"Going for the gold" is more than an instant replay of what happened at Lake Placid." From "Going for the Gold: How the U.S. won at Lake Placid." By Tim Wendel (C) 1980.

CCHA Moment: March 18, 2006. MSU Spartans Hockey win CCHA.

  The defining moment of hockey are children watching their  first game at the rink and wanting to learn to skate and on the drive home from Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, the boys in the back seat talk about being team captain like Drew Miller when they grow up. On the drive home from Joe Louis Arena being a goaltender like Jeff Lerg and winning the Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship as a freshman. The Spartans skated past critics and did so with leadership and decorum; the marks of true winners.  No matter what anyone would say or write about them I knew that this team is dangerous.  On March 18, 2006 Spartans  won the "Ron Mason Cup."  The banner will hang from the rafters at the Joe Louis Arena for one year saying "that the team did it and did it right."

NHL Triumph over Tragedy:  Saku Koivu come back from Cancer, Montreal Canadiens.

  The NHL has had many triumphs over tragedy.  The Montreal Canadiens team has had the most the Stanley Cups won by any team.  The best thing about sport are the times when the players who had career cut short make it back to play and devote their life to it one more time. Think about Saku Koivu coming back for more and lacing the boots and putting on the jersey then to the ice and the ovation.  For the sports world and everyone in it that is the best moment when Saku Koivu can again captain the team his legendary team from Quebec. 

NHL Sweet Victory: Steve Yzerman #19 wins the Cup for the first time. "Le Captaine," "The Captain."

  Every sport has sweet victory when it happens in hockey it engrains in the memory better.  For example the sweet taste of victory of the U.S. hockey team over the favored Soviet team in the 1980 winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York.  Another one just as memorable is Steve Yzerman after the 1997 Stanley Cup sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers taking the Lord Stanley Cup and skating around the Joe Louis Arena and the loyal "Captain" smiling. The state of  Michigan proud at the same moment in time with Steve Yzerman existing with him on the same spot of ice, he won it with everyone else. Steve Yzerman I do not want to think of you retiring and not wearing the jersey and familiar #19 with the "C" on the front. One day that will happen and your rest will start. 

  NHL Moment: Wayne Gretzky and a purpose.  Breast Cancer awareness.

  So while other sports and athletes wrestle with endorsements and egos and contract extensions Wayne Gretzky and the whole NHL stop for one day and use pink sticks for breast cancer awareness and manufacturer TPS makes them for people who do not typically use that product "It is about the cause."  Thanks Wayne for showing that people in the realm of the NHL are unselfish and that endorsements and royalties are not the reason for playing the game.  It is an important part of it but the main purpose for the God given gifts is to give back and help those around you.

NHL Moment: Success after Lockout.

  The NHL and its athletes are together creating NHL moment and sweet victory this season by going past everyone that said, "The NHL will struggle this year becasue of the lockout." Fanbase are viewers are up according to Gary Bettmann NHL Commissioner-from NHL press conference in New York City, NY 2006.

Hockey is a contact sport, so in closing I will write, this Canadian sport has impressed on the American culture great things from the athletes in the past to present and yes in the future.