This is the 10,500 seat Denman Arena. In 1911 Frank and Lester Patrick built the rink in downtown Vancouver, gambling the family fortune on bringing hockey to Canada's west coast. It, along with another rink the Patricks were building at the same time in nearby Victoria, was the first artificial ice rink in Canada.
Some scoffed at the notion of the winter game in the British Columbia lower mainland, always the balmiest climate. Despite the lack of snow and ice, the game thrived in BC, to no surprise to the Patricks.
BC owes a great debt of gratitude to the Patrick's for building up hockey in BC. But even the Patricks could never have envisioned a hockey tournament as the 2010 Olympics would one day come to Vancouver.
We have only 100 more days until the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics!
Is Canada the favorite to win gold? Are the Russians going to spoil the party? Who will be the surprise team or surprise players of the 2010 Games?
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