Under huge pressure to win the game as the host nation, Team Canada was finally able to win its first hockey gold on Canadian ice. But the game between the United States and Canada couldn't be decided in just 60 minutes. After nearly eight minutes of 4-on-4 overtime play, Sidney Crosby scored the gold medal winning goal, beating US goalie Ryan Miller. Roberto Luongo, a Vancouver Canuck truly playing on home ice, had 34 saves in the winning effort. Canada's win comes seven days after an opening round loss to the United States and matches the Canadian women's hockey team's gold medal. more ›

Of the four “major” sports, the NHL is clearly the forgotten member of the group. While it has a passionate group of followers, the NHL's numbers are small in the U.S. compared to the other major sports. That’s why it is vital for hockey to do everything it can to promote the sport, including stopping the season for almost three weeks to let its athletes compete in the Olympic Games. more ›

In its semi-final game in the Olympics, the United States Men's Hockey Team defeated Finland, 6-1. Team USA's first goal was scored by Ryan Malone just two minutes into the game after some poor puck handling by Finland goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. Zach Parise and Erik Johnson both added power play goals before Patrick Kane added a 4th goal shortly after the 10 minute mark. Kiprusoff was pulled from the game after allowing four goals on seven shots. Niklas Backstrom replaced Kiprusoff, but didn't fare much better, allowing two more goals. Patrick Kane scored a second time and Paul Stastny added a goal for the quick 6-0 lead. The United States scored the last two goals in 15 seconds and scored 5 goals in less than 6.5 minutes. more ›

After shutting out the U.S. women's hockey team 2-0 and winning the gold medal, the Canadian women's hockey team celebrated their victory by—what else—breaking out beer, champagne and cigars on the rink's ice. Photographs of the revelry were taken and it did not please the International Olympic Committee. The AP apparently told the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, who said that an investigation would be conducted, "[This is] not what we want to see... I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened." more ›

Last night, one of the Winter Olympics' marquee events, the women's figure skating final, took place and Kim Yu-Na of South Korea won the gold medal with a world record score. After facing intense pressure and expectations from her country to bring them their first gold in a sport other than speedskating, Kim, 19, said, "I still can't believe it. I waited a long time for the Olympics, and it feels like a large weight has been lifted off." more ›

Thanks to two goals by Zach Parise, the U.S. men's hockey team beat Switzerland 2-0 and advanced to the semi-finals. It wasn't until the third period, during a power play, when Parise was able to score the first goal against Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller, who made 42 saves (U.S. goalie Ryan Miller only faced 19 shots on goal). Parise, who plays for the NJ Devils, also made an empty net goal with 11 seconds left in the third. more ›

Last night's win by the U.S. Olympic hockey team over the favored Canadian team might indeed be a "Minor Miracle on Ice", as the Post puts it. The NY Times said of the win, "With a hard-earned, thrilling victory Sunday, the United States surprised Canada, both the hockey team and the nation." more ›

Last night, American Evan Lysacek won the gold medal for men's figure skating (the first American gold in the competition since Brian Boitano in 1988). The 2006 Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko skated a less-than-clean performance and settled for silver even though he completed a difficult quadruple jump and he said of Lysacek's triple-filled program, "If the Olympic champion doesn't know how to jump a quad, I don't know. Now it's not men's figure skating. It's dancing. Maybe figure skating needs a new name." more ›

The New York Post is loving the NJ beauty pageant story, which includes allegations that a fellow contestant may have been behind the blackmail plot to get Miss New Jersey to relinquish her crown. Someone sent pageant winner Amy Polumbo a package of photos that were lifted from Polumbo's Facebook account and doctored to include sexually suggestive captions. The Daily News says that there is no breast-baring or drug-taking in any of the photos, but Polumbo will still have to appear before the NJ board of the Miss America competition to determine whether she can keep her crown or not. more ›

When we look at the medal totals for the Winter Olympics, we sometimes wonder what the United States would do if snowboarding wasn't included...but out of the men's mogul's competition, comes the inspirational story of Toby Dawson, who was abandoned as a child in South Korea, is searching for his birth-parents, and won the bronze medal. Dawson has been searching for his birth parents and hopes that appearing - and now winning - will help jog someone's memories in South Korea. Aspiring football player, Jeremy Bloom finished 6th and will be at the NFL combine in a little more than a week. The winner of the competition is a former Canadian, who moved to Australia and is a self-made millionaire, that seems to specialize in spam. more ›

It's the end of an Olympic era as an emotional Michelle Kwan has pulled out of the 2006 Winter Olympics because of injury. Kwan's withdrawal means that Long Island native (and sister of 2002 Gold Medal winner Sarah Hughes) Emily Hughes, will be heading to Italy as the alternate for the team. Doubting her ability to compete at 100%, Kwan said, "I respect the Olympics too much to compete and I don't feel I can be at my best.'' While some may question whether Kwan should have been there in the first place, Gothamist feels that withdrawing like this is a classy act by the two-time Olympic medalist. more ›

Winters are usually fun time for Gothamist for one big reason, there's snow to ski on. With this winter being a bust in our area for most of the ski season, we haven't had our mind on skiing quite too much yet. But with the weather finally cold, snow forcasted for this weekend, and the Winter Olympics starting today, we can't help but have skiing on the mind. The lack of snow has already taken its toll as Powder Ridge in Connecticut has already closed its doors for the season because of "the recent warm and wet weather." Perhaps they will re-open if the season turns itself around. more ›

Could it be that the city would really attempt to bring the Olympics to NYC for 2016? Gothamist supposes that means the city has about 2 years to find another site to put a huge stadium on, so politicians, community groups, and everyday Joes and Janes can complain about it. We suggest somewhere slightly more innocuous but still controversial - like Inwood or something. Roland Betts, who had a hand in the city's bid (and he's owner of Chelsea Piers, told the Yale Daily News (college papers get such good scoops!), "We are still giving serious thought to bidding for the games in 2016 for New York, so it's important to keep touching the IOC [International Olympic Committee] bases," as he heads to Turin for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Hmm, this might be news to Mayor Bloomberg - and the city of Chicago. And pundits doubt a city would be able to win after the bad showing NYC made last year, before the announcement of London as the Olympic city. more ›

Who better to have an opinion on the Olympic proposal than someone that went through the Olympic process with another city and is a transportation and municipal consultant by day. Hatch feels that the proposed stadium for the Jets, which would also be Olympic Stadium is too far from the Olympic Village. Additionally, he feels that the plan for the Olympics could harm the recovery of lower Manhattan. more ›

Canada will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, with the beautfiul western city of Vancouver beating Pyeongchang, Korea, and Salzburg, Austria. Canada's good news may mean that New York's chances of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics are decreased, since the IOC probably wants to spread the wealth around the world. more ›