Live Blog – January 5th.

A running diary of what’s happening here at the rink, if you aren’t fortunate enough to have tickets tonight.

6:00pm – Team USA is downstairs at the arena, playing soccer. A lot of teams at the tournament seem to be fans of using soccer as a way to get loose for the game.

6:20pm – Fans are pouring into the arena. The main entrance is jammed – if you’re standing in that line waiting to get in, I hope you wore your skinny jeans. Downstairs in the media area, every seat is taken (for the first time this tournament) as there are at least 30 writers here covering tonight’s game for various outlets. TV crews are filming everywhere right now – if you’re watching CBC, there is a good chance that you are currently getting a view of the back of my head behind the guy being interviewed.

6:35pm – Both teams are now on the ice, and the seats are about half filled up. We’re about 35 minutes until the puck drops. The writers beside me are talking in what I’m guessing is Russian. I can only assume they are talking about how much they like this blog.

6:55pm – So, the 50/50 prize has already hit $150,000…. and we’re still more than 15 minutes from game time. World Junior fans love 50/50 draws. The zambonis are currently on the ice.

7:05pm – Team Canada takes the ice to a chorus of cheers, led by their goalie, Jake Allen. As I’m typing this, the starting lineups are being announced for both teams. Huge cheers for every player – but especially Saskatoon-born Brayden Schenn, and tournament star Jordan Eberle. A “Go Canada Go” chant breaks out, after a little egging on from the PA announcer.

7:12pm – GOAL! Luke Adam scores for Canada, and the crowd erupts.

7:20pm – So The 50/50 prize has now hit $200,000, breaking the previous record that was set at the New Year’s Eve game. Also, the Russian writers beside me are gone, but they left behind a cookie that looks ridiculously delicious. Do I take a bit of the forbidden Russian treat? I probably shouldn’t. During the television commercial break, a huge wave breaks out amongst the fans, circling the rink a good two and a half times.

7:30pm – Two quick goals for the Americans – after the second, you could hear a pin drop in the rink for at least 30 seconds. That’s saying something, considering there are over 15,000 people in this rink.

7:50pm – Just did a cruise around the concourse, during intermission. Highlights include a group of “cheerleaders” dancing on a stage to the Black Eyed Peas, a ton of fans decked out in crazy Team Canada costumes, and a 50/50 line that I counted 80 people in. The 50/50 is up to $234,000, if you’re counting at home. Just noticed the forbidden Russian cookie disappeared while I was upstairs. Very sneaky.

8:05pm – So, on that Canada goal, more than a few people in the media area broke the “no cheering in the media area” rule. We’re supposed to be unbiased down here, or something. It doesn’t look like anyone seemed to mind, though. Also, I wanted to mention a weird crowd reaction a minute ago – half the people in the stands starting booing, as the refs called a penalty on Canada, while the other half of the people in the stands starting cheering, as “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” started playing through the rink’s PA system at the exact same time. The crowd here loves that song.

8:30pm – In one of the great moments of tonight, the Canadian Paralympic Sledge Hockey team was just introduced to the crowd during the intermission. They received a huge cheer from the crowd, despite half the people in the building currently being in a line for 50/50 tickets, or another cold beverage.

8:45pm – Teams are back on the ice – by the time the puck drops for the 3rd period, the 50/50 prize is going to hit $300,000. The fans are heckling USA’s goalie with a loud “Campbell” chant that I can hear clearly from the media area.

8:55pm – Two more quick goals for the Americans. They just announced tonight’s attendance as 15,171. Trust me when I say that is significantly understated – not only is every seat taken, but there are hundreds more people watching from the concourse.

9:05pm – To answer a question posted in the comments section, no, there is no limit to the 50/50 tonight. There was a limit to the 50/50 at the New Year’s Eve game, but only because, and I’m not lying here, they didn’t have enough numbers programmed into the system. I spoke with the 50/50 organizers earlier today, and they told me that problem won’t happen again – the 50/50 could go up to $1,000,000 now and they’d still be okay. Also, in case you’re curious, the coffee in the media area is lousy.

9:12pm – The roof nearly comes off the building as Canada scores two quick goals to tie the game. Immediately the crowd gets back on Campbell, with a huge “Campbell” chant. Every fan here is on their feet. Tonight’s 50/50 winning ticket was just announced – the winner is taking home $149,700.

9:20pm – Some quick math for you all. A 50/50 prize of $149,700 means $299,400 in tickets purchased. $299,400 in tickets, divided by announced attendance of 15,171, means an average of $19.74 in 50/50 tickets purchased per person. No, I didn’t purchase a ticket myself, if you were wondering. I don’t gamble.

9:30pm – The teams are back on the ice. I’m being told the sudden-death overtime period will be 20 minutes long, as opposed to the 5 minute overtime period in the round robin. If the teams are still tied after 20, we’ll head to a shootout. The way this game is going, I can’t imagine a scenario in which we play 20 more minutes without another goal. Someone that was upstairs during the intermission just told me that no one left their seats during the 12 minute break – it was a party in the stands the entire time.

9:40pm – And John Carlson scores to win the game for the US. Canadian players look heartbroken, and the fans in the stadium look stunned.

9:45pm – The fans here have recovered. The majority have stayed in the stands to see the teams receive their medals. When Jordan Eberle is announced as Team Canada’s player of the game, a giant cheer erupted from the crowd, followed by an “MVP” chant started from the fans up in the rafters in section 13. The fans here are showing a lot of class, cheering for the American players as well.

9:50pm – And the Americans are now getting their medals. Fans still in attendance are politely applauding. To many Canadian fans, the ending hurts, but you can’t be upset about this tournament. What a thrilling ending. And think about it this way – Canada vs. USA can’t be a rivalry if Canada wins every time, right? The Americans are now hoisting the tournament trophy up at center ice.

10:00pm – So the anthems have been sung, and the tournament is over. That is pretty much a wrap. Thanks for following along readers – it was a blast. See you next year in Buffalo!

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