and learning to be disciplined but they looked really good in the Rangers' game. They destroyed them."

John Roberts of Braintree, Mass., was decked out, head-to-foot, in Bruins' Winter Classic gear. He was with his sister, Lindsey, and friends Dennis and Jay MacMullin, brothers from Ashland, Mass. They stopped at Spectator Plaze before heading into the park and their seats in right field.

"The Winter Classic Bruins hoodie was a Christmas present from my mom and dad," John Roberts said. "I put it on my Christmas list. The hat I got a couple of weeks earlier, along with the lanyard that holds my ticket."

Roberts said the Bruins Winter Classic logo, with the wavy B in the Hub, is indeed a classic.

"I saw the show about how they made the logo," Roberts said. "The B is from the 1924 uniform and the rest is a composite of past Bruins' uniforms. It came out great. This game is a once-in-a-lifetime event, something we'll always remember. It's a special event and I wanted a special jersey for it."

Hockey players Christie Urban, of Wilmington, Del., and Mike Venit, from Ridley Park, Pa., have feet in both camps. They met while playing hockey at Aston Ice Works in the Philadelphia suburbs, got engaged and moved to Natick, Mass., two years ago, after graduating from college.

Christie played defense at the University of New Hampshire and Mike was a left wing at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. Now, they both work in Boston.

"Being here was a no-brainer," Christie said. "We were prepared to postpone the wedding if the tickets cost a lot. It's a dream come true for us to have the Flyers play in the Winter Classic in Boston."

"We collect everything we can in Philadelphia sports memorabilia and Christie made our hats. Now, we're looking for a Flyers' blanket and seat cushions."

A look at free agency in the Northwest

The Bridgestone 2010 NHL Winter Classic has arrived, the Olympics are next month and the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin in April. Still, it's never too early to take a brief look at what lies ahead in free agency.

In the Northwest Division, this might already be of prime interest to followers of the Oilers, who have been spiraling out of playoff contention. But soon enough (six months from now) every team will be dealing with who to keep and who to let walk.

Here's a look at upcoming unrestricted free agents in the Northwest Division.

Calgary Flames -- Third-leading scorer Olli Jokinen has failed to match his previous production since joining the Flames. ... Second-leading scorer Rene Bourque, when healthy, has been effective and had a hat trick this week against the Oilers. ... Craig Conroy turns 39 in 2010. ... Eric Nystrom is another role player, but he's only 26.

2011-12 sneak peak: Curtis Glencross, Fredrik Sjostrom, Mark Giordano.

Colorado Avalanche -- Aging role player Darcy Tucker has struggled. ... Talented Marek Svatos has the worst plus/minus on the team. ... Adam Foote, 38, is one of the last remaining links to past Avalanche success. ... Peter Budaj has been supplanted in goal by Craig Anderson.

2011-12 sneak peak: Milan Hejduk, Scott Hannan, Craig Anderson.

Edmonton Oilers -- Fernando Pisani has been beset by his ongoing battle with colitis. ... Mike Comrie also has been ailing and his production has been minimal in limited ice time.

2011-12 sneak peak: Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios.

Minnesota Wild -- Though 37, Owen Nolan remains productive. ... Eric Belanger provides some second-line punch. ... Enforcer Derek Boogard averages less than 7 minutes a game when in the lineup. ... Andrew Ebbett has helped since his arrival earlier in the season. ... Defenseman Kim Johnsson is the team's leader in average ice time and fellow blue liner Marek Zidlicky is right behind him.

2011-12 sneak peak: Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Antti Miettinen, Chuck Kobasew.

Vancouver Canucks -- Ailing Pavol Demitra has yet to play this season. ... Kyle Wellwood has been a healthy scratch at times. ... Ryan Johnson is a role player. ... Willie Mitchell is a key player on the blue line. ... Mathieu Schneider has been waived and likely won't be back.

2011-12 sneak peak: Darcy Hordichuk, Rick Rypien, Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff.

Home for the holidays -- Canucks wing Mason Raymond grew up outside Calgary. And this week, his game continued to mature in Calgary, though it didn't please anyone at the Pengrowth Saddledome other than the friends and family who saw the 24-year-old record his first career hat trick in a 5-1 rout of the Flames.

It took an odd goal against one of the NHL's best goalies for Raymond to achieve the feat. His second goal of the night was a center-ice dump-in flipped from the side boards. Somehow, goalie Miikka Kiprusoff lost sight of the puck and it skipped past him.

"It was a weird one." Raymond told the Vancouver Sun. "I was just picking it up in the neutral zone and I actually didn't get the first puck in and pulled it out of the pile and just flipped it real high. I knew when it was in mid-air Kipper didn't see it. He was kind of looking around and I thought to myself, 'This has got a chance.' And sure enough it bounced down. I still don't know exactly how it went in. It bounced in and I'll take those ones."

