U.S. rematch vs. Canada splits Walleye
2/28/2010Loyalties in the Olympic gold medal hockey game between the United States and Canada on Sunday are split and clearly defined among the Toledo Walleye.
Coach Nick Vitucci and his assistant Dan Watson both hail from Canada. Eight players on the current roster are American and 10 are Canadian.
Most of the players plan to gather at a local restaurant to watch the rematch with bragging rights on the line.
After the U.S. victory over Canada last Sunday, Americans Mark Nebus and Evan Rankin were the most vocal. Among the Canadians, Vitucci and forward Scooter Smith have been talking about revenge ever since.
After Friday night's game against Johnstown, the entire team watched Canada play Slovakia in the semifinals while driving back to Toledo on the team bus.
Defenseman Jonathan Carlsson is the only player without anything at stake. Carlsson is from Sweden.
- Mark Monroe