Hockey: World Cup Hockey

In less than a week, the World Cup of Hockey will begin.

I don't know about you, but, I, for one am really excited about it.

If the Olympics are supposed to be the purest form of sports, than the World Cup of Hockey is the purest form of hockey.

While I know hockey has lost a great deal of its luster in the previous few years, for a couple of weeks, fans will get to witness the game played at its finest.

This I am thankful for.

For me the great thing about the World Cup of Hockey is it is played under the NHL's rules.

I think one of the shortcomings about Olympic hockey is the larger ice surface. It simply seems as if it a gimmick.

Every fan in North America has only seen one set of rules every used.

While styles of the game have changed the rules never have.

Most of the players playing in the World Cup have spent time in the NHL so it won't be a surprise playing on "standard size" ice.

Every four years there have been some sort of world wide tournament (excluding the Olympics).

In those tournaments, there have been numerous great moments in the history of hockey.

Who will ever forget Paul Henderson's winning goal in game eight of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the former Soviet Union?

How about Bobby Orr's performance in the 1976 Canada Cup?

I even recall Mike Bossy's overtime goal to beat the Soviet Union in the 1984 Canada Cup semifinals.

I think probably the best hockey games I ever saw were the 1987 Canada Cup Finals, which was three-game series between Canada and the Soviet Union.

Team Canada featured a line that included Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, while the Soviets had future NHL players Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov and defenseman Vyachslav Fetisov.

The Soviets won game one 6-5 in double overtime, then, Canada won game two ended 6-5 in overtime. Finally, the Canadian team won the third game 6-5 when Lemieux scored with under two minutes to go.

I believe the greatest day in American hockey post-1980 was the night team USA won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

I remember Tony Amonte scored the winning goal in the deciding third game scoring past Curtis Joseph.

Being only 15 years old at the time I was still impressionable enough to fall in love with the sport of hockey.

My hometown Chicago Blackhawks were still a formidable franchise.

The 1994 playoffs with the New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup were still fresh in my mind.

The night the Americans upset team Canada was probably the best day in my sports watching life.

For me, one of the main reasons I am looking forward to the tournament is because I don't know the next time I will be able to watch a live hockey game.

The NHL is probably going to shut down for a long period of time because of a contract dispute.

The NHL executives appear not willing to discuss any economic plan that doesn't include a salary cap, while the players union is unwilling to have a salary cap.

If they don't resolve their issues, there might not be an NHL season this year.

So for two weeks hockey fans will be able to witness their favorite game being played at the highest level in the World Cup of Hockey.

It will be a tournament filled with emotion, heart and passion by its participants.

It will be hockey at its best.