Raymond was a second-round draft choice in 2005. In his first two NHL seasons entering this year, he scored only 20 goals in 121 games. This year, he's on pace for 35. The hat trick was the latest bright spot in what is becoming a memorable year for the native of Cochrane, Alberta.

"It's exciting, it's something I will always remember being from Cochrane just outside here," Raymond told the Sun. "To do it in front of family and friends is something special. It's something I will remember and cherish for sure. This was a big night for myself and the club."

On the outside -- It seemed reasonable to suppose that at least one of Calgary's top three defensemen would make the Canadian Olympic roster. After all, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr aren’t chopped liver. But they aren't Olympians, either, at least not in 2010.

Team Canada was announced Wednesday and the three talented defensemen were passed over in favor of Dan Boyle (Sharks), Drew Doughty (Kings), Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook (Blackhawks), Scott Niedermayer (Ducks), Chris Pronger (Flyers) and Shea Weber (Nashville).

"They are very good players, I'm not saying they are not good players," Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman told CTV/TSN when asked about the three Flames defensemen. "You try to take the seven best players that are playing well this year."

Jarome Iginla is the only Flame on the roster.

"I'm very excited about it," Iginla told the Calgary Herald. "It's a big honor. They had a lot of tough decisions. A lot of great players didn't make it."

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo was the only other Northwest Division player to make the Canadian roster.

Vancouver bound -- By February, the Oilers may not have much to look forward to other than a long summer. But defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky can look forward to appearing in his third Olympics for Slovakia. Visnovsky was named to the team this week, and it's a squad that should not be overlooked. Their team includes two Marians -- Gaborik and Hossa -- as well as former NHLer Ziggy Palffy.

"We have good veteran players, but we don't have young players," Visnovksy told the Edmonton Journal. "It's an interesting situation because this will be maybe the last chance for the veterans to do something for Slovakia."

Slovakia finished fifth in 2006 and 13th in 2002.

Visnovsky insists he is not looking ahead to the Olympics. Rather, he said he is concentrating on helping the Oilers turn things around. Lately, they've taken a freefall to the bottom of the Western Conference.

"(The Olympics are) a month and a half away," he told the Journal. "We have lots of (NHL) games to play before then."

Go figure -- Claude Lemieux made a brief comeback last season with the Sharks, but he'll always be best remembered for his days with the Avalanche and some epic battles with the Red Wings when those teams had the best rivalry in hockey.

Lemieux is still on the ice even in the aftermath of his long NHL career. But these days, he is doing something unlikely: figure skating.

Lemieux was one of the stars on CBC television's "Battle of the Blades," a figure-skating version of the United States' popular "Dancing with the Stars."

"Battle of the Blades" pairs former NHL players with figure skaters. Among the ex-NHL players who were featured were Bob Probert, Glenn Anderson, Tie Domi and Ron Duguay. Guest judges included Kelly Hrudey and Don Cherry.

Lemieux and partner Shae-Lynn Bourne came up just short to champions Craig Simpson and Jamie Sale'. In an interview on the Canadian show Q TV, Lemieux said he hopes he shed a little of his villainous hockey image.

"To say that I did not hope that viewers and fans would get to know me in a different way would be lying." -- Claude Lemieux

"To say that I did not hope that viewers and fans would get to know me in a different way would be lying," he said on Q.

In fact, he wasn't making a joke. Lemieux said the fallout from his infamous hit on Detroit's Kris Draper detracted from winning the 1996 Stanley Cup for Colorado.

"That was the low point," he said in the television interview. "It should have been the highest point in my career. But it was the low point of my career. It was really a tough time. It was all because of this split second."

Owen still goin' -- Owen Nolan of the Wild will turn 38 in February, and though he's not the offensive threat he was when he scored 44 goals for the Sharks a decade ago, he's still a very valuable player for the Wild.

Nolan remains a player who on any given night has a chance to contribute a Gordie Howe hat trick -- a goal, an assist and a fight. He's tied for third on the Wild with 9 goals, and contributed a goal and some fisticuffs in a recent victory over the Oilers.

Edmonton is coached by Pat Quinn, who used to coach Nolan in Toronto. And Quinn realizes as well as anyone that Nolan remains a valuable player.

"He's a warrior, boy," Quinn told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "What surprises is that he had a very serious (knee) injury and he's come back from that and he's a leader here -- very important to their team. His efforts don't surprise me at all."

Nolan's contributions have been crucial as the Wild adjusts to a new coach, a new style and new players.

"He shows his teammates what we need to do to have success," coach Todd Richards told the Pioneer Press. "He'll stand up for his teammates and stand up for himself."