The Canadian women’s hockey team caused a bit of a stir with their gold medal celebration on Thursday. Half an hour after the medal ceremony, when fans had left the building, the women were asked to return to the ice to be photographed. They certainly obliged. Players – still in uniform and with medals around their necks – celebrated joyfully, complete with beer, Champagne, and cigars. The pictures quickly spread, raising a few eyebrows.
Photos Hit the Web
The photos began showing up online shortly after the celebration. One shows Charline Labonte and Kim St-Pierre posing at center ice, above the Olympic rings with a bottle of Champagne. Another shows Haley Irwin pouring Champagne into Tessa Bonhomme’s mouth. Rebecca Johnston tried driving the ice-resurfacing machine, even honking the horn. Most problematically, 18-year-old Marie-Philip Poulin is pictured on the ice with a beer in hand. She is below the legal drinking age in Vancouver, which is 19.
The IOC Responds
A reporter asked the executive director of the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, about the incident. He responded, “It is not what we want to see. I don’t think it’s a good promotion of sport values.” He went on to say that it’s one thing to celebrate behind closed doors in the locker room, but another to bring it out to the ice. He promised an investigation. This occurred the same day the president of the IOC said women’s hockey might be removed from the winter games.
Canadians React
Canadian fans are defending their countrywomen, calling the IOC’s complaints ridiculous. Some are more appalled at the women’s choice of beer than anything they did. But Hockey Canada has officially apologized. The spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, Steve Keough, said, “In terms of the actual celebration, it’s not exactly something uncommon in Canada.” Still, they never intended to go against IOC protocols. Their statement read, in part, “The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment.”
Canadian Women's Hockey Team Celebration Causes Stir
Primary in these Olympics has been the notion of ‘Canadian culture’ or the ‘lack there of’. Our painful modesty, need to apologize, guilt ridden responses. Our Prime Minister even felt the need to deliver a speech encouraging us to wear our flags.
#1–Clearly our Prime Minister is out of touch with his nation as all you have to do is travel to Europe or anywhere to see Canadians proudly wearing their flag on backpacks. We even snuck in one of the largest flags ever to the olympics some years ago.
#2–We don’t feel the need to boast or dominate to exhibit our national pride. (not that there is anything wrong with that) That is just not a part of our culture. We can and do have national pride we just exhibit it in our own way.
#3–The Canadian Hockey Celebration was classically Canadian. Post game Beer. And now we are being asked to apologize. How ironic.
You can step on our toes and we’ll apologize but as far as apologizing for some post game beer? Not happening.
#4–As far as the legal ramifications are concerned, I respect the fact that B.C.’s drinking age is 19. However, the celebratory beer drinking 18 year old is from Alberta where the legal age is 18. Drinking ages across North America are semantics. Was she behaving out of control? Was she shouting out rude comments to the fans (no because no one was in the stadium). When I was in whistler I saw a lot more ‘legal aged’ people behaving inappropriately. I ask you which is worse?
Let’s me be real. These girls were having a good Canadian time and they earned it.
Own the podium!
Proud to be Canadian.
GOOD FOR THEM!!
They deserve any celebrations they have!! This is absolutely ridiculous that this would even be made to be a big deal! She is of age in her home province. This is a one time experience for all of them and I was happy to see that they were able to get on CANADIAN ICE to celebrate their win in CANADA!! WAY TO GO GIRLS!!
I don’t see anyone getting bent out of shape when the boys are suckin back champagne out of the Stanley Cup…”Hypocisy” I’m pretty sure the IOC has done a pretty good job embarrasing itself in the past…Sault Lake city Hookers anyone!!!
It’s one thing to celebrate but to do it in a crass manner that ignored sensitivity for young girls looking for role models, the team does not win gold in being an example for young girls. Too bad that the gold was tainted by a lack of common sense. Wh
Come on Kenn, my daughter looks forward to the day that she may possibly be able to celebrate Olympic glory with 20 of her best friends on the ice. These ladies deserved to celebrate, they carried the weight of a country on their shoulders, just like the men, and took home Gold. If there were no media, we would not even know this happened. Congrats to Canada, it was a great game. Hoping that our girls here in the U S of A can celebrate like that in 4 years.
It’s Canada, it’s hockey and its Gold.
Get a grip.
