olympics

WOMEN’S USA HOCKEY IS OLYMPIAN DYNASTY

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I have never really watched any women’s sports. Yes, occasionally I watch what’s going on in the Olympic games with women’s sports. Perhaps some college softball on ESPN. The WNBA is on another planet with the NBA. Professional basketball is not very good in my opinion. Over the Winter Olympics, watching women’s hockey was must see television. I tune in because the town where I grew up is where Abbey Murphy is from. She is a big part of the women’s hockey team. The month of February is the worst sports month of the year starting after the Superbowl. The Winter Olympics in Milan brought me to some new horizons. Last Thursday USA hockey had a close affair with their arch rival Canada and won their 3rd gold medal in a come from behind victory. The Women’s hockey team versus Canada is a different story than the Men’s. The Women’s hockey team is like the Dodgers, Yankees, or Patriots. A well-oiled machine that has massacred the competition for a long period of time. While the Men’s hockey did prevail this season over Canada to win the gold, but over the years the Maple Leafs have owned the red, white and blue.

When it comes to women’s hockey, the U.S. team owns Canada. The U.S women’s hockey team has now beaten their arch rival Canadians 8 times in a row including two victories against them in Italy. They faced Canada before the medal round and shut them out 5-0 in the first meeting. In the second meeting, Canada came to play battling USA for the gold and held on to a 1-0 lead late in the game. It took the U.S. team late in the 3rd period in the last few minutes of the game to notch things at one and send the game to overtime. The Americans had to take out their goalie to get the extra skater and the captain of the team, Hillary Knight, tied the game with her goal with 2:04 on the clock.

Hillary Knight has set the record in the Olympics for most goals & points by either a female or male player. She has played in 29 career Olympian games, has scored 15 goals, and dished out 18 assists for 33 points which is impressive. The U.S women’s hockey run before the gold medal game with Canada they were blowing up the competition. They won six straight games only allowing one freaking goal. Canada scored one goal in the 7th and final game. They only gave up two goals in Milan. The team had 5 shut outs in Milan. In those 7 games they outscored the competition 33-2 which is tournament records.

Aerin Frankel was a wall in front of the net for the U.S. team. She had 30 saves versus Canada which included the overtime in the Gold medal game. She is the first Olympian goalie with 4 wins, 0.39 goals against average, .979 save percentage while recording 3 of those shut outs in 5 games played. This team had it all and were rolling like a well-oiled machine on all phases of the game of hockey. This team found a way to fight back when the script was suddenly flipped on them. In OT they quickly found the killer instinct which was a pass from Taylor Heise to Megan Keller who lit the lamp for the game winner. It was their first Gold since 2018 when they beat Canada for the Gold in a shoot out at the Pyeong Chang Games. It’s the first team since 1998 at the Nagano games to go undefeated like they did in the Olympics tournament. That was the first ever Gold any U.S Women’s Hockey team has ever won in Olympics history.

Sixteen players from the U.S. Women’s Hockey team play professionally in the new female league. The league is called the PWHL which is the Professional Women’s Hockey league. The league has six teams. The league is in their 3rd season.

Another Chicago player, Kendall Coyne Schofield, plays for the Minnesota franchise. Hillary Knight is with the Boston franchise. Taylor Heise is also on the Minnesota franchise. While Alex Carpenter is with the New York franchise to name the few of the 16 players from that U.S Women’s roster who are making money on the sport they love. With the USA Women’s hockey team winning the Gold this should give the PWHL a big time boost at the ticket window. The way these women played in the Olympics it should give this league roots of establishment. It may already have before these Olympic games were played in Milan, Italy. I always loved watching hockey. The Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the best post-seasons in sports. Nothing wrong with adding more hockey to the pallet on the weekends or weeknights. These women play the game the right way. They are fun to watch. They probably care about the game more than many of these cry baby professional athletes in both genders that make all the money and could care less about the fan base. When the pandemic in 2020 shut down sports, I missed even lumber jack Olympics. I would have paid to watch something that year. Women’s hockey should get in the regular queue of all your favorite sports each year we watch. I can’t wait until the next Winter Olympics to see what this team can do. You know they will not have all their women back from this year’s roster. You know they will have other additions on the roster. Young and hungry players looking to keep this dynasty rolling.

