People are just scrambling to find accommodations for the upcoming Vancouver Olympics. And just like every Olympic Games in modern times accommodations are going to be hard to find and just a wee bit pricey. It is a supply and demand thing. When the world descends upon Vancouver to watch the Olympic Games, the demand for accommodation is going to outstrip the supply of available accommodations. When demand is greater than supply, prices are sure to go up.
How to find decent accommodations for the Olympics is a pretty tough question. For people that have left it too late it might be an impossible question to answer satisfactory. This first thing to consider is what area of Vancouver is that best to stay in if you are going to the Olympics. If you have the luxury of being able to choose among various places then you will be lucky. If you are so lucky then the answer will depend on what events you intend to see. The Olympic events are held in several venues around Vancouver, including Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond and West Vancouver.
If you intend to watch the downhill skiing events you might want to stay closer to Whistler. If you intend to go to the men's or women's hockey games then it would be easier if you found accommodation in the city of Vancouver. Go online to determine the location of the events you intend to see before confirming your accommodations. If you cannot find accommodation close to the events you wish to see, do not worry. There will be plenty of public transportation services in place for the Vancouver Olympics.
Once you have determined the general area of Vancouver that appeals to you, you need to consider the type of accommodation that would suit you best. There are many different types of accommodation in Vancouver. Each different type has it's own pros and cons. The best type to choose will depend on your needs and your budget.
The most obvious form of accommodation for the Vancouver Games is a hotel. Vancouver has plenty of hotels to choose from although by now most have been getting quite full. The best place to start a search for Vancouver hotel accommodation is online. You could Google Vancouver hotels and that would result in a list of different web sites. You could also go to special travel web sites like Expedia.com or hotel.com or itravel2000.ca. Each of these specialized travel sites will have a search engine that allows you to specify your needs and budget. Before booking any hotel over the internet it is wise to check with other peer or customer review web sites like Tripadvisor to see what previous customers had to say about the hotel. Vancouver has all the big hotel chains in the downtown core including the Marriott, The Four Seasons, The Fairmont and various other well known international hotels.
If you are traveling to the Vancouver Olympics with your family or a large group, you might want to consider renting a house. There are all sorts of advantages to renting a house for the Olympics. It would be much cheaper for 3-4 couples to rent a house for a few weeks over the Olympics than to rent 3-4 hotel rooms. However, cheap houses for rent in Vancouver will be in tight supply. A big benefit of renting a house while at the Olympics is that you can do some of your own cooking. It will be a lot less expensive for your group if you do not have to eat all of your meals in a restaurant. You could also rent a condo for the Olympics. If you are going to be in the Whistler area you could rent a ski chalet for the Olympics.
Another cheap Vancouver accommodation option is a house share. People are often willing to rent a room in their house. This option is likely to be the cheapest way of staying during the Van Olympics. Often the house share will include limited use of the kitchen or a few meals. This option is a good way to meet people but it affords the least privacy. The best way to find out about house sharing options is to go online and look through electronic bulletin boards such as Craigslist.
With the Olympic Games just a few weeks away, it is becoming more and more difficult to find good and reasonably priced accommodation in Vancouver. The competition is going to be fierce for the few remaining spots. In fact finding accommodation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics might just be a new Olympic event.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Team USA: American Mens Olympic Hockey
The American men's Olympic hockey team is capable of winning gold at The Vancouver Olympics. Team USA might be the youngest and the smallest of any team in the Olympic hockey tournament. In order to have a chance at the gold medal, the coaches will have to make no strategic mistakes.
The coach of Team USA, Ron Wilson is carefully examining the trends of past Olympic hockey tournaments in settling on his goal tending plans for the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The American coach said he's leaning towards sticking with the hot hand, rather than alternating between net minders.
However, choosing a starting net minder won't be an easy task. He will need to pick between the Sabres star Ryan Miller, the very talented Tim Thomas of the Bruins and the excellent newcomer Jonathan Quick of the Kings. He will need to make this decision before the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament begins on Feb. 16. Wilson has indicated that he will likely choose one man and stick with that choice throughout the Olympic hockey tournament. Wilson was quoted as saying: "Generally speaking, the teams that have, if you look in the past, won the gold medal, have played one goaltender. It's not unlike what you do in the playoffs, as well. More than likely that's what I would do but we'll see when the time comes.''
A quick review of Olympic hockey history backs up his contention. At the 1998 Olympics in Nagano Dominik Hasek played in all six games as the Czech Republic won the Olympic gold medal. This was the first year that NHLers were allowed to compete at the Olympics.
