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Annika GrederDuncan's avatar

"Provided Europe is intact in a year’s time, the best of the best will play Olympic hockey in Italy."... That is a big if and it is terrifying right now with what's going on so to me that's not a pun but a real fear. I am also proud of Sweden in 4 Nations and we are not anyone's wallpaper.

Annika living in Sweden not far from Russia.

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Peter Richmond's avatar

Nice read! If yr first job was covering the AHL, the game becomes religion. Low blow on Buffalo! It's a pretty cool place now, tho downtown hotels are unaffordable...

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Mark Whicker's avatar

I was referring to the Sabres more than the town. Usually Columbus is the default target when people talk about NHL midseason burden, but the BlueJackets are in the playoff hunt and Columbus is a cool city, too.

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Peter Richmond's avatar

Got it…I’m biased; my people are Buffalos…food-wise, the town is uber-hip (Burmese tea salad and Ethiopian at the food hall…good hotels $250 a night…

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Mark Whicker's avatar

Haven't been there (or anywhere) for a while. I always think every town has something going for it, otherwise, why do people live there?.

Although I do remember the story about the Ducks hockey team landing in BUF at about 1 a.m. on a night in January, straight from a game in Boston. It was about 10 degrees and snowing, and when they came off the plane, Teemu Selanne told teammate and Buffalo native Todd Marchant, "I'd rather go to prison than play here."

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Peter Richmond's avatar

But admit it: at their souls, if held to the fire, they’d say, “If I play hockey for a living, there are worse places to be than a town where all the local lakes always freeze.”

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Peter Richmond's avatar

And beer. And beer. And wings. And beer.

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