DO IT FOR JOHNNY HOCKEY

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The U.S Men’s hockey team slayed their personal demons on Sunday in Milan, Italy as they beat the Canadians in the finals. The United States earned themselves the gold medal for the first time since 1980 when the Miracle on Ice took place in Lake Placid. In 1980 it was college players pulling off the major upset beating the Russian machine for the gold pulling off one of the biggest miracles in sports history. Then 46 years later a U.S team made up of NHL players beat the country that breeds and bleeds hockey, the Canadians, 2-1 in overtime. They pulled off an upset against a neighboring country that was loaded as well with NHL talent across the boards. The USA Olympic hockey team has formed a brotherhood of players built like a fraternity of close friends and family. The roster actually has two sets of brothers that are actually blood related. The Hughes and Tkachuk families who made a big dent in why the US. team went a perfect 6-0. They played for one of their fallen teammates as well, Johnny Hockey. Johnny Gaudreau had his life cut down short when he and his brother were mowed down by a drunken driver in New Jersey while cycling. The motivation and the comradery of this team pulled off something special that will go down in the history books on Sunday with this team pulling off the gold medal while many loaded NHL U.S. teams have failed miserably against the Maple Leafs.

It was Jack Hughes’ shot in the extra frame that ended the demons of the past that gave the United States their second goal of the game and the decider. It was a great pass by Zach Werenski that gave Jack the perfect shot and his biggest goal of his career. Jack plays for the Devils & he had 4 goals and 3 assists in the 2026 Olympics. His brother Quinn Hughes, who plays for the Minnesota Wild, had 1 goal and dished out 7 assists in the ’26 Olympics. It was Matt Boldy who got the U.S. team on the board in the first period in the gold round to give his country the 1-0 lead. In the second period it was Cale Makar with the equalizer that tied things up after two periods. The Tkachuks made their presence in every game of the Olympics that the USA played. Matthew Tkachuk is one of the biggest cogs in this USA wheel as he had 6 assists. His play is all over the ice doing the dirty work and the little things that don’t find their way on the stat sheet at the end of the night. He has now won two Stanley Cup championships in back to back years with the Panthers. Both championships were the last two years and he now adds a gold medal to the back of his hockey card. His brother Brady who plays for the Senators had 3 goals and 2 assists in the Olympics. Back to Jack Hughes who was playing with a bloody mouth and had some teeth that went missing in this big game. He still played through the pain and really came up big. After the game he commented on the brotherhood of this USA team which goes back to other teams that have lost to Canada in the past in these Olympic games.

In 2002 in Salt Lake City, the U.S. lost to Canada in the gold medal round 5-2. In 2010 in Vancouver it was Sid the Kid Crosby’s memorable goal that ended the USA in the gold round 3-2 in OT.

In the preliminary round of 2010, U.S. did beat Canada 5-3 but the Maple Leafs would get the last laugh in that one. Then in 2014 Canada shut out the United States at the Sochi Winter Olympics 1-0 in the semi-finals. The Canadians have been a thorn in the side for U.S teams for decades in these Olympic games.

This game between USA and Canada came down to solid goal tending by both countries. Jordan Binnington for Canada was amazing but came up short giving up the second goal in OT. Connor Hellebuyck was just better perhaps with a little help from the spirit of Johnny Gaudreau, especially how the hell he got his stick on a puck Devon Toews could have gotten in the net in his sleep. Devon got the rebound and tapped it into a practically wide open net. In the last second, Hellebuyck reached out with his stick to stop that shot. In second period he also snuffed out a breakaway from one of the NHL superstars in Connor McDavid. How many goalies could say that they stopped McDavid coming right at you by themself? He also stopped a breakaway from Macklin Celebrini that was a huge save in the game. Hellebuyck stopped 41 out of Canada’s 42 shots including overtime.

