Give the Canadian Women a break

It's a double standard. The media backlash that has chased Canada's Womens Hockey team after their post gold medal, on-ice celebration is overblown and unnecessary.

The Team Canada women were seen on-ice drinking beer and smoking cigars following their Gold Medal 2-0 victory over the USA. Yes, the women should have kept their celebrations in the dressing room, but nothing they did was outrageous.

Look at every single Stanley Cup celebration. The boys are seen smoking cigars, drinking beer and champagne, and partying like there is no tomorrow. The same goes for any major sport. And if we want to debate the moral actions of the Olympic athletes partying in the Olympic Village, we can. The Olympic Village is known for sex, drugs, and alcohol.

What these Canadian women did was harmless. They did not hurt anyone, they did not do this for the media, they did not damage the image of the Olympic Games. Led by Haley Irwin, Meghan Agosta, and others, the Canadians were having innocent fun.

All they did was celebrate a hard fought victory. They celebrated committment, effort, dedication, and the realization of a dream. Beer and cigars? That doesn't seem outrageous.

In fact, watching the girls on ice together, looking at the pictures, the comradery and togetherness of the Canadian team is apparent and refreshing. Nothing they did was illegal. Think of it this way, only hours before, children were exposed to drunken debauchery and foul language of innebriated Canadian and American fans in the stands. These women played the game with class and deserve their moment to celebrate.

Team Canada was celebrating in front of an empty arena. No fans or children remained and only a small handful of media were present. The media needs to give these girls a break. If this were a party following the men's final, it would be accepted and likely praised.

Way to go Canada, you deserved every moment of your celebration.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter

Canada's Golden Hockey Girls

Women's hockey took a lot of abuse at the Vancouver Olympics this year. The lack of competition is evident and the lopsided games are not entertaining.

Luckily, whenever Canada faces off against the USA, sparks are going to fly and you are guaranteed a great game. Watching the USA play Canada in the womens final shows that there is hope for womens hockey at the Olympics.

These two nations are packed with skilled hockey players and every gold medal game is epic. In this round, Canada captured another Gold in Women's Hockey, their third straight Olympic Gold.

Led by young stars Meghan Agosta and Marie-Philip Poulin-Nadeau and veterans Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford, the Canadians were too powerful for the USA team taking home a 2-0 victory in the Gold Medal game. The shutout in net for the Canadians went to Shannon Szabados.

Unfortunately, if other nations can't match the talent of the USA and Canada, the womens game might become extinct at the Winter Olympics. Until then, we'll have to settle for amazing gold medal game, after amazing gold medal game between the USA and Canada.

Congratulations to the Canadian Womens Hockey team for winning Canada's first Hockey Gold Medal on home soil.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter

Top Five Olympic stories so far

The Vancouver Olympics have been like a roller coaster thus far. Athletes and fans have experienced a number of highs and lows through the first week of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Here are the top five stories of the first week:

1. Death of Georgian luger - It was the wrong foot to start the Vancouver Games on, but the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili is the top story of the Games. The safety and planning of the luge track has come into question over the last week and is still under investigation. Kumaritashvili, who was 21, died in a training run crash on Day 1 of the Olympics.

2. Bad weather - It has rained, rained some more, been too warm, and then rained. Weather postponed almost every ski event early in the Games and forced VANOC officials to return roughly 28,000 tickets to fans. As well, the slopes at Cypress Mountain are still being stocked with snow that is being trucked in from hundreds of miles away.

3. Canada's first Gold - Entering the Vancouver Games, Canada stood as the only country to ever host an Olympic Games, without winning a gold medal on home soil. In fact, Canada hosted twice, once in Montreal 1976 and again in Calgary 1988. Moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first ever gold medal on home soil on Day 3 of the games. Since then, Canada has added another gold medal from snowboarder Maelle Ricker.