At the next Olympic hockey tournament in Salt Lake City Martin Brodeur played in five straight matches for Canada. Brodeur took over from Curtis Joseph who had backstopped an opening 5-2 humiliation to Sweden. Canada went on to win the gold medal. At the next Olympics in Turin in 2006, the talented Henrik Lundqvist played in six of Sweden's eight games on the road to Olympic gold.
Wilson went on to say: "One of our things we talked about here and with our players as well, is that we're not going to Vancouver to prepare anyone for Sochi. This is about going to Vancouver to win a gold medal.''
It's anyone's guess who will appear between the pipes when the time comes. However, the safe money is likely in Ryan Miller. Can Team USA win the hockey gold medal? It's not impossible. However, for the American hockey team to win Olympic gold at the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament the coaches will have to play it smart.
The coach of Team USA, Ron Wilson is carefully examining the trends of past Olympic hockey tournaments in settling on his goal tending plans for the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The American coach said he's leaning towards sticking with the hot hand, rather than alternating between net minders.
However, choosing a starting net minder won't be an easy task. He will need to pick between the Sabres star Ryan Miller, the very talented Tim Thomas of the Bruins and the excellent newcomer Jonathan Quick of the Kings. He will need to make this decision before the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament begins on Feb. 16. Wilson has indicated that he will likely choose one man and stick with that choice throughout the Olympic hockey tournament. Wilson was quoted as saying: "Generally speaking, the teams that have, if you look in the past, won the gold medal, have played one goaltender. It's not unlike what you do in the playoffs, as well. More than likely that's what I would do but we'll see when the time comes.''
A quick review of Olympic hockey history backs up his contention. At the 1998 Olympics in Nagano Dominik Hasek played in all six games as the Czech Republic won the Olympic gold medal. This was the first year that NHLers were allowed to compete at the Olympics.
At the next Olympic hockey tournament in Salt Lake City Martin Brodeur played in five straight matches for Canada. Brodeur took over from Curtis Joseph who had backstopped an opening 5-2 humiliation to Sweden. Canada went on to win the gold medal. At the next Olympics in Turin in 2006, the talented Henrik Lundqvist played in six of Sweden's eight games on the road to Olympic gold.
Wilson went on to say: "One of our things we talked about here and with our players as well, is that we're not going to Vancouver to prepare anyone for Sochi. This is about going to Vancouver to win a gold medal.''
It's anyone's guess who will appear between the pipes when the time comes. However, the safe money is likely in Ryan Miller. Can Team USA win the hockey gold medal? It's not impossible. However, for the American hockey team to win Olympic gold at the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament the coaches will have to play it smart.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Who Will Win the Gold in Mens Hockey at the Vancouver Games
Who will win the gold in mens Olympic hockey at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics? In the last week most of the teams have announced there line ups. There haven't been too many surprises. Some folks in Calgary are a wee but upset that some of their players didn't make the Canadian mens hockey team. A few were surprised in Ottawa that newly engaged Mike Fischer was left off Team Canada but happy to hear Alfie wouldn't play for Team Sweden if he was still injured.
So who are the Olympic hockey gold medal contenders? It is widely thought that Canada has the strongest hockey team. Even Sports Illustrated wrote that Canada had an awesome team and they were the team to beat. However, has the Turin Olympics demonstrated, one bad day can blow everything.
Canada
The hometown team has to be given the nod for the gold medal. For Canadians anything less than a double gold in the hockey events will be a failure. Team Canada will be the most talented team in the hockey tournament. Team Canada will also benefit from the decision to use NHL-sized ice surface (as opposed to a larger international sized ice surface). The motivation to win gold at home will be incredible. Well-rounded Canada has all the ingredients to win gold. There is unbelievable scoring talent, starting with Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Ryan Getzlaf. The defense will be stacked with strong and tough players like Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf. There is also a depth of talent between the pipes. Although goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were injured, Canada is certain to be strong in goal.
Russia
Russia also has a hot hockey team competing at the Vancouver Olympics. This hockey team will be built around an impressive list of top scorers in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin lead the Russian hockey team. These guys are rivals in the regular season so their chemistry might be off. Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk will add to the heavy Russian fire power. It is thought that Russia might have its strongest group of goalies ever: Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Nikolai Khabibulin. It was the Russian hockey team that destroyed Team Canadas chances of a gold medal at the Turin Games in 2006.
Sweden
This team won the last Olympic gold medal. This time they may be without the scoring power of Daniel Alfredson who is nursing an injured shoulder. The other stars of this 2006 gold medal-winning squad are getting a bit older, so the young guys will need to step up their hockey game. Forward Henrik Zetterberg will be responsible for the lion's share of the scoring. However, the offense is strong with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Nicklas Bäckström. It remains to be seen whether Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin will be on the roster. Nicklas Lidstrom is still be among the best defensemen in the world and he will be a factor for team Sweden. Gold medalist, Henrik Lundqvist, will undoubtedly be strong for the Swedish hockey team.
Finland
This Finnish Olympic hockey team shocked the world by winning the silver medal in mens hockey competition at the 2006 Turin Olympics. However, his team thrived on the international-sized ice, something it won't have at the Vancouver Olympics. Forward Teemu Selänne is getting on in years but he will still be Finland's top player while Olli Jokinen, and Mikko and Saku Koivu will help with the scoring.
Other teams such as Team USA also have strong chances. Out of the four hockey teams detailed above, Team Canada has to be expected to win the Olympic gold medal in hockey.
So who are the Olympic hockey gold medal contenders? It is widely thought that Canada has the strongest hockey team. Even Sports Illustrated wrote that Canada had an awesome team and they were the team to beat. However, has the Turin Olympics demonstrated, one bad day can blow everything.
Canada
The hometown team has to be given the nod for the gold medal. For Canadians anything less than a double gold in the hockey events will be a failure. Team Canada will be the most talented team in the hockey tournament. Team Canada will also benefit from the decision to use NHL-sized ice surface (as opposed to a larger international sized ice surface). The motivation to win gold at home will be incredible. Well-rounded Canada has all the ingredients to win gold. There is unbelievable scoring talent, starting with Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Ryan Getzlaf. The defense will be stacked with strong and tough players like Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf. There is also a depth of talent between the pipes. Although goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were injured, Canada is certain to be strong in goal.
Russia
Russia also has a hot hockey team competing at the Vancouver Olympics. This hockey team will be built around an impressive list of top scorers in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin lead the Russian hockey team. These guys are rivals in the regular season so their chemistry might be off. Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk will add to the heavy Russian fire power. It is thought that Russia might have its strongest group of goalies ever: Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Nikolai Khabibulin. It was the Russian hockey team that destroyed Team Canadas chances of a gold medal at the Turin Games in 2006.
Sweden
This team won the last Olympic gold medal. This time they may be without the scoring power of Daniel Alfredson who is nursing an injured shoulder. The other stars of this 2006 gold medal-winning squad are getting a bit older, so the young guys will need to step up their hockey game. Forward Henrik Zetterberg will be responsible for the lion's share of the scoring. However, the offense is strong with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Nicklas Bäckström. It remains to be seen whether Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin will be on the roster. Nicklas Lidstrom is still be among the best defensemen in the world and he will be a factor for team Sweden. Gold medalist, Henrik Lundqvist, will undoubtedly be strong for the Swedish hockey team.
Finland
This Finnish Olympic hockey team shocked the world by winning the silver medal in mens hockey competition at the 2006 Turin Olympics. However, his team thrived on the international-sized ice, something it won't have at the Vancouver Olympics. Forward Teemu Selänne is getting on in years but he will still be Finland's top player while Olli Jokinen, and Mikko and Saku Koivu will help with the scoring.
Other teams such as Team USA also have strong chances. Out of the four hockey teams detailed above, Team Canada has to be expected to win the Olympic gold medal in hockey.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Team USA: Olympic Hockey
The USA Olympic hockey team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics has a lot of new and fresh faces. The usual veterans including Chelios, Weight, and Modano, have been replaced by a new generation of Olympic hockey players.
Brian Burke, the general manager of the US Olympic hockey team, announced the preliminary roster on January 1, 2010. This roster is not necessarily final. The roster can be altered up to 24 hours before the Olympic hockey tournament commences. If a player is injured before the start of the Olympic hockey tournament he can be replaced by one of the alternates.
The US hockey team will field 3 goalies at the Vancouver Olympics. The goaltenders include: Tim Thomas, age 35, Ryan Miller, age 29 and Jonathan Quick, 24. The alternative goaltender is Craig Anderson.
The US Olympic hockey squad is rounded out by an impressive array of young forwards. The forwards include: Zach Parise, age 25, Chris Drury, age 32, Dustin Brown, age 25, Jamie Langenbrunner, age 34, Paul Stastny, age 24, David Backes, age 25, Patrick Kane, age 21, Phil Kessel, age 22, Ryan Kesler, age 25, Bobby Ryan, age 22, Joe Pavelski, age 25, Ryan Malone, age 31, and Ryan Callahan, age 24. The remaining alternate candidates for forward positions on Olympic Team USA include: Jason Pominville, David Booth, Scott Gomez, T.J. Oshie and Brian Gionta.
Team USA is not considered to be one of the top medal contenders in the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament. The favorites include the Canadian Mens Olympic hockey team and Team Russia. However, the Americans are capable of surprising. The US Olympic hockey team will play their first game is against Switzerland on February 16th.
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