WEST VALLEY CITY — So what's the big deal?
Other than that 50-year wait, I mean.
Imagine, five decades without winning a gold medal in hockey. That's long enough for Celine Dion to sing "My Heart Will Go On" — twice. More than long enough for the Count of Monte Cristo to break out of prison.
And it's surely long enough to change the way we live. Last time Canada won a gold medal, Americans were tinkering with nuclear bombs, Jonas Salk was inventing the polio vaccine and the first jet passenger airliner was taking off.
Fifty years! Not even Al MacInnis had been born.
That's how long Canada has waited.
The XIX Olympic Winter Games closed out competition Sunday at the E Center, with Canada beating the United States 5-2. Judging by Wayne Gretzky's face, it was almost worth the wait. Canada's executive director threw his fists in the air and celebrated like a man who had been carrying the weight of the world. That, of course, is a gross exaggeration. It was only the weight of Canada, which amounts to 10 million square kilometers.
Otherwise, no big deal.
"I'm very happy for Canadians," said Gretzky.
Ya think?
There was something serendipitous about Canada winning the final event to end its long, humiliating drought. It wasn't that the Canadians dominated these Olympics. In fact, they were outpaced by America in medals, 34-17. But you can't criticize their timing. Canada put a lot of effort into stealing the glamour shots. Every time America turned around, a Canadian was on the tube.
Canada's initial splash came in the opening ceremonies. When the Parade of Nations occurred, the Canadians marched out in their Roots team gear, immediately starting a fashion stampede. Somewhere, Tommy Hilfiger was getting jealous. If you didn't have a red jacket/hat/beret with the white script lettering the next day, you were grossly out of style.
Soon to follow was the pairs skating soap opera, in which Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were first robbed of, then awarded, the gold medal. Next thing they knew, they were on the cover of Newsweek.
In time, Catriona Le May Doan won gold in speedskating, and Canadian curling teams added two more medals.
Not only were Canadians proud to be Canadian — Americans, Brits, Belgians and Swedes were proud to be Canadians, too.
When you're hot, you're hot.
Momentum built on Thursday, when the women's hockey team beat the U.S. in the gold-medal game, avenging a loss in the last Winter Olympics. That was followed on Saturday by a major upset, as Marc Gagnon and Jonathan Guilmette finished one-two in short-track speedskating. In addition, Canada's short-track speedskating relay team won the gold, while the favored Americans failed to medal.
None of this, of course, compared to the men's hockey win. Winning wasn't preferred, it was imperative. Gretzky said so. Mario Lemieux said so. Thirty-one million Canadians said so. Hockey is their game.
"It might be the only game they might be any good at, aside from curling and a couple of other things," joked American Chris Chelios.
"Fifty years. The longer we're away from it, it seems to become sort of an albatross," said Canada coach Pat Quinn.
So when Joe Sakic's game-winner went in at 18:19 of the second period, one big nation to the north rejoiced. When Jarome Iginla's shot from the left circle landed late in third period, it sighed with relief.
But when Sakic's late breakaway shot snapped into the net, Canadians couldn't hold back. They began singing their national anthem, word for word. Gretzky relaxed for the first time in weeks.
"It's been a stressful time," said Gretzky.
And Canada itself finally said something it has been trying to get out for 50 years: "We're No. 1!"
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