4. Hockey blow outs - The only story surrounding hockey in the media, is whether or not it will continue to be an Olympic sport. The world competition has fallen off drastically over the last decade, specifically in the womens game. Many games have been won by 10 or more goals. In womens hockey, Canada destroyed opponents 18-0, 10-1, and 13-1 in round robin play. Without legitimate competition coming from nations not named Canada or the United States, the IOC might pull the plug on Olympic Hockey.

5. American athletes - Skier Lindsey Vonn and snowboarder Shaun White can't seem to escape the media at the Vancouver Games. Nor do these two outgoing athletes wan't to. Lindsey Vonn, who posed in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and won an early Gold Medal in downhill skiing, is a media dream for her good looks and athletic abiliy. The charismatic Shaun White dominated in the snowboard half pipe showing why he is the Games' biggest star.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter

Is this the last Olympics for Womens Hockey?

Forget whether or not NHL players will continue to compete in the mens side of ice hockey. The real question stands: is this the last Olympic Games for womens hockey?

Why would I ask that? Simply this, there is no international competition. By all regards, this is a two team tournament - Canada and USA - and don't give me your "Sweden upset the USA in 2006" arguement. It's irrelevant.

In the Vancouver Olympics, Canada and the USA have slaughtered opponents with scores in the range of 18-0, 11-1, and 12-1. This is not entertaining, nor is it fair.

Likely the one goal was scored because the Canadian or US goalie had dosed off from boredum.

How does this seem like a competition to anyone? The arguement will stand that to get better, these weak countries must compete at the highest level, but they've been doing so since the 1998 Olympics in Nagano and for years before that.

So here we are, close to 20 years later and we're still watching a two team tournament. How much longer will the IOC allow the USA and Canada to dominate without legitimate competition? Not just dominate, but obliterate opponents to the point where it is embarrassing to watch.

There is no entertainment value in these games because the skill level of every other nation, with the outside exception of Sweden, is pitiful. Many of the 'Olympic' teams we watch play in the womens game would not be able to compete against teenage girls teams from Canada.

It`s not that I don`t support the womens game, because I definitely think it would be a shame to lose womens hockey from the Olympic Games; it just doesn`t exemplify the top level of competition in the world.

China and Switzerland have made recent gains, but they now only border on competiting with Sweden and Finland. These countries need more funding and better coaches.

Sadly, this might be the last year for womens hockey at the Winter Olympics until other countries are able to compete. Until then, we'll have to watch gold medal game after gold medal game featuring the only two teams that matter: the USA and Canada.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter and on Facebook.

Womens Olympic Hockey Preview: Canada vs USA

Before you quickly answer Canada, take time to consider a few facts. First, the women from the United States are back-to-back reigning world champions. The team they beat? Canada.

What about pre-Olympic games between the two teams. Canada? Nope, actually the teams went back in forth in international and friendly games.

And then we have to have the discussion about Olympic Gold medals. Yes, the Americans have one of those too from 1998 in Nagano.

Believe it or not sports fans, the Canadian women may not be the favourite to win the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Team Canada has been hot lately, and with the backing of the Vancouver crowd, they should never be counted out.

What I’m saying is, this is no sure thing. It is a sure thing that either Canada or the USA will win gold. Countries such as Sweden, Finland, and China, are still the pimple faced little cousins in the Women’s hockey world.

Believe it or not, Russia is one of the worst countries in the Olympics in women’s hockey (but you can bet they’ll be better for Sochi in 2014).

Canadian stars such as Haley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Jennifer Botterill, Charline Labonte, and Meghan Agosta are the best in the game, but the Americans have the best developmental league in the NCAA. This means that a new group of young, fast, skilled Americans are here, and ready to take on the world.

American stars including Angela Ruggiero and Jenny Potter will give the Canadians all they can handle...and possibly more.

Who will win gold in women’s hockey at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver? We’ll find out soon enough. Just don’t go betting all your chips on Canada. This race is closer than you think.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter