NAGANO, JAPAN - 1998 WINTER OLYMPICS

NAGANO. DOWNTOWN

Today we will visit Nagano, Japan - the host of 1998 Olympics. The hockey tournament, even though frustrated for USA and Canada teams, was absolutely unique. It was first time when the NHL players were fully permitted to participated in the main World sport event by having the special break which stopped the NHL schedule during this competition.
All top players from all countries were able to take part representing their countries. Terrific team from Czech Republic went all the way up to gold having Canada beaten at the semis thanks to penalty shorts then Russia in the finals.

I happened beeen to Prague the next summer. The whole city was still decorated with posters and banners honored the Czech team and the sight like "Hasek to President!" were everywhere. So, Enjoy this trip to Nagano!


HASEK STOPS FLEURY's PENALTY SHOT

Nagano, the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.

Nagano is most famous for Zenkō-ji, a 7th century Buddhist temple which overlooks the city. A million tourists visit Nagano annually, the gateway to a variety of sightseeing spots. Nagano was originally a small town in Kamiminochi District built around the hilltop temple, the largest wooden building in eastern Japan, but the city now encompasses locations that were within Sarashina, Hanishina, and Kamitakai districts as well.

The historic site of the Battles of Kawanakajima has been retained as parkland, with a municipal museum of the history of the Zenkoji plain.



Matsushiro, the former castle town of the Sanada clan, is located in the southern part of the city. The town retains an historical atmosphere, preserving many old samurai residences, temples, and gardens of the feudal period, including the remains of the castle and mansion of feudal lord Sanada Jumangoku.

Sporting venues built for the Winter Olympics include the M-Wave speed-skating arena (with the world's largest wooden suspension roof), Big Hat arena, and the Aqua Wing Arena.

To north of the city is the village of Iizuna. A popular destination in both summer and winter, it includes an Olympic ski resort, campsite, onsen, 10 ponds, and a mountain slide ride.

Northeast of the city is Japan's largest ski resort, Shiga Kogen, with the nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park, famous for the wild Japanese Snow Monkeys often found bathing in its hot springs.

Just south of the downtown core, in Shinonoi, Mt. Chausu hosts the Nagano Chausuyama Zoo, an outdoor dinosaur park, botanical garden, and a museum of natural history.

1998 Winter Olympics

In 1998, Nagano hosted the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, the second Winter Olympics ever held in Japan and the first since 1972 when the Winter Games were held in Sapporo, also the site of the first Winter Olympics ever held in Asia.


CZECH TEAM CELEBRATES THE SEMIS WIN

OLOMOUC, CZECH REPUBLIC. THE HOME TOWN OF JIRI HUDLER

Jiri Hudler, the new Czech Republic hockey team captain was shining during the Euro Hockey Tours opener that was held in Karlovy Vary this month.He led his team to the tournament victory scoring the 1-1 goal at 17:30 of the final game against Russia. He tied the game a second time at 57:21 after Russia held a 2-1 lead for most of regulation. A shoot-out decided and the game-winning goal was scored by who else than Hudler.


Jiri Hudler - Czech Team Captain

Jiri Hudler was born January 4, 1984 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The first choice, 58th overall selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Hudler honed his skills in the Czech Republic before making his North American debut in 2003-04. This summer the young czech rejected the Red Wings offer and joint Moscow Dynamo of KHL to play in Russia and be able to join his national team.

He spent his childhood in Olomouc, the Czech beauteful sity which we are about to discover today.

The late barocco sity of Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis of Moravia.

Olomouc contains several large squares, the chief of which is adorned with Holy Trinity Column, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The column is 115 ft (35 m) high and was built in 1716–1754.

The most prominent church is the Saint Wenceslas cathedral. In the end of the 19th century it was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style, but it kept many parts from the original church, which had also been rebuilt many times (Romanesque crypt, Gothic cloister, Baroque chapels). The highest of its three spires is 328 ft (100 m) The church neighbours with the Romanesque Bishop’s Palace (often incorrectly called the Přemyslid Palace), a 12th century Romanesque building. (image) The real Přemyslid Palace, i.e. the residence of Olomouc members of the governing Přemyslid Dynasty, used to stand nearby.



The Saint Maurice Church, a fine Gothic building of the 15th century, and the Saint Michael’s Church are also worth mentioning. The Neo-baroque chapel of Saint John Sarkander stands on the place of a former town prison. Catholic priest John Sarkander was imprisoned here in the beginning of the Thirty Years' War. He was accused of collaboration with the enemy and tortured here, but did not reveal anything because of the Seal of Confession, and died. The torturing rack and Sarkander’s gravestone are preserved here. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II during his visit in Olomouc in 1995.

Another place that John Paul II visited here was Svatý Kopeček, a part of Olomouc lying on a hill, with the magnificent Baroque church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary looking down at the city. The Pope promoted the church to Minor Basilica.

The principal secular building is the town hall, completed in the 15th century, flanked on one side by a Gothic chapel, transformed now into a museum. It possesses a tower 250 ft (76 m) high adorned with an astronomical clock.

The old university founded in 1573 and suppressed in 1860, was reopened in 1946 and called Palacký University.

Olomouc is also proud of its six Baroque fountains. The fountains survived in such a number thanks to cautious policy of the city council. While most European cities were removing old fountains after they had built their water supply piping, Olomouc decided to keep them as water reservoirs in case of fire. For their decoration ancient Roman motifs were used. Five of them depict Roman gods Jupiter, Mercury, Triton, Neptune and Hercules, and one depicts Julius Caesar, the legendary founder of the city.



There are few monasteries in Olomouc, including Hradisko Monastery, Convent of Dominican Sisters in Olomouc and others.

Despite its considerable charms, Olomouc has not been discovered by tourists in the same way that Prague, Český Krumlov and Karlovy Vary have. Its inner city is the second-largest historical monuments preserve in the country, after Prague.

One of Olomouc's famous sons was the film-maker Edgar G. Ulmer, who was born in Olomouc in 1904, but who always preferred to give Vienna as his birthplace, as this sounded less provincial. Another notable son of Olomouc is football coach Karel Brückner, formerly head coach of the Czech national team and later head coach of Austria. Now we can added Jiri Hudler to this list of honnor


HC Olomouc (white jersey)

The hockey club of Olomouc (HC Olomouc) was first established in 1929 became a member of Moravian hockey league, but proved itself as a real in 1955 only under name of Sprtak Moravia Olomouc.
Even this club has produced some well known players (as Tomas Kucharchik for example) the most popular is Jiri Dopita who played for Czech national team, Flyers and Oilers. Dopita is a member of the famous 1998 Czech team which won Nagano's Olympic.
But who knows, maybe Jiri Hudler in some years will be same popular his elder friend. He has all opportunities to do it.

TAMPERE. FINLAND - HOCKEY HALL OF FAME AND MUCH MORE TO EXPLORE

Have you ever heard about Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame? No? But there is one located in Tampere, the second large town of Finland.


Tampere. Sity Theatre

Tampere is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry, and this has given rise to its Finnish nickname "Manse" and terms using that such as Manserock.

The Tampere region, called Pirkanmaa, which includes outlying municipalities, had around 470,000 residents, of which 230,000 were employed, and a turnover of 25 billion euros in 2007.


Tampere. Sity Cathederal

Tampere is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of 209,748, with close to 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki municipalities of Helsinki and Espoo. Helsinki can be reached in 1.5 hours by train and 2 hours by car. The distance to Turku is approximately the same. Tampere airport is the second-busiest international airport in Finland, with 800,000 passengers annually.

Tampere was founded as a market place on the banks of the Tammerkoski channel in 1775 by Gustav III of Sweden and four years later, 1779, Tampere was granted full city rights in 1779. At this time, it was a rather small town, consisting of only a few square kilometers of land around the Tammerkoski.

Tampere grew as a major market town and industrial centre in the 19th century. During the latter half of 19th century Tampere had almost half of Finland's industrial labour. The town's industrial nature in the 19th and 20th centuries gave it the nickname "Manchester of the North", Manse for short (in Finnish).


Tampere. Finlayson Works

Tampere was the centre of many important political events of Finland in the early 20th century. On November 1, 1905, during the general strike, the famous Red Declaration was proclaimed on the Keskustori, the central square of Tampere, subsequently leading to universal suffrage in Finland and the Tsar of Russia granting larger freedoms to Finns. In 1918, when Finland had recently gained independence, Tampere also played a major role, being one of the strategically important scenes during the Civil War in Finland (January 28–May 15, 1918). Tampere was a red stronghold during the war, with Hugo Salmela in command. White forces captured Tampere, seizing about 10,000 Red prisoners on April 6

Prevalent in Tampere's post-World War II municipal politics was the so called Brothers-in-Arms Axis (aseveliakseli), the alliance of conservatives and social democrats against the communists and Agrarian party. During this era some of the most renowned city managers of Tampere were Erkki Napoleon Lindfors (who was responsible for many ambitious construction projects such as the Näsinneula tower and the construction of the suburb of Hervanta, Tampere's "daughter town"), Pekka Paavola (who gained some notoriety in corruption scandals) and Jarmo Rantanen. From 2007 on, Tampere switched to a new model of having a mayor and four deputy mayors, chosen for a periods of two years. Timo P. Nieminen was elected as the first mayor of Tampere for the years 2007–2009.


Tampere. Daytime

After World War II, Tampere was enlarged by joining some neighbouring areas. Messukylä was incorporated in 1947, Lielahti in 1950, Aitolahti in 1966 and finally Teisko in 1972. Tampere was known for its textile and metal industries, but these have been largely replaced by information technology and telecommunications during the 1990s. The technology centre Hermia in Hervanta is home to many companies in these fields.

Tampere is known for its active cultural life. Some of the most popular writers in Finland, such as Väinö Linna, Kalle Päätalo and Hannu Salama, hail from Tampere. These are all known as writers depicting the lives of working class people. Also from a working class background was the famous poet Lauri Viita of the Pispala district (which is the original home of Hannu Salama too). Tampere also has old theatre traditions, with such established institutions as Tampereen Työväen Teatteri, Tampereen Teatteri and Pyynikin Kesäteatteri, which is an open-air theatre with the oldest revolving auditorium in Europe. Tampereen Teatterikesä or Tampere Theatre Festival is an international theatre festival held in Tampere every August.

Tampere is also known for its Tampere Art Museum, Tampere, Finland which featured American artist Richard Humann in 2004, for his exhibition entitled, Delicate Monster.

Tampere Film Festival, an international short film festival, is held every March. Tammerfest is Tampere's urban rock festival held every July.

Tampere Music Festivals organises three international music events: Tampere Jazz Happening each November, and in alternate years Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Tampere Biennale.

Tampere is home to the television channel YLE TV2, with its studios in the Tohloppi district, known among all for such popular TV comedies as Tankki täyteen, Reinikainen and Kummeli.

A local food speciality is mustamakkara, which resembles black pudding of northern England.


Tampere. Ilves Banners

Tampere's sporting scene is driven by two sports, ice hockey and football. As the first ice hockey match was played in Tampere, on the ice of Näsijärvi, between Ilves and Pyrintö, Tampere is nicknamed the hometown of Finnish hockey. Two notably exceptional ice hockey teams exist in Tampere—Ilves and Tappara. They both have had a great impact on Finnish ice hockey culture and are among the most successful teams in Finland. The Finnish ice hockey museum, and the first ice hockey arena to be built in Finland, the Hakametsä arena, are both located in Tampere. Football, however, is the number one sport in Tampere. Only Ilves have over 4,000 players in their football teams, while Tampere boasts over 100 football teams alone. Tampere United play at the highest level in Finland. The city also hosted two flatwater canoeing world championships, in 1973 and 1983. In 1977, Tampere hosted the Junior World Rowing Championships.


Tampere. Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame

So, back to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame - the exhibition objects and video clips bring many memorable moments of the Finnish hockey back to the visitor's mind. Also all championship medals won by Team Finland as well as the World Championship Trophy from 1995 are on display in the Museum.

The Museum receives the objects mainly through donations. Admission costs are -Adults: 7 €, Children 7 to 16 and students: 2 €, Children under 7: Free of charge

I hope you will enjoy this trip.

The sources are: Wikipedia and Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame

HOCKEY, HOLLYWOOD AND JERRY BRUCKHEIMER

Over the last 30 years, Jerry Bruckheimer has been involved in more than his share of Hollywood power plays. The executive producer of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and "CSI" TV dramas would rather take his power plays on ice, however, playing his favourite sport - hockey.

Bruckheimer's passion for the game came up earlier this month at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif. It was during a session for one of two new shows he's producing for the fall, ABC's "The Forgotten" (the other being the cable crime drama "Dark Blue," which stars Dylan McDermott).

Christian Slater was asked how he came to be cast as the lead in "The Forgotten," a drama about a team of amateur sleuths who look into cold cases involving forgotten murder victims.

"Jerry plays hockey, and I think in the locker room, my agent also plays on maybe a different team, but they ended up talking about it. And Jerry said he was looking for an actor for a new show that he was doing, and my agent put it together. So this all sort of came together in the locker room."


Jerry Bruckheimer and Gary Bettman

Bruckheimer confirmed the story. He said he was changing and sitting next to an agent who said: "I understand you're casting your show, 'The Forgotten.' And have you ever thought of Christian Slater?"

Recalls Bruckheimer: "I said, 'Christian Slater is a terrific actor. Would he actually do television?' And he said, 'Let me talk to him.' And that's how it started."

Slater himself doesn't play hockey, and laughed when it was suggested to him he better start lacing 'em up if he wants to stay in the Hollywood power loop. "I'm going to have to get in the game," he said.

Asked after the session if he'd ever consider suiting up opposite some Canadian TV critics, savvy Bruckheimer joked that we'd be "too good."

The 63-year-old Detroit native has invested in a new sports arena in Las Vegas, and his name always comes up in rumours about possible ownership in an NHL franchise there. He got into hockey after working out with former L.A. Kings tough guy Marty McSorley. Another ex-King, Luc Robitaille, is part of Bruckheimer's puck posse. Now Bruckheimer scrimmages at least once a week whenever he's in the L.A. area, with famous actor clients such as Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr., sometimes joining him on the ice.

Bruckheimer's not the only TV mover and shaker to put his passion on ice. On the east coast, actor/writer/producer Denis Leary suits up once-a-week in Brooklyn, N.Y., with cast and crew members of his series "Rescue Me" before heading to the set. Leary even works hockey players into his series, like former Boston Bruin great Phil Esposito, who usually pops in once a season as a hot-headed rival firehouse captain.

Not all of the actors who skate in Bruckheimer's league are famous - yet. David Henrie, a 20-year-old who stars in the Disney/Family Channel comedy "The Wizards of Waverly Place," plays hockey with the producer on a regular basis. Henrie grew up in the not-so-hot hockey bed of Phoenix, but nonetheless, as a youngster, took part in hockey tournaments all across North America. He couldn't believe his luck when he moved to L.A. to pursue his acting career and got invited to skate with Bruckheimer and the many stars - from hockey and Hollywood - who make the games part of their weekly routine.

This year, Bruckheimer jammed his two press tour sessions between dates for his annual "Bad Boys" hockey tournament in Las Vegas. It's named after his 1994 Will Smith film "Bad Boys." On the ice is a mix of Hollywood and professional hockey talent, with Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Jarome Iginla and Paul Kariya taking part in past years.

Apparently the tourney lives up to its name. Kiefer Sutherland used to play every year, but not anymore. "The deal runs four days," Sutherland said at last year's press tour, and, by the fourth day, "it's just not conducive to playing hockey anymore."

Too tough for Jack Bauer? Maybe the Leafs should start recruiting from Jerry Bruckheimer's Hollywood hockey league.


Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky arrives with his wife Janet Jones for the premiere of пїЅThe Hangover,пїЅ at the GraumanпїЅs Chinese Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California on June 2, 2009.

VISITING COPENHAGEN WITH ME AND SWEDISH NHLers

Danish hockey fans had a rare opportunity to watch a parade of the biggest Swedish NHL stars when the Icebreakers visited Copenhagen 5-6 August 2009.

On 5-6 August, the Icebreakers, a charity team formed by Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund in 2002, visited Copenhagen to play two games against an All-Star Danish teams and the local team of Rødovre. It was the first time in its history, the Icebreakers played outside Sweden and Finland.


Danish Frans Nielsen vs. Russians. 1997 World Championship

Icebreakers' featured an impressive lineup of some of the biggest Swedish NHL stars: Peter Forsberg, Markus Näslund, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Bäckström, the Sedin twins,. Indeed, in both games, the Icebreakers played with a superline centered around Forsberg with Bäckström, Näslund and Zetterberg, and this line received plenty of icetime. The Danish Allstar team included NHL'ers Frans Nielsen (NY Islanders) and Peter Regin (Ottawa Senators) as well as North American legionars Sebastian Dahm and Morten Madsen. Unfortunately, the Danish teams missed some of the biggest NHL prospects, Mikkel Bødker (Phoenix Coytotes), Lars Eller (St. Louis Blues)and Philip Larsen (Dallas Stars). If available, Bødker and Eller would have played both games as they grew up with Rødovre.

Great hockey players, exciting hockey, but what to do between the games? Do not worry, my friends. Actually a lot of fun and interesting places to watch around! Let's have a look.

Copenhagen may take you farther than the Danish capital, Scandinavia’s largest city. You just might find yourself transported to a place where Hans Christian Andersen indulged your childhood fantasies of red shoes, ugly ducklings, Thumbelina or the Little Mermaid, still perched precariously in the harbor.



"WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL..."

One of this city’s greatest attributes is its ability to enchant visitors with its charm and cordiality, engulfing them with a welcome that is more reminiscent of a small town than a cosmopolitan metropolis. A stroll along Nyhavn (“New Harbor”), with its beckoning cafes, may entice you to taste some of the Danish specialties, such as smorrebrod (open sandwiches), polser (hot dogs) and frikadeller (meatballs), along with a cold Danish beer. Bring your skates for a dash around the central ice rink or enjoy the variety of stores along the Stroget, a pedestrian shopping area connecting east and west Copenhagen.
The kid in you – and with you – will clamor for Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s best loved amusement parks. Since 1843, the architecture of this fairytale-come-to-life has bid tourists and locals alike to surrender to the charms of its merry-go-round, theatres and gourmet restaurants, all situated in the heart of the city.



ROYAL WATCHING…AND A UNIQUE 'TWOFER'

Whatever you do, don’t miss the historic Changing of the Guards. Every day at noon, crowds gather at Amalienborg Palace in the city center for the splendid pageantry of this colorful event. Queen Margrethe, her husband Prince Henrik, and the Crown Prince Frederik, live in the palace, which flies the queen’s colors when she is in residence.
Denmark’s imperial history is also evoked by Christiansborg, seat of the Folketinget (Danish Parliament) for nearly a thousand years, as well as the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Royal Reception Rooms. People with a yen to see the crown jewels will enjoy the Royal Danish Chronological Collections (De Danske Kingers Kronologiske Samlinger) in Rosenborg, summer palace of the 17th-century King Christian. With roots dating back to 1699, the beautiful gardens of Frederiksberg enhance the palace museum that honors King Frederik V.
And what’s better than the Danish side of Scandinavia might just be the Swedish side, connected since 2000 by the Oresund Bridge. The link between Copenhagen and Malmo is a bridge-tunnel accessible by car or train, enabling people to go from one country to the other in less than 20 minutes.



SPORTS

Copenhagen has a wide variety of sport teams. The two major football teams are Brøndby IF and FC København. Brøndby IF plays at Brøndby Stadium in Brøndby and FC København plays at Parken in Østerbro, Copenhagen. Notable Copenhagen teams playing at the second highest level in Danish football (the Danish 1st Division) include Lyngby BK, AB, HIK, Frem, Brønshøj, Fremad Amager and Skjold.
Copenhagen also has three ice hockey teams: Rødovre Mighty Bulls, Herlev Hornets and Nordsjælland Cobras.
There are a lot of handball teams in Copenhagen. FC København owns both a women's and a men's team, which have the same name and logo. They were formerly known as FIF. Of other clubs playing in the "highest" leagues there are; Ajax Heroes, Ydun, and HIK (Hellerup).
Rugby union is also played in the Danish capital with teams such as CSR-Nanok, Copenhagen Scrum, Exiles, Froggies and Rugbyklubben Speed. The Danish Australian Football League, based in Copenhagen is the largest Australian rules football competition outside of the English speaking world.

Copenhagen is also home to a number of Denmark's 40-odd cricket clubs. Although Denmark has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1966, the sport is not taught much in schools, and Danish cricket competes unfavourably with the much more widely followed sport of football for players, facilities, media attention and spectators.



PARKS

Copenhagen is a green city with many big and small parks. King's Garden, the garden of Rosenborg Castle, is the oldest and most visited park in Copenhagen. Its landscaping was commenced by Christian IV in 1606. Every year it sees more than 2,5 million visitors and in the summer months it is packed with sunbathers, picknickers and ballplayers. It also serves as a sculpture garden with a permanent display of sculptures as well as temporary exhibits during summer. Also located in the city centre are the Botanical Gardens particularly noted for their large complex of 19th century greenhouses donated by Carlsberg founder J. C. Jacobsen. Fælledparken is with its 58 hectars the largest park in Copenhagen. It is popular for sports and hosts a long array of annual events like a free opera concert at the opening of the opera season, other open-air concerts, carnival, Labour Day celebrations and Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix which is a race for antique cars. A historical green space in the northeastern part of the city is Kastellet which is a well-presserved renaissance citadel that now serves mainly as a park. Another popular park is the Frederiksberg Garden which is a 32 hectars romantic landscape park. It houses a large colony of very tame grey herons along with other waterfowls. The park also offers views of the elephants and the elephant house designed by world-famous British architect Norman Foster of the adjacent Copenhagen Zoo.

Characteristic of Copenhagen is that a number of cemeteries double as parks, though only for the more quiet activities such as sunbathing, reading and meditation. Assistens Cemetery, the burial place of Hans Christian Andersen among others, is an important green space for the district of Inner Nørrebro and a Copenhagen institution. The lesser known Vestre Kirkegaard is with its 54 hectars the largest cemetery in Denmark[45] and offers a maze of dense groves, open lawns, winding paths, hedges, overgrown tombs, monuments, tree-lined avenues, lakes and other garden features.

It is official municipal policy in Copenhagen that all citizens by 2015 must be able to reach a park or beach on foot in less than 15 minutes. In line with this policy, several new parks are under development in areas poor in green spaces.



BEACHES

Copenhagen and the surrounding areas have 3 beaches with a total of approx. 8 km of sandy beaches within 30 minutes of bicycling from the city centre. This includes Amager Strandpark, which opened in 2005 and includes a 2 km long artificial island and a total of 4,6 km of beaches, located just 15 minutes by bicycle or a few minutes by metro from the city centre.

The beaches are supplemented by a system of Harbour Baths along the Copenhagen waterfront. The first and most popular of these is located at Islands Brygge and has won international acclaim for its design.

COLOGNE, GERMANY - COLOGNE SHARKS AND THOMAS GREISS HOME

Today we will visit the young San Jose backup goalie Thomas Greiss who according to the Sharks management opinion should be an important part of the team reconstruction.



Thomas Greiss was born January 29, 1986 in Cologne (Koln), Germany. The third round, 94th overall selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Greiss honed his skills in his homeland prior to his arrival in North America.

A calm mannered netminder, Greiss made his North American debut between the pipes of the Sharks' AHL affiliate in Worcester. That season, Greiss posted a respectable 25-15-2 record in the AHL and was assigned to the ECHL for three games. The following season Greiss returned to Worcester and managed to make his NHL debut on January 13, 2007.

Internationally, Greiss has represented Germany at numerous junior tournaments and most notably, the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Cologne (German: Köln) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC.



Cologne lies on the River Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.

Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The city's Trade Fair Grounds are host to a number of trade shows such as the Art Cologne Fair, the International Furniture Fair (IMM) and the Photokina. Cologne is also well-known for its celebration of Cologne Carnival, the annual reggae summerjam, and the gay/lesbian pride festival Christopher Street Day (CSD) (Hm..not exactly the hockey theme, sorry, people..).

Within Germany, Cologne is known as an important media center. Several radio and television stations, including Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), RTL and VOX, have their headquarters in the city. Both Pro7 and Sat.1 produce TV shows in Cologne as well. Further, the city hosts the Cologne Comedy Festival (That's better, isn't it?), which is considered to be the largest comedy festival in mainland Europe.

In 2005 Cologne hosted the 20th Roman Catholic World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI.



Culture

Cologne has several museums of many kinds. The famous Romano-Germanic Museum features art and architecture from the city's distant past (also see landmarks). Several orchestras are active in the city, among them the Gürzenich Orchestra and Musica Antiqua Köln, as well as several choirs, including the WDR Rundfunkchor Köln. Cologne was also an important centre of electronic music in the 1950s (Studio für elektronische Musik, Karlheinz Stockhausen) and again from the 90s onward. The public radio and TV station WDR was involved in promoting musical movements such as Krautrock in the 70s. There are several centers of nightlife, among them the Kwartier Latäng (the student quarter around the Zülpicher Straße) and the nightclub-studded areas around the Friesenplatz and Rudolfplatz.

The large annual literary festival Lit.Cologne features regional and international authors. The main literary figure connected to Cologne is writer Heinrich Böll, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Cologne is well-known for its beer, called Kölsch. Kölsch is also the name of the local dialect. This has led to the common joke of Kölsch being the only language one can drink.



Cologne is also famous for Eau de Cologne (Kölnisch Wasser). At the beginning of the 18th century, Italian expatriate Johann Maria Farina created a new fragrance and named it after his hometown Cologne, Eau de Cologne (Water of Cologne). In the course of the 18th century the fragrance became increasingly popular. Eventually, Cologne merchant Wilhelm Mülhens secured the name Farina, which at that time had become a household name for Eau de Cologne, under contract and opened a small factory at Cologne's Glockengasse. In later years, and under pressure from court battles, his grandson Ferdinand Mülhens chose a new name for the firm and their product. It was the house number that was given to the factory at Glockengasse during French occupation of the Rhineland in the early 19th century, number 4711. In 1994, the Mülhens family sold their company to German Wella corporation. In 2003 Procter & Gamble took over Wella. Today, original Eau de Cologne still is produced in Cologne by both the Farina family (Farina gegenüber since 1709), currently in the eighth generation, and by Mäurer and Wirtz who bought the 4711 brand in December 2006

Carnival

Cologne carnival is one of the biggest street festivals in Europe. In Cologne, the carnival season officially starts on 11 November at 11 minutes past 11 a.m. with the proclamation of the new Carnival Season, and continues until Ash Wednesday. But the so-called "Tolle Tage" (mad days) don't start until Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival) or, in dialect, Wieverfastelovend (Thursday before Ash Wednesday), which is the beginning of the street carnival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Cologne during this time. Generally, around a million people are celebrating in the streets on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.

Sports

A 2006 FIFA World Cup venue, The RheinEnergieStadion, hosts both the city's football team "1. FC Köln" which competes in the Bundesliga, and the American football Cologne Centurions who played in the now defunct NFL Europa.



The city is also home of the hockey team Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks), in the highest hockey league in Germany, the DEL. They are based at the Lanxess Arena.

Founded in 1972 Cologne is the most successful team in modern german hockey history. The team has uninterruptedly played at the highest level since 1973, winning eight championships. The team has the biggest arena in de DEL and is the second best drawing team in Europa. Best period in history was the 1980s when Cologne won four titles in five years. The team was a founding member of the DEL in 1994 and is the all time points leader in the league. Two championships and three places in the final confirm its strength over the last decade.

CROATIA, ZAGREB AND SAKIC. PART TWO

So last post was about Croatian hockey and Joe Sakic, this one is about Zagreb.



The name Zagreb appears to have been recorded in 1094, although the origins of the name Zagreb are less clear. The Croatian word "zagrabiti" translates approximately to "scoop", which forms the basis of some legends. One Croat legend says that a Croat ban (viceroy) was leading his thirsty soldiers across a deserted region. He drove his sabre into the ground in frustration and water poured out so he ordered his soldiers to dig for water. The idea of digging or unearthing is supported by scientists who suggest that the settlement was established beyond a water-filled hole or graba and that the name derives from this. Some suggests that the name derives from the term 'za breg' or beyond the hill. The hill may well have been the river bank of the River Sava, which is believed to have previously flowed closer to the city centre. From here, the words may have been fused into one word and, thus, the name Zagreb was born. According to another legend, a city ruler was thirsty and ordered a girl named Manda to take water from Lake Manduševac (nowadays a fountain), using the sentence: "Zagrabi, Mando!" which means, Scoop it, Manda!. A less but probable theory is that the name Zagreb is believed to be related to the Zagros mountains of Iran.

Zagreb is an important tourist center, not only in terms of passengers travelling from Western and Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea, but also as a travel destination itself. Since the end of the war, it has attracted around half a million visitors annually, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. However, the city has even greater potential as many tourists that visit Croatia skip Zagreb in order to visit the beaches along the Croatian Adriatic coast and old historic Renaissance cities such as Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar.

The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jelačić Square is composed of the Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from Jelačić Square, the center of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomićeva Street.


Souvenirs and gastronomy

Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses and shopping centers offer a variety of quality clothing. Zagreb's offerings include crystal, china and ceramics, wicker or straw baskets, and top-quality Croatian wines and gastronomic products.

Notable Zagreb souvenirs are the tie or cravat, an accessory named after Croats who wore characteristic scarves around their necks in the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century and the ball-point pen, a tool developed from the inventions by Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, an inventor and a citizen of Zagreb.

Many Zagreb restaurants offer various specialities of national and international cuisine. Domestic products which deserve to be tasted include turkey, duck or goose with mlinci (a kind of pasta), štrukli (cottage cheese strudel), sir i vrhnje (cottage cheese with cream), kremšnite (custard slices in flaky pastry), and orehnjača (traditional walnut roll).



Sports and Recreation

There are several sports and recreational centers in Zagreb. Recreational Sports Center Jarun, situated on Jarun Lake in the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches, a world-class regatta course, a jogging lane around the lake, several restaurants, many night clubs and a discothèque. Its sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, waterskiing, angling and other water sports, but also beach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, and minigolf.

Dom Sportova, a sport center in northern Trešnjevka features six halls. The largest two can accommodate 12,000 and 4,000 people, respectively. This center is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, tennis, and many others. It is also used for concerts.

Arena Zagreb is was finished in 2008. The handball arena has 16,300 seats and it hosted the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship. The Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall seats 5,400 people. Alongside the hall is the 94-meter (310 ft) high glass Cibona Tower. Sports Park Mladost, situated on the embankment of the Sava river, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball, handball, football and field hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park.

Sports and Recreational Center Šalata, located in Šalata, only a couple hundred meters from the Jelačić Square, is most attractive for tennis players. It comprises a big tennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are covered by the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The center also has swimming pools, basketball courts, football fields, a gym and fitness center, and a four-lane bowling alley. Outdoor ice skating is a popular winter recreation. There are also several fine restaurants within and near the center.

Maksimir Tennis Center, located in Ravnice east of downtown, consists of two sports blocks. The first comprises a tennis center situated in a large tennis hall with four courts.

There are 22 outdoor tennis courts with lights. The other block offers multipurpose sports facilities: apart from tennis courts, there are handball, basketball and indoor football grounds, as well as track and field facilities, a bocci ball alley and table tennis opportunities.

Recreational swimmers can enjoy a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Daničićeva Street, and a newly opened indoor Olympic-size pool at Utrine sports center in Novi Zagreb. Skaters can skate in the skating rink on Trg Sportova (Sports Square) and on the lake Jarun Skaters' park. Hippodrome Zagreb offers recreational horseback riding opportunities, while horse races are held every weekend during the warmer p art of the year.



The 40,000-seat Maksimir Stadium, currently under renovation, is located in Maksimir in the northeastern part of the city. Upon renovation, it will seat 55,000 spectators, and sport a fully retractable roof. The stadium is part of the immense Svetice recreational and sports complex (ŠRC Svetice), south of the Maksimir Park. The complex covers an area of 276,440 m2 (68 acres). It is part of a significant Green Zone, which passes from Medvednica Mountains in the north toward the south. ŠRC Svetice, together with Maksimir Park, creates an ideal connection of areas which are assigned to sport, recreation and leisure.

The latest larger recreational facility is Bundek, a group of two small lakes near the Sava in Novi Zagreb, surrounded by a partly forested park. The location had been used prior to the 1970s, but then went to neglect until 2006 when it was renovated.

CROATIA, ZAGREB AND SAKIC. PART ONE

I was really surprised when I got an email from my Croatian friend who told me that our famous JOE SAKIC has Croatian ancestors. His parents were born where and used to live in the village not too far from his own home. So I have to apologize for my critical words addressed to one broadcaster who kept calling him "Josef Sakitch"...
Once again, you never know...
So I have some research done for Croatian hockey history and it's capital - the beautiful ZAGREB. Enjoy!


JOE SAKIC or "Josef Sakitch" if you want...

A game on ice that could be considered forerunner of ice hockey is mentioned for the first time in our territory in last century (this was written at 1991).
In 1894 Dr. Franjo Bucar, pioneer of sport, came back from Sweden to Zagreb. From 1892 to 1894, Dr. Bucar studied gymnastics and modern sports at the General Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm.
In 1894, on his return to Zagreb, Dr. Bucar founded Skating Section in the First Skating Association.
Two first public ice hockey matches were played in Zagreb, in the winter 1916/17, between the Croatian Academic Sports Club (CASC) an the First Croatian Skating Association (FCSA). The CASC won the first match 2:0 and the score of the second was 6:0 in favour of the FCSA.
On 21 November 1922 Winter Federation of Zagreb was founded that included skiing, skating and hockey.
On 3 February 1924, the first ice hockey match with 6 players was played between the Croatian Academic Sports Club (CASC) and ZKD. The CASC won 4:1.
In 1930, the clubs "Marathon" and "Concordia" from Zagreb and the Sports Association of Karlovac founded ice hockey sections.
In the same year, the Sports Association "Slavija" founded ice hockey section in Sisak.
In 1935, ice hockey section was founded in Varazdin.
On 9 November 1935, the Croatian Skating and Ice Hockey Federation was founded in Zagreb and began its activity.
In 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940, the clubs from Zagreb, Sisak, Karlovac and Varazdin played matches for the "Championship of Banovina(*) of Croatia".
In 1939, the clubs from Croatia "Marathon" and "ZKD" took part of the first Championship of Yugoslavia.
After the second WW, in 1947, the ice hockey club "Mladost" from Zagreb won the title of national champion of the first Championship of Yugoslavia held in Zagreb.
In 1949, the ice hockey club "Mladost" was again the champion of Yugoslavia.
In 1956, the ice hockey club "ZAGREB" became the champion of Yugoslavia.
In 1989, the ice hockey cklub "Medvescak-Gortan" from Zagreb became the champion of Yugoslavia.
In 1990 and 1991, the ice hockey cklub "Medvescak-Gortan" was the champion of Yugoslavia.
During the World Championship 1947 held in Prague, Yugoslavia became a member of the IIHF.
In 1989, the club "Medvescak-Gortan" organized ice hockey quarter finals Tournament for the European Cup.
In 1990, the club "Medvescak-Gortan" participated in the final European Championship in Dusseldorf and was placed seventh (from 8 teams).
It should be mentioned, that many ice hockey players from Croatia played in Yugoslav team, that took part in the World championships of Seniors, the World- and European Championship of Juniors as well as in the Olympic Games in the period from 1939 to 1991.
All those years, Croatian clubs played an important role on competitions within the Championship of Yugoslavia
Croatia has no tradition in hockey. However, one of the greatest hockey players of today is Joe Sakic, Canadian Croat. His both parents are from Croatia (his father is from Imotski, and mother from Lika). Joe contributed greatly to the final victory of Canadian national team at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City.

Two outstanding hockey players of Croatian Origin were brothers Frank and Peter Mahovlich. Frank is now a Canadian Senator and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Many thanks to Mr. Wally Cencich for this information.

FRANK MAHOVLICH

CZECH REPUBLIC, MORAVIA, BRNO

We are forwarding to Brno, the home of the famous ZKL BRNO hockey club. Here the Czechoslovakian hockey legend Jaroslav Jirik played for 12 seasons.
A talented right winger with a natural scoring touch, Jaroslav Jirik was the first player from an Eastern Bloc country to play in the NHL. When he suited up for three games with the St. Louis Blues in 1969-70, Jirik was an experienced international competitor who was granted permission by the Czechoslovakian authorities to sample the NHL.

OK, Now let me introduce the city of BRNO.



Brno is the second city of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the ancient state of Moravia (the modern-day Czech Republic is basically made up of the states of Bohemia and Moravia). The city's written history dates back to the XI century, but there has been a settlement on this time for considerably longer than that. In the 19th century rapid industrial growth, especially in the textile industry, lead to Brno being known as "the Manchester of Austria". Seeing as though I'm from the Manchester of Manchester I thought I'd better have a look at the place.

Today Brno remains an industrial city with a sprawl of ugly suburbs made of factories and high-rise housing. However, at the centre of everything the historic old town, made up of a combination of baroque churches and palaces, and art nouveau apartments, has survived more or less intact, and this is where we spent most of our time.

Brno is a history of science (Gregor Mendel developed his theory of genetics here) and culture (the composer Leos Janacek spent most of his working life in the city). We found plenty to see and do, and it remains considerably cheaper and less hectic than Prague. Give it a try!



The Old Town is where you'll probably spend most of your time in Brno, and namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) is at the heart of the Old Town, so that seems as good a place as any to start. The square, which used to hold the city's main market, is a strange affair. For a start it's triangular. And while it has plenty of interesting buildings surrounding it there's nothing so distinctive as to give the square any sense of special identity (as the town halls in the main squares of Prague and Wroclaw do, for example). It's still a pleasant enough place though, especially for an al fresco beer or two in the summer.

At the centre of the square, now marooned on a traffic island, is the late 17th century plague column, an ornate affair dotted with guilded statues of some obscure saints. It looks very attractive, and is a popular meeting point

The cathedral is the source of another of Brno's many legends; in 1645 when the city was besieged by the Swedes (what they were doing in this neck of the woods is a long story...) the Swedish commander, Tortennsen, was getting a bit frustrated that it was taking so long to break down the city's defences and so he decided that he'd give it one last go, and if he hadn't taken the city by midday then he'd give up and go in search of an easier target. The city's defenders got wind of this and when the Swedes final attack was looking like it might do the job they rang the church bells for midday an hour early. Tortennsen fell for it (d'oh!) and called off the attack, the city was saved, and to this day there isn't an Ikea in Brno. Sounds a bit unlikely but in celebration every day at 11 o'clock the cathedral's bells ring out 12 times (presumably just in case there's a Swede with a long memory and a grudge in the area).



There are some more attractive art nouveau buildings on Rasinova (like the Sherlock Holmes bar). A bit further up from St James is yet another church, St Thomas (sv. Tomase). This big, white baroque building dates from the 1660s and replaced a 14th century church on the same site. Inside there are more white-washed walls, but a rather decorative gilded pulpit and a collection of side altars, while the ornate main altar, a collection of marble, gilding, statues and paintings, stretches all the way up to the roof. Attached to the church is an Augustinian monastery, part of which was later turned into the palace of the Governor of Moravia (Mistodrzitelsky palac), and which now holds paintings that are part of the collection of the Moravian Gallery (Moravske Galerie). (The rest of the Moravian Gallery is in the UPM and the Prazkuv Palace, both on Husova). While the palace was still the Governor's home Napoleon Bonaparte stayed here a couple of times, while he was looking for someone else to fight (short men are often like that).

At its northern end Rasinova opens out into Moravske namesti, a rather tatty park; there's a fountain here (although it didn't have any water in it while we were there); plenty of benches, making it a popular meeting spot, and a good place to pick up a granny if you're into that kind of thing; and the Soviet War Memorial is round here somewhere, although we didn't see it.

Heading southwest down Maresova (part of the ring road round the Old Town) will bring you to one last church (actually, there are plenty more churches in Brno, but this is the last one I saw) the late 19th century Cerveny kostel ("Red Church"), which obviously takes its name from the red bricks it is built from.


Jaroslav Jirik

The Ice hockey stadium in Brno, also known as the „Za Lužánkami“ ice hockey stadium, is one of the oldest in the Czech Republic, and was given in the Brno Master Zoning Plan as early as the 1930s. Its construction was held up by the beginning of the Second World War, and in 1946 work started on the stadium, which was opened in 1947. It was the second of its kind in the country to have an artificial ice surface. It became the centre of ice hockey in Brno, especially RH Brno, today known as Kometa, which was established in 1953. This was followed by Spartak ZJŠ Brno, TJ Lokomotiva Ingstav and at the end of the 1990s also HC Ytong. The uncovered stadium was provided with a roof in 1964, and the stadium´s appearance has remained the same to the present day.

BERNE. BETWEEN THE GAMES.

by iihf.com

BERNE – Are you a national team coach wondering what to do with your players between games in Berne? IIHF.com has come up with five tantalizing tourism options that will not only educate and entertain, but also put your team on the road to success in the picturesque Swiss capital.



BERNE CLOCK TOWER

Perhaps your players are taking too long shifts, or they keep misfiring on their passes and one-timers. What better place to restore their sense of timing than the Berne Clock Tower (Zytglogge)?

Starting in the 12th century, it served as the medieval city's first western gate, and is famed for its elaborate clock covered with astronomical symbols. The mechanism dates from 1530, and each hour a group of mechanical figures (including a knight, jester, and bears) come out and move while the bells ring.

EINSTEIN HOUSE AND EINSTEIN MUSEUM

Unfortunately, not all hockey players are geniuses. Do your guys take bad retaliation penalties or lip off at referees? Try to boost their IQs by taking them to the Einstein House and Einstein Museum.

The Einstein House (Kramgasse 49) is located near the Clock Tower in the Old City (a UNESCO world cultural centre), and includes the original furnishings and copies of scientific documents that belonged to the world's most famous physicist. Einstein scored his biggest triumph here when he came up with the theory of relativity.

The Einstein Museum (Helvetiaplatz 5) is part of the Berne Historical Museum, and offers audiovisual displays that describe Einstein's life and take visitors through the universe.

BERNE BEAR PIT

Some teams lack the animal intensity to get physical. There's no bite to their play. Such teams could learn a lesson or two from the Berne Bear Pit (Bärengraben). Since the bear is the heraldic animal of Berne, this enclosure at the east side of the Old City has long been a popular place to observe European brown bears.

Sadly, Pedro, the last surviving bear in the pit, died on April 30. But a brand-new Bear Park on the shores of the Aare River will open on October 25, featuring a natural landscape where new bears brought in from the Berne Zoo will swim, play, and fish.

BERNAQUA

Is your team aiming to make a splash at this tournament, whether by winning gold or merely staying in the elite division? Get them in a splashy mood with a visit to Bernaqua (Riedbachstrasse 98), a giant water park and spa inside the new Westside shopping centre, designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.

Three big waterslides, 18 pools, and luxurious spa and sauna facilities are among the highlights.

BERNE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS



Usually, no points are awarded for artistic merit in hockey, but the shootout is a great situation for innovation. Maybe your players are having a hard time coming up with creative moves for game-winning shots competitions. If so, stimulate their synapses at the Berne Museum of Fine Arts (Kunstmuseum, Hodlerstrasse 8-12).

More than 3,000 paintings and sculptures and 48,000-plus drawings by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, and Switzerland's Paul Klee bring in the crowds.

ANCORAGE. ALASKA. UNATED STATES. WE ARE VISITING SCOTT GOMEZ

TODAY WE WILL BRING YOU TO SCOT GOMEZ AND HIS HOME TOWN ANCORAGE, ALASKA, UNATED STATES



Scott Gomez was born and raised in a modest one family home in Anchorage, Alaska. His father, Carlos Gomez, a native of Mexico, moved there from San Diego in 1972 so he could take a construction job. It was in Alaska where Carlos met and married Dalia, a native of Colombia, who moved there from New York where she lived with her aunt.

Carlos and Dalia Gomez life story sounds like something straight out of Hollywood and is part of the reason Scott's talent has been given the support to strive.

When Scott Gomez was five years old, his father Carlos took him to a hockey game at the University of Alaska. He liked what he saw so he wanted to give it a try. "It was fun and fast and I wanted to play after that."

He family couldn't afford hockey equipment, so when the local Boys and Girls club handed out free equipment his father made sure he was the first on line.

His infatuation of playing hockey soon turned to hatred because he couldn't skate. When his father signed him up to play in a league, he did horribly. He was always offsides and the parents and coaches were always screaming at him. "I hated hockey so much," recalls Scott. "I didn't know how to skate."

He told his mom he wanted to quit and his mom, Dalia said "Yes, sure." But his father said "No" and told Scott to finish up the season and he did.

Scott then learned how to skate and soon thereafter, hockey was the only thing on his mind.



By the time Scott was thirteen years old his was earning praise from his play in hockey. As a 16-year-old, he finished second in scoring at South Surrey high school. He was named league rookie of the year and helped his team to finish runner-up at the Canadian Junior A National Championship.

Far from any site is the small town of Anchorage, the place to enter one of the last unspoiled regions of the planet. One hundred thousand glaciers, herds of caribou and Kodiak bears are the claim that this part of the world offers to those who love adventure.


ANCORAGE. ALASKA. UNATED STATES. WE ARE VISITING SCOTT GOMEZ


In Anchorage, one in 58 inhabitants is the airplane pilot, a proportion that is comparable to that of motorcyclists in Naples. Not surprisingly, small planes are the means of transportation helped to walk the vast state of Alaska, only equipped with roads and with a population rate of less than half inhabitant per square kilometer.
Most of the few people in Alaska live in Anchorage precisely (approximately 40%), a city well equipped and adapted to the needs of modern life, but obviously depends largely due to its proximity to the Arctic. The winters here are long (October to May) and very hard, and spring and summer are short and explosive, in return, the city is surrounded by a spectacular nature, which makes it the ideal starting point to discover his abundant wildlife and some of the most exciting landscapes on Earth.



Part of this wealth can be seen from Anchorage, surrounded by a ring of mountains which include two active volcanoes, the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, visible only on clear and six other champions of the altitude, These include the mountains and hills Tordrillo Aleutian.
Among the wonders located in the vicinity of Anchorage is the Portage Valley. A 80 km south of the capital of Alaska is the depression in which it is possible to enjoy the magnificent Portage Glacier. Only the way to this valley, where there is a modern welcome center for visitors, and is an unforgettable experience, as it passes along a landscape dominated by fjords. Other glaciers can be seen just on the road are the conventional Twenty Mile, the Explorer, the Byron, the Exit Glacier and Matanuska.
Few places in the world offer such a close contact with wildlife such as Alaska, and Anchorage is a great place to watch the legendary animals of the vast Arctic. In the vicinity of Anchorage you can enjoy the view of elk, black bears, bears Grizzlies and brown bears, caribou, mountain goat species, hundreds of bird species (including the sea birds and woodpeckers), wolves, lynx, marmots … And that as far as the terrestrial fauna: with marine fauna species such as beluga whales, which can easily sight on the bay overlooking Anchorage, humpback whales, orcas and seals.



We can not forget that these lands were inhabited for thousands of years before the white man for a handful of people including several tribes Inuit (Eskimo) and Indian. Eleven different cultures and 20 languages make up the universe native Alaska: Aleut, Alutiiq, Atabascanos (with 11 different languages), Tlingit, Haida, Eyak, Tsimishan, Yup’ik, Cup’ik … A good place to get an idea of the cultural heritage of all peoples is the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a cultural and educational complex located northeast of Anchorage, in the midst of a thick forest and surrounded by the majestic Chugach Mountains.
The discovery of Alaska from Anchorage can be a thousand ways. One of the most popular among families of the town, once summer arrives, is to go out to collect wild fruits, especially blueberries. This is a tradition inherited from the Indians, for which the collection of these fruits implied admission of the smallest in maintaining the household economy.

Hunting and fishing activities are rooted among the people of Anchorage, as well as camping in the countryside, walking, gathering mushrooms, found in lakes and rivers by canoe or kayak, to travel with sledges pulled by dogs or plane … The possibilities are so broad here as a desire for adventure of all.


SCOTT GOMEZ. ALASKA ACES

TODAY WE ARE IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Today I want to invite you to visit my friend - Red Wings Def, 2006 Olympic Champion Niklas Kronwall. His home town is the capital of Sweden - the old and ever-beautiful Stockholm.

Stockholm is an unique Scandinavian capital, spread across 14 islands between Lake Malaren and an archipelago with more than 24,000 islands, islets and skerries. It’s easy and enjoyable to explore the area on foot or by boat.


STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

I WANT TO BE ALONE…OR NOT

Native-born actress Greta Garbo surely found Stockholm to be a friendly city with an enviable standard of living. Today Sweden ranks high in modern technology and industry, and offers visitors a wide range of tourist opportunities, including numerous parks, palaces and museums as well as great restaurants, fine design and superb shopping.

When sightseeing, even Garbo’s quest for drama may have been quenched by a visit to Millesgarden, a sculpture park and museum with a dramatic location on Lidingo in the hinterlands of Stockholm. Or perhaps she would have enjoyed Drottningholm Palace, home of the Swedish Royal family and often referred to as the Versailles of the North. On the other hand, the Viking in her soul might have relished the ancient ruins on the island of Bjorko.

You certainly don’t have to be a film star to be enchanted by Gamla Stan – the Old Town – and the tiny adjacent island of Riddarholmen, where you will find the Royal Palace, the Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) and the Royal Treasury (Skattkammaren). After watching the Changing of the Guards in the Outer Courtyard, stroll the historic and picturesque streets of this oldest part of Stockholm.


YOUR HAVE TO VISIT STOCKHOLM!

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Perhaps most beautiful in summertime, the Archipelago is a dazzling expanse of some 24,000 islands, only 1,000 of which are inhabited. In addition to offering travelers beautiful memories and unequalled photo opportunities, the Stockholm Archipelago presents an exquisite array of shops, restaurants and accommodations throughout the region.
And if thoughts of Sweden conjure memories of ABBA, did you know that Sweden ranks third in the export of music (after the US and the UK)?
With a country larger than the state of California, stretching north of the Arctic Circle, flights to Stockholm mark only the beginning of exciting explorations of Sweden, with interesting connections to the rest of Scandinavia.


THANKS A LOT, NIKLAS. SEE YOU IN DETROIT!

OSLO, NORWAY - 1952 WINTER OLYMPICS

Today we will visit another HOCKEY TOWN. Our trip will take us to the Norway Capital - Oslo. Way before we all have seen this strange game named hockey, this city was holding 1952 Wintrer Olympics Game - the last one of Canada domination and the last one before Russians came to make their impact to our game.


1952 EDMONTON MERCURYS - OLYMPIC CHAMPS

In 1952, the Olympics were held in Norway, the birthplace of modern skiing. Germany and Japan were invited back to compete as good weather and good spirits prevailed. The Olympic flame was lit for the first time at the 1952 Olympic Winter Games. Unlike the flame of the Summer Games, this flame was lit in the hearth of the Morgedal house in Norway, birthplace of Sondre Noreheim, the great pioneer of modern skiing. It was then relayed by 94 skiers to Oslo, where it was handed from the Norwegian ski champion Lauritz Bergendal to Eigil Nansen, grandson of the famous explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who lit the cauldron.

Canada won the ice hockey tournament for the fifth time, bringing their cumulative Olympic record to 37 wins, one loss and three ties. In those 41 games they had scored 403 goals while conceding only 34.

This beautiful capital city still pays homage to its history, but honors today’s visitors with a host of attractions that will satisfy every taste.

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL


OSLO, NORWAY

Built on the dazzling, island-studded Oslo Fjord, this is a walking city, from its picturesque harbor to the Royal palace. Beautiful parks, stunning architecture, world-class shops and restaurants, and an enormous variety of museums will fill your days with wonder.
Well known for hosting the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony each December at City Hall, Oslo’s cultural repertoire includes museums celebrating the works of Gustav Vigeland, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Munch, as well as The Viking Ship Museum of Cultural History, with two intact 9th-century Viking ships and artifacts from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord. The Open-Air Museum features 155 authentic historic buildings from different regions of the country, including a 13th-century Stave Church. Don’t forget to take your camera!
No visit to Oslo is complete without a visit to the Holmenkollen ski jump, erected for the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952 (stop along the way for hot chocolate and apple cake in front of a roaring fire at Kafe Seterstua). Of course, there are numerous opportunities for skiing throughout Norway, including another famous Olympic village in Lillehammer (Winter games 1994).


OSLO - THE CAPITAL OF NORWAY

HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FJORD LATELY?

The Norwegian fjords gouge deep into the mountainous terrain, twisting and turning to form picture-perfect vistas that will forever live in your dreams. The many towns and villages that dot the fjords form a colorful palette as you wind your way through tunnels and past crystalline lakes and tumbling waterfalls, on roads that stretch hundreds of miles above the Arctic Circle to the land of the true Midnight Sun.
From the charming and friendly people (English is commonly spoken in the cities) to the breathtakingly stunning countryside, a vacation in Norway will never be forgotten!