Canada’s women’s hockey team knows how to party! Buuuuuut they’re also in trouble.
The International Olympic Committee will investigate the Canadian women’s hockey team after a number of players celebrated their gold medal victory on Thursday night by tossing back a few cold ones and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver.
From Yahoo! Sports:
A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team’s 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff.
Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was “not what we want to see” from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to “act accordingly.”
The Olympic Committee is wound a little tight and I find it amusing that an event that essentially introduced steroids to athletic competition is so image conscious now. I don’t condone underage drinking, but if the Committee decides to send these girls home or ban them from the Closing Ceremony after this, then it would be ridiculous and a gross overreaction.
Considering other things that go on at the Olympics, chugging some brews and lighting up a few stogies to celebrate a win is mild.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
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They returned to the Ice AFTER the venue was empty save the clean up crews and some members of the press…they arrived at the peak of their sport which you and I never will but for that I applaud their efforts and sacrifices to get there so in no way have an issue with their celebration. It is their moment and they get to enjoy it as they earned it !
They did not celebrate this way while their opponents were in the venue and so they waited to savor their moment together, probably the last time many of them will even play together.
Underage drinking, well I understand and wont condone it nor will I castigate the girl that just scored the two goals that won her team the greatest prize in her sport. In many countries she is well past the legal drinking age yet we can send our young to die for us but wont let them have an alcoholic drink.
Team Canada won, they earned their celebration, it broke my heart to watch the anguish on the faces of the USA team as they received their medals but to the victor go the spoils.
Any chance that the people so offended could play these 60 minute physical games and come through them in any shape to make such ridiculous comments about punishing this team ?
Many years ago when I was competing somebody told me this, to get the gold is the most incredible in the moment experience, to get the bronze is the consolation prize but to get the silver is the most frustrating experience as you always wonder and second guess yourself. Look at the medal ceremony never was that better illustrated.
Coem on they won the gold and did their celebrating after everyone was gone.Yes the players under 19 shouldn’t have drank. Maybe have all the girls on the team that were under 19 do a public stament about underage drinking, make everyone aware they were wrong to drink. That is all that needs to happen, I agree with Dee, this could be the last time some of these girls play together. Give them a lil break on this one, slap on the wrist and public announcement.
Does this have anything to do with the condom story you reported?
Ok for the underage drinking but BTW his is a provincial law… She is from Quebec where the legal age for drinking is 18… (does not make it right but worth mentionning)