-jg-
Toronto
I think the olympic officials need to lighten up and calm down. There seems to be a double standard here for women and men:It’s not ok for the women to celebrate with alcohol (a beer or some champagne) at an olympic venue with no fans around but it’s ok for John Montgomery to chug a PITCHER of beer at Whistler(an olympic venue)in public, on camera, and beside a police officer?! Give me a freakin’ break… I’m sorry the women dignified this stupid criticism with a response. Will they ever be treated with the respect they so richly deserve? Tx to the Canadian Women’s hockey team for showing us what powerful,dominant,olympic champions look like. Tx also for being Canada’s one sure thing when it comes to being Olympic gold medalists in any winter olympics. Enjoy your celebration-you’ve all earned it. Go Canada!
Party on Girls, you deserve it after all your hard work! I don’t see why they have to party “behind closed doors”, as if they are committing a crime!
Good job and being role models…
So we let Haley Read the olympic oath for good behaviour and sportsmanship and then they get caught acting like this… “Get Real” is all I have to say about it. Certainly they should be allowed to celebrate and drink there beers but on their own terms. I almost wish I wasn’t a canadian hockey fan when I heard about this. Yeah their human, yeah they deserve to party and have fun. However, their all role models whether they want to be or not. Win responsibly.
They are hockey players, they are not role models. They are not under and obligation to be role models. They worked very hard to achieve this and they deserve to celebrate in any way they want. “OHHHH won’t some one PLEEEEASE think of the children!” give me a break! Are we going to start complaining about parents who have a glass of wine with their dinner in front of their children? What does this teach children? That it is ok to drink if you’re celebrating something? If we aren’t going to give that message then lets stop serving alcohol with dinner, at weddings, at birthday parties, at bbqs. Geeze it’s not like they were sitting around shooting heroine or something. People need to relax.
Leave them alone people. they have worked hard and earned every bit of this medal. This is the only celebration they get, not like the NHL boys moving on after the olympics and earning millions.
I think the IOC should be doing something about the US Women’s Hockey team. Their lack of good
sportsmenship and openly displayed anger while recieving Silver Medals should be the news of the day. That was the lousy message sent to young women last night!
Come on, they were not angry, they were disappointed. As anyone would be. It is too bad that you seen this disappointment and turn it into bad sportsmanship. Did you want them to celebrate? These girls worked extremely hard to get here and the tears in many of their eyes should have showed you that it was disappointment. They did indeed shake hands after the game and accepted their medals with pride. I for one, am proud to be an American and proud of both our ladies and men. Silver is not too shabby. Congrats to Canada they earned both Golds. Two excellent hockey games by four very evenly matched teams. Thanks for the excitement and passion you brought to the games.
Someone tell Kenn he is a dumb-ass. Light up ‘Kenn’!!
WOW…what a country we live in..these young ladies…AND I DO MEAN LADIES
Opps…These young LADIES have done everything that our Country has asked…THEY WON..you are old enough to vote when you are 18, you are old enough to die for your country when you are 18,,,mmmm…but,,you are not old enough to enjoy winning GOLD for your country when you are 18…I believe that these LADIES should be left alone and alow them some time to truely enjoy what they have accomplished….
YOU GIRLS HAVE DONE US PROUD>>>>>>
Well done, girls. You were great, so party on.
I’m a yank, but had two Canadian grandparents & have worked in Canada and with Canadians around the world – WAY TO GO GIRLS! Congratulations! We have had a hockey team down in Louisiana – the Ice Gators & we love the sport & its players…. This however is the FIRST time I have heard the sight of a HOCKEY player with a drink & a cigar is SHOCKING???????? What???? Go Canada – proud to be a neighbor to the south.
I am an American, and I say way to go Canada. I was proud to be in the Gold medal game with both the mens and womens teams. You put on a heck of a display and deserve to celebrate. I, with a 10 year old daughter, understand that this is what womens hockey plays for and they should celebrate like the Stanley Cup. I can only hope my daughter has a chance for Olympic glory in 8 years. I mean, come on you won it on home turf, be proud!!! Congrats and we hope to see you in four years with a slightly different outcome. : ) Proud to be an American, but also proud of our brothers in arms from up North. How Awesome, USA with most medals ever and Canada with most Gold medals ever in an Olympics. WOO HOO!!!!