On August 29th of 2024, Johnny Gaudreau was in the prime of his hockey career when he was killed at 31 years of age. Johnny and brother Matthew were riding bikes near their home the night before their sister’s wedding. He played 11 seasons in the NHL which started with the Calgary Flames. He played 9 seasons in Calgary. The last two seasons of Johnny Hockey’s career he suited up for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played in 763 NHL games & scored 243 goals while dishing out 500 assists for 743 total NHL points. He would have been a part of this gold medal team if he was not killed. The team honored him by having his number 13 jersey displayed in the locker room. They brought it out to the bench. They had a banner with both Gaudreau brothers in their hockey uniforms. Matthew was in his Boston College uniform. The Gaudreau family was in attendance. This includes his parents Jane and Guy Gaudreau. His wife Meredith and their two children, 3 year old daughter Noa and 2 year old Johnny Jr.. After the Americans won, for the celebratory picture on the ice with the team a few of the players brought Johnny’s kids out there. They ended up in the picture which really makes this win very special in many ways. We really have never seen USA Hockey win the gold medal because it’s been almost 50 years. To win it this icon medal for your country and give a player and his family a tribute is really something the world should take notice of. This is how humanity should be coming together after going through some kind of tragedy. Johnny would have been 32 years of age and you have to believe he would have made the USA team and contributed to this magical run they had this season. The family of Johnny needed that. These tributes celebrate the fallen like the Billy Joel song, “Only the Good Die Young.” All these athletes playing in the Olympics have their own stories. They had people they loved that have passed away. The motivation. How they got here. How they performed for those missing people who are watching from the heavens. The NHL players are professional players. Sometimes professionals need a little reminder that life can be good, bad, and ugly. It’s how you handle yourself. They handle it by achieving their goal winning the gold. Some day I hope Johnny Graudeau Jr. becomes a professional hockey player. Johnny Hockey II, sounds like an up and coming superstar in the NHL. Maybe he will help USA win another gold medal.

OLYMPIAN HOCKEY PLAYER ABBEY MURPHY BRINGING GLORY TO HER HOME TOWN EVERGREEN PARK

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The U.S.A. Women’s Hockey team is seeking the gold medal in the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy. On Tuesday, February 10th the Women’s Hockey team routed their arch-rival Canada 5-0. So far they are at a perfect 6-0 as they look like they are the best team in the tournament overseas right now. With the win yesterday against Italy, they advanced to the semi-finals. It’s a team with plenty of firepower along with crippling defense that has made them a well-oiled machine on the ice so far. One star on that Olympian team is from my hometown of Evergreen Park, Illinois. 23 year old Abbey Murphy has been outstanding on the ice doing a little bit of everything to help her team and country win games. The town of Evergreen Park is a south suburb of Chicago and has had their share of athletes come through town, who have played well enough to do it professionally.

The most famous resident in Evergreen Park history still belongs to the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski was a genius growing up in the EP and went to Evergreen Park High School. After high school he was accepted into one of the top schools in the country, an ivy league school known as Harvard University. Something snapped in his mindset as he became a mad bomber using the U.S, mail to deliver his blows in society. A reign of terror that lasted from the late 1970’s into the middle of the 1990’s. It continued until his own brother figured it out and turned him in to the authorities. You can never erase such history like Ted Kaczynski from the town of EP. Sometimes a story about another resident from the town EP may come, like Haley’s Comet returns every 17 years. Something that gives the small suburb hope and provides the feel good story about the town of Evergreen Park. This year Abbey Murphy is that Evergreen Park glory we have been seeking.

