Ice Ice Baby? The 2026 Winter Olympics Thread

[MartyFunkhouser]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...0-projections/

Pronman projects the 2030 rosters. Let's go, time to beat the Canadians again. Eff Canada

[Bo Diddley]

The adult league in Provo used to be decent. I assume that it is still the case. The Kearns Oval has a good adult league. There are leagues at most of the ice rinks in Utah. In my day the Provo league would get a lot of folks from Salt Lake because there were no Sunday games.

Yeah, when we go up to watch Junior throw stones, there's also hockey going on up there. I love when I'm walking past and hear a puck hit the glass.

[Shaka]

Are there any other options if he wants to play? I found an Adult League out of Provo but not sure how structured that is. Or any other level that may be available.

The adult league in Provo used to be decent. I assume that it is still the case. The Kearns Oval has a good adult league. There are leagues at most of the ice rinks in Utah. In my day the Provo league would get a lot of folks from Salt Lake because there were no Sunday games.

[dabrockster]

The closure was ridiculous. Hockey games were well-attended, and the program was largely self-funded. I hope at some point they revisit that dumb decision.

Are there any other options if he wants to play? I found an Adult League out of Provo but not sure how structured that is. Or any other level that may be available.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Since USA Hockey was brought up, they should be praised for their goalie development program. They had 3 goalies better than anyone in Canada and one sitting at home (Spencer Knight).

[Shaka]

My son played AA and AAA hockey and it was expensive. Think about this. My son played club soccer and club hockey. And wrestled. Sometimes all at the same time. Hence the reason I have 3-jobs. Even now I still work 3 jobs and a 4th was just added.

Shaka: I am supper pissed about BYU hockey as Reed was very interested in playing not soccer and hockey.

The closure was ridiculous. Hockey games were well-attended, and the program was largely self-funded. I hope at some point they revisit that dumb decision.

[dabrockster]

My son played AA and AAA hockey and it was expensive. Think about this. My son played club soccer and club hockey. And wrestled. Sometimes all at the same time. Hence the reason I have 3-jobs. Even now I still work 3 jobs and a 4th was just added.

Shaka: I am supper pissed about BYU hockey as Reed was very interested in playing both soccer and hockey.

[dabrockster]

Fine looking bunch!!

IMG_7716.jpeg

[Shaka]

That is a nice way to say it. Others would say it is effing expensive. You are right you aren't having any poor kids out here playing hockey. Only way that is happening is if some nice rich person is financing them.

Oh and eff Canada.

Hey, Nathan MacKinnon remember that wide open net that you missed? I enjoyed it. Not as much as when you got your stuffie though.

In some ways, the fact that Canada absolutely dominated the game makes the win even more fun to rub into Canada's face.

See you all the 8 Nations faceoff you hosers.

My brother's family is poor, so I paid for my nephew to play. He ultimately was able to make the BYU team (RIP, still pisses me off because I played a small role in starting that thing and did some consulting and talent eval for one of the coaching staffs.) Incidentally, BYU's alumni team stomped Utah's alumni team last weekend as part of the grand opening of the new Mammoth practice facility.

Hockey has been within the reach of lower middle class and even the poor for a long time. A lot of this depends on location. In Utah, USA Hockey, in conjunction with the Mammoth, is investing a significant amount of money in youth hockey and providing gear at the cost of the signup fee, which is $250. $250 is on par with sports like football or travel team baseball. I think Ryan Smith has good people around him who will do some common-sense things to grow the sport. Smith is providing a nice subsidy to local communites wanting to build their own rinks. If it were me, I'd add the option to build outdoor hockey rinks, which are much cheaper to construct and maintain.

When I was a coach at The Peaks in the 2000's, they had programs to help the disadvantaged who wanted to play. Also, there are ways to get used gear in good condition that really lowers the cost. Reminds me of a ski swap.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I thought the skier dude comments were ok and shouldn't get anyone's panties in a wad.

Hockey isn't a cheap sport to play, so many players come from upper-middle-class or higher backgrounds. However, at heart, it's a blue-collar sport and very middle America. When you're grinding hard with your teammates, the differences become less important than the team. Having spent most of my life as a player and a few years as a coach, my experience is that hockey players and their families tend to lean towards the moderate part of the political spectrum. The youth hockey scene in Salt Lake in the late seventies and eighties was a weird exception.

That is a nice way to say it. Others would say it is effing expensive. You are right you aren't having any poor kids out here playing hockey. Only way that is happening is if some nice rich person is financing them.

Oh and eff Canada.

Hey, Nathan MacKinnon remember that wide open net that you missed? I enjoyed it. Not as much as when you got your stuffie though.

In some ways, the fact that Canada absolutely dominated the game makes the win even more fun to rub into Canada's face.

See you all the 8 Nations faceoff you hosers.

[Shaka]

This Olympics has been a great look into the personalities required for success in individual sports v. team sports. Some individual sport athletes have been open about having mixed feelings in representing Team USA. I question the wisdom in offering that opinion at that moment, but it's their moment. What I consider a distraction others justifiably consider an act of bravery.
Then there's the men's hockey team. They're like a parody of conspicuous patriotism. They're proud to represent the USA. They love their country and love their team. It's hard not to be energized by the enthusiasm. I'm sure many of the guys on the hockey team have political differences, but they're able to put them aside in that moment.
I wonder how much of that is due to the individual v. team sport dynamic. Individual sport athletes spend years in a solitary grind. Their success and failure is their own. This has to cultivate a mindset of speaking and hearing harsh truths. Meanwhile team sport athletes require a similar discipline, but also need to have some degree of agreeableness for the sake of group cohesion. They know their teammates' weaknesses, adjust accordingly, and don't speak of them publicly. I don't mean this as a criticism of either approach. Just an observation.

I thought the skier dude comments were ok and shouldn't get anyone's panties in a wad.

Hockey isn't a cheap sport to play, so many players come from upper-middle-class or higher backgrounds. However, at heart, it's a blue-collar sport and very middle America. When you're grinding hard with your teammates, the differences become less important than the team. Having spent most of my life as a player and a few years as a coach, my experience is that hockey players and their families tend to lean towards the moderate part of the political spectrum. The youth hockey scene in Salt Lake in the late seventies and eighties was a weird exception.

[YOhio]

This Olympics has been a great look into the personalities required for success in individual sports v. team sports. Some individual sport athletes have been open about having mixed feelings in representing Team USA. I question the wisdom in offering that opinion at that moment, but it's their moment. What I consider a distraction others justifiably consider an act of bravery.
Then there's the men's hockey team. They're like a parody of conspicuous patriotism. They're proud to represent the USA. They love their country and love their team. It's hard not to be energized by the enthusiasm. I'm sure many of the guys on the hockey team have political differences, but they're able to put them aside in that moment.
I wonder how much of that is due to the individual v. team sport dynamic. Individual sport athletes spend years in a solitary grind. Their success and failure is their own. This has to cultivate a mindset of speaking and hearing harsh truths. Meanwhile team sport athletes require a similar discipline, but also need to have some degree of agreeableness for the sake of group cohesion. They know their teammates' weaknesses, adjust accordingly, and don't speak of them publicly. I don't mean this as a criticism of either approach. Just an observation.

[dabrockster]

You obviously financed your waterbed.

What if I told you I had to Google that phrase to figure out where this came from.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I am not a savy social media guy..

Although, after looking at the photo more. That’s not Patel. That’s the dude from Parks and Rec.

You obviously financed your waterbed.

[Bo Diddley]

I am not a savy social media guy..

Although, after looking at the photo more. That’s not Patel. That’s the dude from Parks and Rec.