Wood file: Sometimes the better team doesn't win
Canada was snakebit in the gold medal hockey game, and sometimes, even when you dominate the other team, you come up sho...
The room went from roaring to silent in an instant.
When the United States scored in overtime to defeat Canada in the Olympic gold medal hockey game, fans packed inside Boston Pizza Acre 21 stood frozen, staring at the screens as the reality of silver settled in.
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“It was dead silent. Everyone’s in shock,” said Viet Hoa. “It’s like all the air got let out. You can’t breathe for a second.”
For much of the night, the restaurant had felt like it was building toward a celebration. Red and white jerseys filled nearly every table. Multiple big screens glowed above the bar. In the final minutes of regulation and into overtime, food sat untouched as fans leaned forward, convinced the next goal would send Canada to gold.
“Very, very tough,” said Callan Willemott. “I thought we were easily the better team. But unfortunately, that’s just the way it goes sometimes, especially in hockey. It’s going to be a long four years to wait till the next chance.”
Willemott said missed opportunities would be replayed in fans’ minds long after the final buzzer.
“Nathan MacKinnon missing a wide-open net, it’s going to haunt him for a while,” he said.
Glenn Chernick and Devona cheer on Team Canada at Boston Pizza in Acre 21 in Regina during the Olympic gold medal game against the United States. Canada settled for silver after an overtime loss. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Brighton McLeod echoed the frustration.
“Just disappointed. I thought we had this one,” McLeod said.
He credited U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with shifting the game’s outcome.
“Without him, I think it’s a completely different game,” McLeod said.
Some fans also wondered how the result might have changed with a fully loaded Canadian lineup.
“If (Connor) Bedard’s here, we win gold,” McLeod said. “If Sidney Crosby suits up, that’s a different game right there.”
Still, amid the disappointment, there was pride in the effort.
“We’re winning silver fantastic. It’s another medal for Canada,” said Glenn Chernick. “But I really, really wanted them to get the gold.”
Viet Hoa and Rize watch the Olympic gold medal hockey game between Canada and the United States at Boston Pizza in Acre 21 in Regina. Fans fell silent after the U.S. scored in overtime. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Chernick said the Olympics have a way of uniting Canadians, even in defeat.
“One thing about the Olympics is they bring all of Canada together,” he said. “How many people are getting up to watch hockey at seven in the morning? Go Canada Go.”
As fans slowly filtered out into the Regina evening, there was no celebration, but there was applause. Canada had added another medal to its total, even if it wasn’t the colour many believed was within reach.
For those inside Boston Pizza, the silver will count. But the overtime goal will linger.