Sports run in the Murphy genes. Her father is a former Marine and played college football. Her mother played softball. Her brother wrestled and played football at the college level. Abbey’s love of hockey came at the early age of 6. She skated at Daniel V. Capuano ice rink in the EP. She then joined the St. Jude Hockey Club in Crestwood, a suburb about 15 minutes away. It was there she played mostly on all boys teams and was one of the best players in the league for years as she learned the sport and improved her craft. Then she joined the Chicago Mission Youth, an all girls hockey league. It was a league which had these girls playing 80 games a year. This is the league that developed not only Murphy, but some of her teammates on the U.S. women’s team currently. Those teammates are: Kendall Coyne Schofield, Megan Bozek, Alex Cavallini, Jesse Compher and Savannah Harmon. Murphy went to the same grammar school I did, Most Holy Redeemer, which has a big sign above their gymnasium supporting Abbey. In 2020, Abby graduated from Mother McAuley high school which is in Chicago, but borders on the EP. Then she took her talents to Minnesota University and plays hockey there for the Golden Gophers which is one of the better schools for the sport. After her freshman year, she joined the U.S. women’s hockey residency program. She trained in Blaine, Minnesota with some of the best female hockey players. Then got the call on New Year’s Day of 2022 at the age of 19 as she made the Olympic roster. She was the second youngest player selected. That team won the silver at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. She would return to Minnesota where she trained and continued to improve her craft on the ice. She then helped her team win the gold in the IIHF World Championships in 2023 & ’25. Now at the age of 23, the USA Women’s hockey team looks unstoppable as Murphy is hoping she can help deliver the gold in Italy this season.

The town of Evergreen Park has produced some other Olympian athletes over the years. Brad Guzan was on the U.S. Men’s National Soccer team as the goal keeper. Patrick Gasienica was an Olympic ski jumper back in 2022 in the Winter Olympics.

Maybe the best ever athlete in Evergreen Park history goes to Chris Chelios, who played on the Men’s USA Olympian teams in hockey. Chelios played decades in the NHL and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. He played for the Blackhawks as the they retired his number. He won Stanley Cups with the mortal enemy, the Detroit Redwings. The town of Evergreen Park has also produced some solid baseball players like Jim Dwyer, who was one of the best pinch hitters in the game and won a World Series with the Orioles in 1983.

Dwyer was on that Orioles team that beat the winning ugly White Sox playoff team in the AL post-season to advance to the World Series in ’83. Other baseball players that originated form the EP were Ed Farmer, Donn Pall, and the great Billy Pierce. All three pitchers played for the Chicago White Sox in their respective careers.

Abbey Murphy, at only 23, may be the best female athlete in Evergreen Park history. The U.S. Women’s hockey team is a very talented group & Murphy has been a big part of that so far in Milan. Before she left to play in this year’s Winter Olympics, she was leading the NCAA with 36 goals in 26 games. She also racked up 23 penalties. In the Olympics she has shown other things she does on the ice very well. She has drawn 9 penalties because she can be very chippy on the ice. She’s an agitator who can get under opponents’ skin. The way she plays on the ice, it’s the work ethic she has on every play that could easily get under the skin of the opponent. If a teammate is in trouble, she is there for the rescue. Not scared to throw down the gloves if needed. Her play is not always on the stat sheet at the end of the night. She can dish out the punishment on the boards. She can generate three assists on goals like she did in the massacre of Canada. Murphy has not scored many goals, but the little things to help notch wins she has been awesome at. Her play is why she has a following back at home in one of the EP Italian institutions of Barraco’s where all these hockey games are being watched by many fans of hers and of the team. She has thrown out the first pitch at a White Sox game for her past accomplishments. Winning the gold like this team is pursuing, is a different animal. This team has outscored their opponents 26-1 in six games.

This has that feeling of the Men’s U.S.A. Hockey team that beat the Russians in 1980. Yes, that, “Do You Believe In Miracles?” line used by Al Michaels that has been replayed a million times since that team won it all. The work & preparation all these Olympians do to get to this point. What they do to their bodies to be the best is not human, but more superhero like. So far watching all this unfold has been a fun ride. If this team does win the gold, it will be very special to the entire nation who at this point are together and on the same team. That is not always the case when you bring up the word, “Politics.” What makes it extra special is rooting on someone from your own town doing it all. Plus, having multiple girls on that team from he Chicagoland area is special. I normally do not watch many female sports. Women’s hockey has been very fun to watch in a month where sports usually go dormant after the Superbowl. Abbey has been golden, Let’s hope they all come back with gold medals around their necks as we are witnessing something that does not come around often. Let’s enjoy it and take in some cool history that is unfolding in front of our eyes.