Among the United States' best hopes for a medal in Vancouver next February is the women's ice hockey team, which has won one of the three gold medals awarded in the sport's brief Olympic history. Host Canada has won the other two, and the United States and Canada will clash in the final tournament before Vancouver 2010 in the Four Nations Cup, which opens today in Finland.
The U.S. is the defending champion in the event, beating Canada 3-2 in the finals last year. The American women have won either gold or silver in the Four Nations Cup every year in which the U.S. has participated, as has Canada.
The renaissance of the Chicago Blackhawks is well-chronicled. After not making the Western Conference Finals once since 1995, Chicago got to the NHL's final four in 2008. A five-game series loss to Detroit ended their magical run, but the pieces are in place for the Blackhawks to again be a perennial contender in the NHL.
One of those key pieces is forward Patrick Kane. After posting over 140 points in his first two NHL seasons, the dynamic youngster graces the cover of EA Sports' NHL 10. Kane spoke with FanHouse about the game, the Blackhawks, and what was a tumultuous summer.
USA Hockey knew what it was doing when it named Brian Burke to run the national team. As they try to build the team on the ice into a more serious international contender, Burke will keep them in the headlines. After a relatively silent experience at the IIHF World Championships, where Team USA placed fourth, Burke is back in midseason form.
In Chicago for Team USA's orientation camp in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Burke spoke Tuesday about what fans can expect to see from the Americans. Needless to say, he spoke with brutal honesty, something that fans can equally appreciate and despise.
It's not the more prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has been around since 1973, honoring top American-born hockey players, coaches, and contributors.
The Hall has been through some tough times, as its facility in Eveleth, Minn., was scheduled to close due to low attendance in 2006. The building remains open in Eveleth, and they are still actively inducting new members. The 2009 class features some famous NHL stars, an inventor, and a pioneering group of ladies who changed the face of the sport.
There are many different ways to celebrate the 4th of July holiday: You can cross state lines and purchase hundreds of dollars worth of illegal fireworks. You can stuff your face with food, whether it be for fun or in the name of "competition." You can spend quality time with family and friends. You can combine all of the above and stuff your face with food, in the presence of family and friends, while you dodge the local police and set off hundreds of dollars worth of illegal fireworks.
You can also spend a few minutes and watch a bunch of random videos that feature American-born hockey players.
This is Cammi Granato, possibly the most well-known women's hockey player in United States history.
In October of 2008, she became the first woman inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Denver. Her impact on the sport of hockey in this country cannot be denied. She served as an inspiration for so many girls who are now making a name for themselves in hockey. However, until now, she's never had much of a chance of getting into the "real" Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Over the weekend, it was nice to see that Adam Gretz made note of the 29th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. As someone who recalls the events of February 1980 very vividly, I never need an excuse to revisit those heady days.
Twenty-nine years ago Sunday, a group of American college kids, led by head coach Herb Brooks, went up against the heavily favored Soviet Union and shocked the world with a 4-3 win, giving announcer Al Michaels a career moment and creating a piece of history that not only altered sports but America at large.
We're less than one year away from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Once again, the NHL will take a mid-season break and allow its players to participate in the Games.
After a wonderful run to silver in Salt Lake City back in 2002, Team USA was nothing short of disappointing in Torino three years ago. The Americans went just 1-3-1 in pool play, including an inexplicable tie against Latvia, before dropping a 4-3 decision to Finland in the quarterfinals. Heading into 2010, general manager Brian Burke has plenty of decisions to make, mainly surrounding the question of age.
Among the United States' best hopes for a medal in Vancouver next February is the women's ice hockey team, which has won one of the three gold medals awarded in the sport's brief Olympic history. Host Canada has won the other two, and the United States and Canada will clash in the final tournament before Vancouver 2010 in the Four Nations Cup, which opens today in Finland. 
The renaissance of the 
USA Hockey knew what it was doing when it named 
It's not the more prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has been around since 1973, honoring top American-born hockey players, coaches, and contributors.
There are many different ways to celebrate the 4th of July holiday: You can cross state lines and purchase hundreds of dollars worth of illegal fireworks. You can stuff your face with food, whether it be for fun or 
This is 
We're less than one year away from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Once again, the NHL will take a mid-season break and allow its players to participate in the Games. 
