Team Canada labeled cheaters before 2010 hockey tournament starts

January 20, 2010 in Breaking News, Canada by john

Critics remain cautious of Olympic Canuck connivance, who do YOU trust?

CHEATERS eh? A bunch of no good, poutine-eating, changing room-fiddling, referee-influencing, ice-interfering, steroid-taking cheaters at that.

So say some online critics of the Canadian hockey team who, in anticipation of this year’s Winter Games, have already butted heads with the host country before a puck hits the ice. A heated debate was started on hockeyforum.com in the last fortnight that stopped just short of accusing Canadians of holding game officials’ loved ones at knife point in order to influence the outcome of games.

“Is Canada aware that a lot of countries are appalled by the fact that the referees in Canada always favor Canada to a ridiculous extent? Also, things like Canada always get the best changing rooms and you actually take away things from the opponents changing rooms, anything so that Canada will get unfair advantages,” wrote Kevin123 on the forum titled ‘Canada are cheaters’. Kevin123 – presumably not his real name – added that he was from Sweden, one of Canada’s main rivals for Gold at this year’s games.

“I’m talking mainly about the 2010 Junior World Championship but there have been other cases of this in the past,” he continued.

“But most importantly, this is the 2010 Olympics, where people are saying you have to be exceptionally better than Canada to stand a chance as they always have unfair advantages.”

Cantankerous Kevin pointed to a You Tube video of a disallowed goal for Finland in their game against Canada in last month’s Junior Hockey Championship as evidence that this year’s hosts hold an unfair advantage over referees in home games.

In that You Tube clip, Teemu Hartikainen of Finland seems to score but the officials decided he used his skate to put the puck in the net. Replays would appear to suggest otherwise.

“I’m not that surprised that happened against Canada,” wrote one commenter under the clip which has gained several thousand views and fueled much debate.

“Ha ha, why am I not surprised?” wrote another viewer. “After all it’s Canada they’re facing. That’s just typical of a game versus Canada, sad but true.”

Are you Backing Canada in the Olympic Hockey?

Put your money where your mouth is.  Deposit $100 or more at Sportsbook.com, receive an instant 50% bonus, and lay your money down on who you think will take home the gold in 2010…

A culture of Canadian Cheaters

2010 Olympics- Are canada cheaters - ben-johnson

Ben Johnson, the most infamous Canadian Cheaters

“And why should they be surprised?” one could ask. It doesn’t take a sports historian to recall further instances of Olympic Canuck connivance. Canada’s Ben Johnson is, after all, one of the most infamous Olympic cheats of all time.

Johnson’s countrymen stood steadfastly by him when the accusations of steroid-use first arose following his resounding win in the 100-metres at Seoul ’88. This was despite the sprinter sporting a set of deltoid muscles so inflated they looked straight from a fancy dress shop and a set of eyes that wouldn’t look out of place in the skull of any member of The Wailers in their heyday.

More recently, and back in the hockey rink, Canadians also showed themselves to be less than scrupulous at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Trent Evans, the Edmonton ice technician charged with preparing the primary hockey venue for the Games, covertly place a Canadian dollar coin under the ice during preparations to mark the center spot.

When ordered by his Olympic superiors to remove the coin, Evans instead concealed it with a drop of paint, leaving the offending loonie where it lay, giving his team an unfair – albeit superstitious – advantage.

Whether or not the lucky charm in the ice helped Canada or not is open to debate but the nation did take gold in both the men’s and women’s tournaments that year. Manager Wayne Gretzky later proudly displayed the coin to members of the international media, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that, for many, the loonie stood as a symbol for the latest chapter in his nation’s history of Olympic trickery.

How many Canadian Hockey Players does it take to see which way the coin landed?

How many Canadian Hockey Players does it take to see which way the coin landed?

The fightback

Canadians haven’t been sitting on their laurels while all these accusations have been slung around cyberspace.

“Canada gets the best dressing rooms because they’re the home team. You know, similar to the way that any other hockey team does,” replied VICE to Kevin 123.

“The home team dressing room is always larger, nicer and has more perks than the away team’s. Since the tournament is played in Canada, they’re considered the home team whenever they play. When the tournament was in the Czech Republic, Sweden, the United States or Finland recently, Canada often got the away dressing room while the host countries got the home dressing room.”

“I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let a Canadian referee a game that Canada is in for this very reason. They usually pick refs who are from a neutral location to ensure that they call the game fair,” added GoBucky.

After several more clearly Canadian commenters gave Kevin 123 a piece of their mind and unmitigated fury, Tequila Jane put a cap on the debate for now by writing “Kevin 123, sweetie, you just got your ass handed to you. Go Canada!”

Regardless of who wins the online bottle, however, it’s a certainty that once the teams finally get acquainted on the ice in February that Kevin 123 and more of his ilk will be back online with accusations and conspiracy theories aplenty.

“I hear Sid the Kid’s eating steroids like tic tacs.”

“Apparently the fingers on Brodeur’s gloves are an inch larger than regulation size?”

“I know a guy who says he can prove that the referee and Niedermayer meet every other weekend to play hide the salami.”

“Is that another f***ing loonie I see in the centre spot?”

In Vancouver for 201oHockeyBetting.com,

John Hogan

Related posts:

  1. Worthwhile wagers outside of hockey’s big two at 2010 Games
  2. History’s Best Junior Team reunites in 2010
  3. 2010 Olympic Hockey Previews – Crunch time for Canada
  4. Team USA will be underdogs in Vancouver says Brian Burke
  5. Olympic Hockey Betting Previews – Canada vs USA